Please, Stop!

Rarely do I use this blog as a commentary on current events. Today I’m stepping away from that policy, because I’m appalled (not surprised, just appalled) at some of the behaviors on both sides of the political spectrum.

The anti-Trump riots are disgraceful.  I watched a video yesterday in which a gang of hoodlums was physically banging on a car, threatening the driver, while chanting “Peaceful Protest! Peaceful Protest!”  Right.  Fires, flag burning, vandalism and threats that there will be casualties in order to effect change?  NOT peaceful protests. Not even close.

Then I hear some stories from the other end of the spectrum:  A Muslim woman being verbally abused and intimidated because she was wearing her hijab.  An American-born college woman who was both verbally and physically abused by some street thugs because she is Latino. Both these people were informed that now that Trump will be President, they’re going to get what’s coming to them. There is no excuse for such behavior. Mr. Trump would not condone it, and it’s not what he’s been talking about.

I don’t care which side of the political playing field you are on–such behavior is never helpful, never right, never appropriate.

At this point, I’m not personally touched by such evil.  We live in a calm and quiet neighborhood where such behavior is not condoned and would be shocking to everyone, Liberal and Conservative alike.  But if it doesn’t stop, if people don’t get their heads on straight, it could very well be that this evil will spread from the cities into the surrounding suburbs and beyond.

I find it completely disgusting that college students are being pampered with therapy dogs and depression treatment, even having tests canceled, because their candidate lost. How pathetic is that!  They are crying and moaning, while at the same time other young people their age are out on the battlefields of the MidEast, working to protect people who do not have the privileges of this republic. I know which ones I would choose to stand for my own freedom!

I believe that the only real healing in our land will be a spiritual revival. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can calm people’s hearts and turn this ugliness around. We need to remember that Satan is at the root of all of it, on both sides. Anger, hatred, threats, actual violence–this is not of God.  It is of Satan.

We need to pray. We need to learn to forgive, to heal, to come together.  “Divided we fall” is just as true as it ever was. Please, stop this madness.  Stop the hatred, the vitriolic speech, the threats and the violence.  It is gaining nothing. It never does.