“I can’t breathe”.
“Why can’t we all get along?”
“I don’t have a gun. Stop shooting.”
“Being black is not a crime.”
“Black lives matter.”
These are the cries for help. Behind every one is a life sacrificed. There is a silent killer who lurks in the shadow. It hides on rooftops like a sniper with a scope. Its trigger is hate. And that colours all that it sees. It is a world it guards jealously with extreme prejudice.
One community organiser, Michael Sampson, said that George Floyd’s most memorable and chilling plea for air was a “powder keg”.
“Police brutality and Covid-19 was the gasoline. Those videos sparked the fire. That’s why the country is on fire at this point. People are already suspicious of the criminal justice system, of white supremacy and how it affects people.”
Sampson adds: “In every city, there’s a George Floyd.”
At times like this, what kind of leadership are we looking for? One who goes on his knee or one who stands high and never bends. And if a fish rots first at its head, then it is disturbing how America is being led at the moment?
While the world now is convulsing with protests, not just limited to HK, but all fifty states in America with thousands taking to the streets, you kind of worry with Trump’s reply when asked what are his plans to address racial inequality: -
“Because our country is so strong. And that’s what my plan is. We’re going to have the strongest economy in the world. We almost are there now.”
He added: “What’s happened to our country and what you now see is the greatest thing that can happen for race relations, for the African-American community, or the Asian-American community, or the Hispanic-American community for women, for everything.”
My god, can you make sense of what Trump is trying to say? And I am not even talking about his FB message, risking more violence when he posted this: “...when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
With millions protesting everywhere in the world, and the fear of a second wave of Covid looming due to social uniting in the streets, instead of social distancing, Trump’s plans for the inflammatory racial wars is...holdyourbreath...the economy? Seriously?
Mind you, the largely unregulated economy, driven by the market and the invisible hand of avarice, is one of the contributing causes of where we are today.
In fact, the way the economy is run before Covid, with widening income and social inequalities (and climate degradation threatening all lives), has resulted in a groundswell of what is now term as identity politics, the politics of resentment. and the politicization of privilege, hatred, greed and prejudice.
Now, don’t get me wrong. The economy, jobs and income have to have some priority here. I can’t imagine the lockdown to go on for another month in the state America is it in now.
But, Trump, as the leader of the most militarily powerful nation in the world, would have to go much deeper than just saying, “It’s the economy, stupid” (Clinton’s campaign slogan) when addressing the divisive racial exigencies now threatening the peace and harmony of the country.
At times like this, there is what is known as deeply inspirational leadership, and there is what is known as simply incomprehensible ones.
And that’s not all.
Trump is unfortunately (and seemingly) clueless when it comes to the deep seated, interrelated causes of the State of the Disunion now plaguing the once-great United States. This is also where he invoked heaven’s consolation with this remark at WH.
“Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying there’s a great thing happening for our country. It’s great day for him, “It’s a great day for everybody.””
Honestly, it is hard to make sense of what Trump is trying to say with that statement. Is he trying to inspire at a time of great disquiet? What then does he mean “it’s a great day for everybody?” Who is he referring to in particular?” Has he looked out of his mansion’s window?
Alas, there is just a disconcerting disconnect between the leadership at the White House mansion at this moment and the people protesting in the street. It is like they are living in separate universes.
Yes, as a Christian, I have received flak from some fellow believers who had warned me about being judgmental and un-Christlike. Take the log out of your eyes first, mike, and don’t you dare touch God’s anointed. God has plans for Trump. Mocking him is mocking God’s plans.
To be honest, you have to have faith to believe in all that. And with apology, I do not have that kind of faith. I fell short. But I fell short because it is a gap I don’t think it is wise for me to bridge and walk over to join the sentiments on the other side. We therefore have to agree to disagree, with understanding and hope.
To be even more honest, I will never know for sure whether Trump is God’s chosen one, that is, whether he is the King Cyrus (or even the Queen Esther) who will put the Jews and the world right again.
I am just a struggling believer trying to make sense of what I am seeing in this world. And I am just calling a spade a spade, an apple an apple.
If I don’t have the prophetic foresight that some believers have about Trump, then rest assured that if I am proven wrong, my wrongness cannot be denied because of what I have written here and, well, almost everywhere you scroll.
And if I am proven right, trust me, that is the last thing I want for Trump and the American people, or the world at large (I’d rather be wrong, but 3.5 years have since gone by and the odds seems to be against stubborn hope right?).
In any event, it is never about who’s right or wrong. For isn’t our stubborn insistence of being right, pursuing right and making sure the rest of the world acknowledges we are right the main cause of the state we are in today?
In the end, it is however about redemption, about joining hands in hope and love, and it is about moving forward in self-examination, self-reproach and self-correction. For isn’t unawareness the root of all evil?
Have a reflective Sunday morning.
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