The time is fast approaching where anything a person says can and will be controversial. There have always been injustices and problems in one form or another. With the advent of social media and rise of the "my rights" mentality in our nation (which really equates to what I want regardless of how it affects anyone else), we have become a "murmuring" people. Let me be the first to say that there is nothing wrong with speaking out against injustice as long as the people who are speaking out are doing what they can to foster a solution instead of just blaming someone or something for the problems. We have a nation of people who seem to be complaining about things they have done nothing to make any difference about. An example is this whole issue with the National Anthem and the American Flag. When did injustice become a reason not to have national pride and a cooperative spirit to do what is needed individually to make our part of the world good? Instead people say, "I won't stand for the national anthem because there are social injustices allowed in our country." I've got a revelation for you. There will always be injustices. They will always happen because man, each individual, has the capacity to do evil. It is not limited to one race or creed, one religion or another. Injustices have been committed in the name of every religion and faith on earth, have been committed by every race on earth.
Something has happened to our citizenry. We have forgotten that freedom is not free. It should cost everyone something. We seem to have many people in our world that always expect to receive but never seem to get around to giving or sacrificing anything. Many have begun to think that they are "entitled" to so many things without realizing that everything ALWAYS costs someone something. If it doesn't cost you, it is costing someone else.
I would like to share an example. I saw pictures the other day of a "red tail" WWII plane. It is a fighter plane. Many of you who study history will know that the "red tail" was a distinct mark of a particular group of fighters during WWII called the "Tuskegee Airmen." Because I grew up in proximity to Tuskegee, Alabama, and have worked for the VA hospital during much of my career, I have been privileged to meet several of the members of that distinguished group. I think everyone would agree that there was much oppression of the black man during the period from the colonization of America through the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and beyond. It so happens, however, that these Tuskegee Airmen fought in the midst of all these injustices during WWII which took place from 1939-1945. Those men who were members of that courageous and highly decorated group did not boycott or "sit-out" the war simply because there were injustices. They banned together in a sense of national pride to fight an enemy so that the pursuit of freedom from all injustices could continue in a country that has potential and has achieved a level of greatness. We tend to forget that. Did any of those men have the right to be angry, bitter, and resentful to the point of demeaning national pride and patriotism? Yes they did BUT instead they wore the star on their planes just as proudly as the red tail insignia. They were members of the greatest nation on earth, the United States. Other citizens of other countries have done the same. Are there injustices in all nations? Of course. The difference is that in a democracy, we do get to choose who leads us. Much has been said about this. Many people are now maligning our president and all those who voted for him. It is ironic that much of the criticism often comes from people WHO DID NOT EVEN VOTE. And even if you did vote, and I did, we still elected the one who was the choice of the people. If the other candidate had received the most electoral votes, she would have been the choice of the people. (If anyone does not understand the electorate system, then you should look it up and study it and you'll see why we have it). It is to keep the interests of all Americans, not just the one's in the heavily populated areas, at the heart of every election. Otherwise, candidates would focus only on the needs of small densely populated areas to the neglect of the opinion of those who live in less populated areas. The electorate provides that ALL areas are important. Everyone, in this system at least has some influence. Albeit, the heavily populated areas still get more electorate votes, as they should.
When I hear people say, "He is not my president." I want to say, really? (and sometimes I have). He is your President if you are an American Citizen regardless of your views of him or any other president who may be elected in the future. Unless you denounce your citizenship and lose all the benefits of that citizenship, whoever is elected IS YOUR PRESIDENT. If we disagree with our leaders, we have the opportunity at the next election to change them just as people had the opportunity to vote for their choice at the last election. That is what makes us great. So many nations in the world do not have that same opportunity. Saying someone is not your President is the kind of dangerous statements that have led to military "take-over" coups in many countries that have resulted in more pain for everyone. If you want things to be better and you don't agree with some things, do what you can to make things better in your realm of influence. At the very least, you can pray for whoever is the sitting President.
Much has been said of the media. I will just say that if you are a reasonable person and you look at the news, you will quickly see who the favorite person to "murmur" against is on each network and channel. Some events are covered while other significant events are ignored. Remember, the same truth can look totally different depending on how it is shared. Facts can look different depending on how they are presented and what "agenda" they are presented under.
I hear intelligent people attacking people who voted for our President. Calling people who voted for the president "stupid". When a person is elected to office through a democratic process and that person makes choices that are not in-line with what you prefer or what you think is "right", is it really ok to call those who took part in the same process as you (if you voted) stupid? That is the same as saying "democracy is stupid." Democracy elected our officials, including our President. Everyone's opinion does matter but we don't give up when we don't get things "our" way. Would you rather have a "dictatorship"? Before anyone makes the mistake of thinking that we already do, let me remind you that we do not. North Korea has a dictator. The people there do not have basic freedoms. If you live anywhere in the US or it's territories, you do have freedoms. Would you rather live in a place like North Korea? I think not.
I would posture a deeper problem. The problem is that our own personal beliefs and opinions about what affects us the most drives our decisions about what should be done and who should lead us. The problem with this viewpoint is that each individual gets to determine what is "right" for them. What happens when what I think is right is the opposite of what you think is right? Should everyone see things as you do or as I do? This is the slippery slope we go down when we do not believe in a truth that is determined by something outside of ourselves. For the Christian, truth is supposed to determined by God's Word (the Bible). The problem is made even more diluted by the fact that followers of God tend to "pick and choose" which portions of scripture (the Bible) they want to live by based on their individual preferences and how they "feel." If something doesn't feel right to us, we can simply use "evidence" to say that this portion of the Bible is "uninspired". We are all susceptible to this exercise. Which takes us back to the original problem of determining what is right by what is "right" for me or you. To illustrate this point, I can tell you that many people close to me see things in different ways. Many different people even in my own family voted for different people and this trend will probably continue in the future. Why? We are determining truth based on our feelings and needs. Not some objective standard. God's truth should not be optional no matter how it "feels" to me. But we are ALL selfish. Hence, there will always be differences of opinion.
I, for one, am thankful to live in a land where at least I can be heard with my vote and can make choices to change things that need to be changed. Murmuring against something has never changed it. Often it causes people to defend their own position more staunchly, even when they are wrong.
To sum up, PRAY for our leaders. God ordained them. Otherwise, they would not hold the positions that they do. When we pray, let us not pray for what we want to happen but let us pray that God's Will Be Done (not my will but thine be done). We should pray that our leaders at all levels make decisions based on what God wants them to do and that He (God) will give them the wisdom to do just that.
Murmuring against each other will lead us nowhere. Prayer will lead us to great things.
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