Thoughts on Current Events
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by Rev. Eric Folkerth
I wish the next line I am about to write were not true, but as of this morning, I believe it is the truth:
Never before in any of our lifetimes has the future of our democracy and Republic been in more peril.
I know. It’s my job to comfort and bring hope. And I still have hope. But it’s also my job to speak truth. And a what we see in our nation today is deeply troubling. The divides that have always been there below the surface are blowing up like no time since 1967.
Only now, we appear to have a lack of compassionate and considered leadership —in far too many situations, locally and nationally— who are either unable to respond, or unwilling to, in ways that would calm and heal our land.
That is what makes this a dangerous time: The deep divisions have always been there, but now they are being stoked and fanned by too many leaders, including our Commander in Chief.
I think I know several things about you all, dear Kessler Park members…and I apologize if I am wrong about any of these:
— You are horrified by the murder of George Floyd.
— You understand the anger, hurt, and frustration on the streets.
— You are aware of the need for reform in the police, and also aware at some level of White Supremacy as a scourge on our land.
Where perhaps some of the diverge is on the violent protests that have taken place in the past few days, both here and across the nation, some of you, no doubt, understand the pain, anger and frustration that has led to them. Others of you believe that regardless of that pain, protests should not turn to riots, ever.
I hope you know that I am firm believer and proponent of non-violence. The path of Dr. King has been immensely important to me in my life. I have, personally, been a part of protests on the streets of Dallas. I have been a part of a protest on that same street outside the White House, where people were gassed and clubbed by order of the Executive Branch, so that the President could get a “Photo Op” outside a church.
I can only tell you what I am seeing…
When we were arrested at the White House, nobody used clubs and tear gas on us. Nobody. The National Park Police could not have been more courteous to us as they arrested and processed us.
Friends: What we saw in Washington DC —peaceful protestors gassed and clubbed so the President could get a “Photo Op”— should chill us all, regardless of our politics.
Even here locally, I cannot fully explain the responses of law enforcement. In my dozens of protests on the streets, NEVER ONCE did Dallas Police use gas, rubber bullets, or Riot Gear on us. Not. One. Time.
Something is different in our land.
And yes, there was vandalism and the throwing of rocks. But a part of being a leader in law enforcement is *expecting* that, and finding ways to DE-escalate the situation. You may differ with me on this next statement, but I believe it to be true:
Gas and Riot gear simply threw gasoline on already angry protestors.
I honestly don’t know what the solution could have been…but I know it was NOT that. We will have many questions to ask in coming days about these events.
And if this seems unfair to you, I understand. Our own Dallas Police have —I believe— a kind of collective PTSD over being shot at and murdered on the streets of downtown. That is a real trauma that they uniquely have, among police forces in our nation.
But, let us remember: The issue being protested is “Police Brutality!”
DPD proved the point of the protest the other night, with their escalation, at least in the minds of many angry people on the street.
What is the other path? What else could they have done?
Let me cite some examples.
In Fort Worth, for example, officers “took a knee” en masse, and diffused a tense stand-off.
In one town, a Chief of Police took OFF his riot vest, and walked unarmed into the line of protestors. He then marched WITH THEM.
In a third town, an entire group of White officers “took a knee” which helped diffuse a tense stand-off.
And, finally, after the gassing of protestors on the streets of DC, a Virginia County has *withdrawn* their own officers as a protest against the misapplication of force against those protestors.
Generals are publicly —in ways we have never seen— condemning how our President is behaving.
Our own Police Chief rightly called George Floyd’s death a “murder” and called for the officers to be held accountable.
These are examples of things we must see from law enforcement in order to DE-escalate things right now.
The point is: One of the twin issues being discussed in our world right now is Police Brutality. And therefore when police use ramped up force, the result is relatively predictable.
I cannot condone violence, and I will not.
But as I said, as a pastor I understand the feeling and emotion that could lead people to violence. Throw in the so-called “bad actors” on the right and left, and it’s a terrible situation.
As you may know, the protestors came here to North Oak Cliff on Tuesday night. As you have heard me say many times, we must do ministry to all the people in our mission field. So I went to meet them at Lake Cliff Park.
I can only tell you what I saw with my eyes.
A group that (at least that night) did NOT intend to violate laws, or riot.
A group that stayed on the sidewalks and intended to follow city ordinances
A group that was ANGRY…very angry…yet resolute.
A group that was very, very young and racially diverse.
One of the things that has most struck me in the past few years, as I attend protests, is how much YOUNGER the crowds are getting. (No, not just because I’m older…)
The younger generation is angry and frustrated at this world we older generations have left to them. I want you to know, I hear and understand that anger.
And so, they let me pray with them that night. I was honored to do. I welcome them to North Oak Cliff. I told them I was proud they were using their voice, and to always do so.
I prayed for George Floyd and his family, for an end to Police Brutality, and for our entire nation. Soon after, they honored the park curfew and left.
I just want to report this to you, not to get any accolades or “atta boys.” That is not my goal.
My goal is to suggest that anyone in leadership right now, a similar approach.
Leaders need to listen and empathize with this anger on the streets. And if they do not, there will likely be MORE anger on the streets.
In 1967, Dr. King —that great believer in non-violence— gave a speech that could have been given this morning.
He called riots “the language of the unheard.”
And what has America not heard, he asks?
“…that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality, and humanity. And so in a real sense our nation's summers of riots are caused by our nation's winters of delay. And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these recurrences of violence and riots over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention.”
Friends, that paragraph is as true this morning as it was then.
These next few months will be fraught for our nation.
We need wise and compassionate leaders who can both understand the PTSD of our police officers, and yet also allow for the safety-valve of anger and rage to find release. Or else, as Dr. King says, we will have a recurrence of this “over and over” as in fact we have in our nation.
Maybe these months will be the tipping point that finally pushes our nation to a new a truly just society, where we are a truly multi-racial democracy. Maybe we will collapse in on ourselves.
I believe these next months will be crucial for us to show African-Americans that there will be true change in racists behaviors and also police behavior. I believe we may well have to stand up to inappropriate use of force and authority by parts of our government.
We will all have our part to play in this.
PRAY for our nation.
Pray that we can do our part for peace and justice.
DO justice.
LOVE kindness.
WALK with humility.
That is still God’s call to us.
Pray we are up to the task.
Grace and Peace,
Eric Folkerth