The tragic and senseless assassination of two NYPD officers is yet another indication that something is terribly wrong within our society. We can point to a number of issues as been responsible for these types of tragedies but the real issue is that as a society we have allowed too much hatred and divisiveness to infect the minds of people.
Christmas should be a time of love and celebration not killing or hating. When the season of Christmas with its carols of peace, love, and joy no longer has any influence or meaning to people then you know that something has gone terribly wrong. What has gone wrong is that there is a climate of discontent and social antipathy.
During the past year there has been a number of tragic killings including what some call police extra judicial killings, black-on-black crime, the killing of police officers (like the two NYPD officers) and other ethnic combination that the media does not cover like some of the other cases. While these tragedies might seem unrelated they are all interconnected. They are the manifestation of a society that is filled with hatred and divisiveness.
Hatred in society is not new as it has existed from the very beginning of the republic. What is different this time is that the politicians have used hatred to poison the minds of people. During the past six years we have heard nothing but messages of hatred disguised as criticisms towards President Obama. When you treat a president of the US with disrespect and hatred then you in effect unleash the forces of evil upon society. If you can do this to a president then there’s no telling what you can do to the ordinary man.
Instead of people having positive messages from their political leaders and representatives they get negative messages that harden their hearts and make them more likely to commit evil acts. Politicians need to realize that their words and actions set the tone for good or bad things happening in society. When a senator calls President Obama “the worst president” and does it with a hate-filled tone because he disagrees with the president’s decision to resume diplomatic relationship with Cuba that senator only stirs up more hatred that is unwarranted.
The hypocrisy and message of hatred by our politicians need to end so that America can get a chance to heal. The nation cannot afford to continue its history of hatred because it accomplishes nothing positive. As the political leaders return to their constituencies to spend Christmas with their family and loved ones, we pray they will come to an understanding that fosters love in the heart for all Americans.
Mel Shim is the author of Whom God Has Blessed, Let No Man Curse (Infinity Press, 2013) and A New Perspective on Race-related Problems in Corporate American Companies (Outlook Press, 2013). http://www.jermelshim.com