By BONNIE EDWARDS
Los Alamos
There is no denying that at this moment in time we have had some life changing incidents happen in our country. In the last few months, we have seen two people killed while protesting. We have seen a person killed on a college campus as he spoke. Children have been killed as they prayed. We tend to blame these incidents on our leaders, on the system, on something other than ourselves but are we scapegoating? Is this a sign of who We the People are becoming? Is there more intolerance, anger and unwillingness to expend energy to find the truth in each of us?
We seem to deal in caricatures when we speak about groups of people. ICE agents are either friendly cops or evil prowlers. How about they are human beings and not so easily labeled? Illegal immigrants are either helpless victims or gang members and drug dealers. How about acknowledging that they are human beings and not so easily labeled? N.T. Wright says “If you treat one part of the truth as the whole, it becomes an untruth.”
Hyperbolizing to the heavens is another way of sabotaging our search for truth. An example of this is the use of the words “Nazi” or “Holocaust” or “Gestapo”. The constant use of these terms cheapens what really happened during documented historical events where approximately eleven million people were tortured and slaughtered. In the minds of a critical thinker, the indiscriminate use of these emotional terms also cheapens whatever argument is being made. Comparing red apples to red barns is not helpful for real conversation.
Where will we find the truth? The recent story of 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his father is an example of how difficult it is to sift through so many versions of a story in order to glean the truth.
Several days ago, we were told by some news outlets and some editorials that Liam was snatched while ICE agents prowled school grounds. As I write this, NBC has reported that Liam’s father was arrested in the driveway of his home. Some news sources report that Liam’s father requested that Liam not be separated from him. Some do not provide that detail but insinuate that ICE has warrants for children.
Why the discrepancy? I love the words from the prophet Isaiah in chapter 11 about a future Davidic king. “Not by appearance shall he judge nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.” Uncovering who the land’s afflicted are and what justice looks like are not easy tasks. Appearance and hearsay aren’t dependable. Critical thinking skills, common sense, discernment and the investment of time and energy will serve us better.
Demonstrations abound right now. Whatever the purpose of your demonstration, you are guaranteed the right to peacefully demonstrate in this free country, but not the right to take away other’s rights as you demonstrate. No right exists to interfere with official activities of any law enforcement agency. Make sure you are exercising your appropriate rights. Breaking the law has consequences. Be respectful. Don’t damage property. Don’t use a car, a gun, or any other potential weapon to even hint at the possibility that you are putting another’s life at risk. By doing these things you are depending on another human being to practice a respect way beyond your disrespect. You are depending on another to determine in a split second how dangerous your threat is to their immediate wellbeing. Why would you take that risk? I won’t advise you to stop using your version of a microphone in order to share controversial ideas and spark conversation. This action has also proven dangerous in the current atmosphere but worth the risk I believe.
I love our country and I’m concerned about its future. My fear is that we are losing the ability to have honest intelligent conversations. Leaders will come and go. We the People will determine how our country proceeds. Let’s all become better Americans—more willing to listen, brave enough to respectfully share ideas and patient enough to seek the truth together.