Breaking the Third Commandment

Last night the President of the United States broke the Third Commandment.

He walked over to a church, after protesters in front of it had been tear-gassed, held up a Bible, and had his picture taken, after threatening to send out “thousands and thousands of troops” to stop the violence currently taking over America if the governors did not do it themselves.

If you look up a list of the Ten Commandments in the book of Exodus in the Old Testament, the Third Commandment reads, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” (King James Version).  The New International Version reads, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”

Last night, in using the Bible and a church for a photo op, the President of the United States took two symbols of Christian America and misused them for his own purposes.  

There are people who have called him “brave” and said “well done”.  

No.  This is not well done.  

Trump used St. John’s Episcopal Church as a backdrop for his photo op.  The Right Reve. Mariann Buddy, who is the bishop of Washington, D.C.’s Episcopal Diocese, said she was “not given even a courtesy call that they would be clearing with tear gas so they could use one of our churches as a prop, holding a Bible, one that declares that God is love and when everything he has said and done is to enslave violence.”

Earlier, Trump told governors on a conference call that they had to “dominate”, and take back the streets, and called them “weak”.

We have a man who died at the hands of police a week ago.  We have another man who died at the hands of two white men three months ago, and it took two months for video of that murder to emerge.    We have a woman who died at the hands of police who “went to the wrong house.” (Oops.). In case you have forgotten, their names are George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor.  

I know of two African-Americans — people I am personally acquainted with — who are afraid to go jogging in their neighborhoods, who are afraid to wear masks when they go out.  Another African-American whom I know personally has said, I don’t want to die.  I just want to go home to my wife.

And our President has the chutzpah to go to a church and hold up a Bible, after demanding that governors “take back the streets” and threatening to send out “thousands and thousands of troops”.  

President Trump, do you want a second Civil War?

Do you?

We Christians get very touchy at the use of certain language.  We should.  I find certain words offensive and I don’t like my ears and my brain being assaulted with them.  

But something is terribly wrong when Christians are quick to scream about a particular word which takes the name of the Lord in vain, quick to demand prayer back in schools and the Ten Commandments posted on the walls, quick to demand that abortion be outlawed . . . and yet see nothing wrong when a President of the United States misuses the name of the Lord by using a church and a Bible to make himself look strong, tough, and Presidential.

We, indeed, have lost our compass.

Just my .04, adjusted for inflation.

"Go home!"

"Go home!"

That was the order Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms gave to hundreds of rioters in downtown Atlanta last night, who took advantage of a peaceful protest and turned the place into a war zone. 

They eventually did go home, but not before vandalizing the CNN Center, breaking out the windows at McCormick and Schmick's, a downtown restaurant; torching several police cars, and streaming up into Buckhead, where they looted businesses around Lenox Mall and Phipps Plaza.

At the moment, it's quiet downtown, but who knows what tonight will bring?

Governor Brian Kemp has authorized 1500 National Guard troops to hopefully quell any more violence. 

As I write this, there is a peaceful protest going on outside of the Governor's Mansion in Atlanta.

71 arrests were made and 20 police cars were burned last night. 

What started it?

It began with a knee to the neck of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of passing a $20 bill.  He'd been handcuffed, questioned, and then, when the cops started to take him to the car, he resisted. 

I don't know how he ended up on the ground with officer Derek Chauvin's knee on his neck, but Floyd pleaded, "I can't breathe . . . I can't breathe."  If this story sounds familiar, those were also the last words of Eric Garner, who was placed in a chokehold by an NYPD officer, and who died as a result. 

Eight minutes later, Floyd had suffocated. 

Floyd was African-American.  Chauvin was white. 

Coming on the heels of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery and the shooting of Louisville, Kentucky resident Breonna Taylor -- shot by police who forced their way into what they later said was the wrong house -- both victims being African-American, the shooters being white -- Floyd's death was the last straw.

I have seen an outpouring of anger, rage, sorrow, and other emotions from whites and people of color this week on social media.  I have seen people of color, some of whom I know in real life, who say that they do not feel safe.  One young man doesn't feel safe jogging in his neighborhood anymore since the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.  A mother does not feel safe wearing a mask out in public because the perception of an African-American in a mask spells "they are up to no good". 

Last night, Atlanta blew up. 

Atlanta was not the only city that blew up.  Minneapolis blew up, the second or third night in a row it has done so.  Houston blew up.  Los Angeles blew up. 

I am a white woman.  I have a limited voice.  While I have African-American friends, I can not even begin to say, yes, I know how you feel, I understand.  No, I don't understand!  I don't understand how people can hate people based on the color of their skin.  I don't understand the roots of systemic racism and systemic discrimination. 

And I am not a leader, so I don't know how to make it better. 

Right now, I am listening to two women, Keshia Lance-Bottoms and Erika Shields (police chief of Atlanta, Georgia) saying in no uncertain terms that what happened last night in Atlanta will not be tolerated again.  I pray that any protests stay peaceful. 

I will raise my voice and add mine to Mayor Bottoms:

"If you care about this city, GO HOME!"

Just my .04, adjusted for inflation.