MICHAEL NABORS

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018

 

Calling All Fathers

 

 

Something is wrong with America.  In no time a sickness has spread across our nation.  It is a horrible disease that is deflating the very foundation and sucking the very soul from America.  The Evanston/Shore Shore NAACP joins partners and forces who seek to name the disease and deal it a death blow, before it is too late.  White nationalism has quickly found a home in the White House, the U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Department of Justice and virtually every major department of government.  Many major civil rights advancements for marginalized and minority Americans have been rolled back and are currently under attack.  Voting rights, billions of dollars in assistance programs designed to aid families in- education (higher education and public education), housing (homeownership and rental subsidies), entrepreneurship incentives, training programs, arts and culture, diversity and inclusion training programs are all under siege.  

The Evanston/North Shore NAACP appeals to all people of goodwill in the Metro Chicago area to collectively speak out against the very direction the current administration and elected officials are leading our country.  The Evanston/North Shore NAACP appeals to all houses of worship; Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Baha’i, Hindu and others to collectively speak out against the very direction the current administration and elected officials are leading our country.  The Evanston/North Shore NAACP appeals to marginalized groups- African Americans, Latino, Asians, the LGBTQ community and women to collectively speak out against the very direction the current administration and elected officials are leading our country.  It is time to reclaim our country.  It is time to assertively, intentionally and with the moral force of goodwill leading us, to use our minds, bodies and faith to stop this horrible disease.  

In recent days the spokesperson for Donald Trump Sara Huckabee Sanders along with the United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions utilized religious and biblical language.  They sought to justify actions of the current administration regarding the willful separation of over 1500 immigrant children from their Moms and Dads.  Specifically, they referred to  Romans 13: 1-2, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do sos will bring judgment on themselves.”  It is scandalous, horrendous and simply diabolical to use this Romans passage to stop people from protesting the government’s actions.  The shortsightedness, lack of exegetical analysis, completely inaccurate hermeneutic and self serving use of God’s word is ungodly.  Period.  

To use Scripture in order to justify political decisions (grossly partisan political decisions) is not new.  This same text was used to offer Christian justification for the institution of slavery that lasted from 1619 to 1863.  Later, it was used to support the egregious laws of Jim Crow and Separate but Equal.  Likewise, other texts like 1 Corinthians 14:34 were used to suppress another group of women- “Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.”  Yet another text, Colossians 3:22 “Slaves obey your earthly masters in everything...” was used to perpetuate and continue slavery.  Of course, the same bible thumping Christians were totally silent regarding other texts like Amos 5:25 “But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream”, Like 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to ...proclaim freedom for the prisoners...to set the oppressed free”, John 8:36 “So if the Son has set you free, you are free indeed,”  Galatians 5:1 and, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery,”  and Luke 17:2, “It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.”  

My appeal, while long, is for all active and responsible fathers who may read these words.  Let us stand for those 1500 children (whose numbers have surely grown since I wrote these words).  Let us stand for them.  Let us speak out for them.  Let us do a godly thing and imagine those children are...our children.  Let us become intrinsically involved in this current, evil situation.  This disease will continue to spread if we do not collectively put on our garments, go into the operating room that is our nation and begin the surgical procedure of going to the root of the problem.  Make no mistake about it.  This is happening on our watch, in our time.  They came for immigrant children. Next, they will come for you and yours.  We need to pull the stoppers out Fathers.  Stand and fight for these children and families.  They are not the enemy.  They are not monsters.  They are not murderers and rapists.  They are little boys and girls.  Jesus, have mercy.