Courage

Valerie Cullers 20 Comments

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Have you ever wondered what is wrong with the human race? How can we continue to hate and hurt each other? You’d think that after a while (several thousand years) we would have learned our lesson…apparently not. The killing of George Floyd this week and the subsequent riots (notice I didn’t say protests) are an indication of the hatred and malice that exist in the human heart. 

When I watch the events taking place on the streets of some of our major cities, I just shake my head. I am saddened by the lack of leadership within the ranks of the rioters and it makes me miss some of my heroes. Take Mahatma Gandhi, for instance. He helped liberate his country from English colonialism. His philosophy of non-violent protest changed an entire nation. It took a lot of courage and character to react non-violently in the face of senseless violence but he became the Father of modern India and an example to the whole world.

Gandhi influenced another of my heroes, Martin Luther King Jr. He also believed in non-violence and through his preaching and example, he was able to lead this country out of the dark ages of racial segregation. It took courage and character to  stand toe to toe with the police but he and his followers were able to do it. They received the respect of the majority of Americans who wanted the insidious doctrine of racial segregation legislated out of existence.

If we want to honor the memory of George Floyd and every other American who was killed unjustly by a police officer, we must behave in a way that commands the respect of the people. The vast majority of Americans were appalled by the murder of George Floyd and were more than anxious to see the perpetrators brought to justice. However, the burning, looting and wanton destruction of property have elicited a different reaction to this tragedy. 

Now, all the American people can see are violent protests and angry mobs pillaging and looting. The tragedy of George Floyd is being obscured by the riots and the spotlight that should be on his death has now been shifted to the angry mobs. Make no mistake, it doesn’t take courage to torch a car or loot a business. It takes opportunism, greed and disrespect for the property rights of others.

Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. threatened the status quo. Their courage in the face of evil was a shining example of how society could be changed by the practice of non-violent protests. The agitators who are leading the violent protests will not change society; they will only leave a wave of destruction in their path. Nothing will justify their behavior and they are certainly no example of courage or character. 

Image by truthseeker08. Courtesy of Pixabay.

20 thoughts on “Courage”

  1. Very well said..
    Loot ..riots are never an answer to perceived injustice….
    These will never get one any justice but may create more opponents..
    Regards

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    • We have a lot of looting abd preying on innocent victims here, the idea is immediate gain. However changed or adjusted behaviour is needed. Once the mindset is in place, it would serve as an example of behaviour that can me emulated by the younger set.
      We pray for change in our Rainbow Nation.
      Nelson Mandela’s vision freed many. Many have yet to learn from it.

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  4. My granddaughter was watching the rioting on the news and she said to me, “Grandma what do you think Martin Luther King would say?” She is only 9 and she gets it, why can’t everyone else? So sad.

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  6. This is tough talking which is raw, real and truly needed. It doesn’t take courage to do wrong – rioting and looting – that’s just greed and cowardice. It takes courage to love our enemies, to forgive, to speak the truth in love and kindness.

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  7. Thank you very much for this challenging and insightful article! I have recently published an article on my blog about the negative impact of violent protest and why non-violence is the only way to move forward and achieve equality in the black lives matter movement. If you have time, it would be great if you could check out my article and let me know your thoughts! Thank you and wishing you all the best during this period 🙂

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