A Black Versus White Thing
By
Camilla Smith
By now we are
all probably
grateful for
that royal baby
being born,
maybe taking the
news off the
Zimmerman/Martin
trial for a few
days. But don’t
be surprised if
it slowly creeps
back into the
headlines. In
fact, Mr.
Zimmerman has
apparently
resurfaced and
not
surprisingly, so
has another
juror. Hmmm.
Here’s my take.
This is coming
from my
simplistic mind,
and I am writing
to you from the
Bible belt of
the great,
Midwest, so keep
that in mind. I
come from white
suburbia.
Middle
class. Working
class. A:
not-much-crime-in-
my-town class.
Not too much of
an interracial
neighborhood
here. In fact,
some would say
we are probably
pretty
sheltered.
Okay. I
give you that.
But when I see a
man with a
cowboy hat and
Wrangler jeans,
I assume he
wants me to
think he is a
cowboy. When I
see a woman with
a Louis Vuitton
bag and Chanel
clothes, I
assume she wants
me to think she
has money. When
I see an older
gentleman in
overalls and a
John Deere cap,
I assume he
wants me to
think he is a
farmer.
When I see a
teenager or
youth dressed in
a hoodie and
baggy pants,
ball cap turned
sideways or
backwards, I
MIGHT assume—he
wants me to
think he is a
gangster. Am I
to assume that?
So when George
Zimmerman saw
Trayvon Martin,
did he think Mr.
Martin wanted
him to assume he
was a gangster?
Was Mr. Martin
dressed like a
gangster? I
don’t know. So
many of our
youth are
dressed like
gangsters these
days—White,
Black, Hispanic,
it doesn’t
matter. It is
the culture. It
is the style. It
is outlandish
and it is
unfortunate. But
if you wear a
hoodie with your
hood pulled up,
your pants
hanging low, and
if you have
piercings and
tattoos, do you
want me to
assume that you
are a gangster?
Am I going to
profile you? Not
personally, but
I will be afraid
of you. Is that
profiling? I
don’t hate you
because of your
race. I don’t
hate you because
of your dress. I
am AFRAID!
Is there
a difference?
I think
there is! I
don’t want to be
afraid of a
Muslim clad in
their
traditional
dress, and I do
not want to be
afraid when a
group of young
men dressed like
rappers
approaching me
on the sidewalk.
To me, it is not
a matter of
hatred; it is a
matter of fear.
Is that a crime?
Is that racial
profiling?
Maybe Mr.
Zimmerman was
overly
aggressive.
Maybe adrenaline
and fear came
over him and he
reacted
incorrectly.
Maybe Mr. Martin
was racially
profiled in the
past.
Maybe Mr.
Martin was
acting
suspiciously to
Mr. Zimmerman.
Maybe it was a
no-win situation
that turned out
disastrously. In
any case, one
young man is
dead and it is a
shame.
Whatever the
case, we should
not let this
tragic story
divide us. I
believe that is
the hope of the
media and I am
tired of them
running the
show. Almighty
God is the only
one who knows
what really
happened that
day. It is
unfortunate that
these two men
ever came in
contact with one
another. It
should have
never happened.
I wish it had
not. I am very
sorry the Martin
family lost
their dear
child.
Fear is rampant
in this
nation—it is
causing us to
act irrationally
and do things we
would have never
done. It is
causing our
thought
processes to run
awry and our
instincts to be
dumbed down.
There is only
one thing we
should fear—and
that is the fact
that Jesus
Christ is coming
for his church,
very soon, and
there are
millions of
unsaved people
who will not
make the cut.
Not making the
cut, missing out
on eternity in
heaven, now that
is scary. THAT
is worthy of
profiling.
Unfortunately,
the lost do not
wear a sign
saying, “I am
lost.”
Most do
not have
distinctive
clothing that
tells us they
are not children
of God.
They are
among us, they
are interacting
with us and they
may be nearly
impossible to
recognize. But
that is God’s
job. We are just
called to plant
the seed and let
God take it from
there. In many
cases, the seed
may have already
been planted by
another, but we
are to keep
planting, John
Deere hat or
not!
We do not need
racism and
politics to
divide our
nation. Our
nation is
already troubled
enough and as
many of us
believe, has
little time
left. But only
God knows the
answer to that,
too. There could
be massive,
overwhelming
revival—a last
gasp effort on
the remnant of
true believers
left in this
nation to bring
us back from the
brink.
But if God
intervenes and
sends His Son
for us without a
nationwide
revival, we as
believers must
be able to stand
before Him and
confess that we
did our best to
bring the
unsaved to His
kingdom. It is a
huge task, and
the rewards are
astounding.
Imagine having
played an
oh-so-little
role in bringing
just one soul to
the Lord before
the Rapture.
Thank goodness
we have the Holy
Spirit to seal
the deal.
Really, all we
can do is pray,
witness boldly,
and fearlessly
face those
around us who
are lost to the
dreadful sting
of sin that our
world has
become. It is
overwhelming to
adults, and I
cannot even
imagine how
today’s youth
are facing an
uncertain
future—as
uncertain as I
can remember.
Those who know
the Lord will
persevere. Those
who do
not---drugs,
alcohol,
prostitution and
pornography, and
yes, gang
membership may
seem their only
way out. If you
know where you
can make a
difference in a
life, do so and
do it quickly.
People are
hurting.
Families
are splitting.
Children are
suffering. God
is waiting. So
far, He is
giving us the
time.
How much time is
left?
What will we do
with it?
“Behold, I am
coming quickly,
and My reward is
with Me, to
render to every
man according to
what he has
done”
(Revelation
22:12).
Camilla Smith