Not a good day . . .

It's a sad day for Virginia.

Normally, when people ask where I'm from, I answer with a measure of pride. "I'm from Virginia." That's not easy to do today. Perhaps you have followed the news from Charlottesville VA, home of the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, and a place of Southern charm. Of late, the news has been anything but charming. There is a statue in a Charlottesville park of General Robert E. Lee. The General, and Traveller, the horse he is riding, are undeniable parts of Virginia and US history. The cause for which Lee fought, whatever his personal views may have been, was a cause that denied liberty--in the most absolute sense--to millions of people. We can, and should rejoice that slavery in the United States was abolished. In recognition of that, the park where Lee's statue sits was recently named "Emancipation Park." And so, the stage is set for a conflict of dueling rights.  "We have a right, even an obligation, to remember our history." "I have a right to go to the park without seeing a man who oppressed my people honored as a hero." "We have a right to speak freely, especially here in Mr. Jefferson's home town." "We have a right to oppose you, to point out that some whom you regard as heroes, were our oppressors." "We will not be silenced." "Neither will we." One of the ugly skills of evil is the ability to so twist virtue that it becomes self-destructive. I can hear the Council of Hell chuckling as they spin their plan. "We'll take their rhetoric defending freedom and use it to enslave them. It is a demonic sport that is played out well beyond Charlottesville. City councils, police, and courts are mostly made up of people of good will. They want to do what is right, but this kind of evil presents cases where those tasked with keeping law and order, while, at the same time respecting liberty can't win. "Freedom of speech" that only protects the speech of those with whom the majority agrees is not really freedom.*  Yet allowing the kind of hateful rhetoric, and offensive public display that is likely to produce a tragedy like the one that took place in Charlottesville Virginia hardly passes as protecting the public. Open your window and you hear the cries, "Somebody needs to do something!" Indeed, and that someone is you and I. One of the clear teachings of Scripture is beautifully summarized in the words of our Lord,    “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12, NASB)   Using the Lord's gift of Himself as the chief example, the Apostle Paul reminds us to, "count others more significant than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3, ESV). Each of us needs to stop being so insistent on "my rights," and start being more concerned about loving others. Much of what is wrong in our world will not be cured by more police and better laws. It will be made better by kindness shown to others. I may have a right, but I must consider my neighbor before I exercise that right. Perhaps I can't stop evil from putting on a show, but I can refuse to be a part of the audience. If enough of us do that, the evil plan will suffocate in the vacuum. I challenge the news services to start. I remember Paul Harvey who used to report on some senseless crime, "Of course, he would want me to give his name." Period, silence, next story. Instead of rushing to be the first to report a group of idiots carrying tiki torches, why not set the standard by being the first to hit the mute switch? The answer doesn't involve somebody. It must start with ME!   It's STTA (Something To Think About).  (*I state without equivocation that the speech of the white supremecists who showed up at Charlottesville is vile. The question is, "Can the law make them stop saying it, without at the same time infringing on the rights of others to say what they think?" Not everything that is legal is right, nor can/should everything that is wrong be made illegal.)