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“Young men and young women, there is no escape. If we would be great, and good, and useful, we must pay the price.”

--Booker T. Washington

            In the first “Police Academy” movie, there was a riot which the misfit police cadets had to quell. One of the cops, played by Bubba Smith, walked through the riot scene in a daze and could NOT believe that this was happening in his neighborhood. Of course, thanks to Smith and his fellow cops, the riot was soon put into check and the wrongdoers arrested. However, it was the look on Smith’s face as he was walking the streets while the lawlessness continued out of control. That look is the look that many law-abiding, older Black folk have on their faces during the present wave of lawlessness crisscrossing our land.

            It is the look of confusion and hurt. It is the look of “I can’t believe our young folk have been played for fools.”

JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE CRAZY FRONT:

            Please allow me to be clear at this point. In response to what we have been seeing and experiencing over the last few months—and possibly on into the future—we should heed the advice of Pastor E. V. Hill and advise ourselves and our young people accordingly: “Be prayerful--but be careful.”

            Let us not kid ourselves. We have arrived at a time in American society which many of us who are over fifty have not expected to see: that being lawlessness enshrined on such a scale that common sense has been tossed out the window. Our young men and young women, amazingly ignorant of their own history, are volunteering to be cannon fodder for some sinister forces. Our youth are willing to be set up for failure. For, when the smoke clears and order is restored, guess who will be among the first picked up for prosecution?

            Let the church say AMEN.

            We must adjust ourselves accordingly. No longer can we take a back seat and cower in fear of lawlessness. We must steel ourselves as soldiers and view every day that we are blessed to open our eyes on this side of the Jordan as another day on the front lines. Yes, my friends, we must fight a good warfare to maintain and exalt righteousness. We must treat each day as “Just Another Day at the Crazy Front”. We must adopt a biblical and military mindset, armor up and meet our enemy head on…no matter where he—or she—may reside. Others seem to have succumbed to manipulation by the forces of the times, but WE do not have to be counted in those numbers. The pushback of righteousness is already underway!

PRETTY OBVIOUS—OTHER FORCES HAVE PAID TO PLAY:

            The protests in our streets started innocently enough, and the cause was justified…just like the Ferguson protests of a few years back. However—just like Ferguson—the protesters were quickly replaced. The looter, the anarchist and the rioter hid in plain sight among the lawful protesters bringing forth mayhem of curious proportions.

You heard me. I said of ‘curious proportions.’

            As one who grew up during the riots of the 1960s who is now blessed to serve Jesus Christ as a Christian and Minister in my latter years, let me put this on the table. One of the blessings of age is you discover that history is cyclical. It has a way of coming around full circle. To disregard the lessons of one’s youth; to jettison the education of your growing up years, or to ignore the teaching of the elders of one’s family and neighborhood is to your own detriment. Further, burning down Black businesses does NOT help the “mob” …or US!

            In my humble opinion, many of those who are rioting in the streets and cities of urban America are not doing so for the cause of justice, but as a means of seeking—and usurping—political power. Much like Queen Jezebel usurped the power of King Ahab, those who are in our streets today have demonstrated whom they are serving…and it is not the cause of justice.

            It is the cause of the sinister. They are letting the Devil do ‘his’ thing—through them!

Their masks have slipped; their agenda has become exposed for the world to see, and little positive momentum has been established for the cause of society in general, and African Americans in particular.

THE ORIGINAL CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT:

            The interesting fact about the Civil Rights Movement is that it started—with fasting and prayer—in the Urban Church. Churches in Black communities across America for years had prayed, and marched, and prayed some more until victory had been won. The interesting fact about Black Lives Matter (BLM) is that its movement was NOT born in the church.

Why am I mentioning this? You must take the time to understand how God works. Like Him or not; believe in Him or not God is real and through His son Jesus Christ still has a church in existence in many of our urban areas. Believe me baby, the church STILL has power!

When something is born of God, it is sanctioned by God. It is usually marked by a “strong grace, nobility and humility”, not by threats or burning someone’s store to the ground. I invite our young people to search out Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s. bus boycott. The church prayed, came up with the boycott, and stayed off the busses for more than a year. Financial pressure instead of violence won the issue. Further back in our history, Booker T. Washington built Tuskegee University brick by brick. He did not “tear down” another college to make his dream come true; he built it and staffed it through much prayer, effort, and humble character.

Again--to those “running the streets”--read your history and stop being manipulated by those who are lusting after political power…and won’t give a hoot about you, once you have helped them “reach” their goal. As I used to tell my students, and later my clients in the juvenile justice system: “He who gets to the prosecutor first, gets the BEST deal…even IF they have to turn you in as a part of their deal.”

SATAN’S FAVORITE TRICK IS MANIPULATION:

When something is NOT born of God, but rather masquerades as “something righteous,” it should be immediately recognized as satanic in origin. You see, Satan has no new tricks; just a host of “pretty wrappings” that he applies to his old tactics. Manipulation of the minds of unwise, simple men and women is one of the best tools in his arsenal.

My friends, manipulation may come in many forms, and arrive before the eyes and ears in many ways.   The ‘twisting’ of handpicked facts into lies is one of the best methods of satanic deception. It is also one of the easiest ways for the sinister to recruit looters, thugs and rioters. Twist the facts to suit the leadership, and turn the followers lose to serve as cannon fodder.

If you have lived life in this age of electronic gadgets, you find out real fast that spontaneity may be controlled or manipulated by pride, lust, or money. In simple terms, a “flash” mob may be brought together quickly to display a dance step. However, a “cash” mob-- one having the appearance of a social good--may also be brought together quickly. The dirty little secret? Those participating in the mayhem of the cash mob have been struck satanically blind and are not aware of the long-term consequences of their actions until it is too late. It is impossible to “unburn” a store, or “unhurt” a victim of mob violence, no matter how much one may wish that the clock may be turned back. Tragedies nor murders cannot “unhappen”.

A FEW OTHER ITEMS TO CONSIDER:

            Between the Ferguson riots and the present unrest, a curious think happened to BLM. Published accounts indicate that some of their early leaders committed suicide. Of course, once there is a void in any leadership, nature abhors a vacuum, and will fill it for good or for ill. The present BLM leadership is not only light years away from the original BLM cause, it has involved looters, thugs, and rioters of all colors PLUS has accepted monies from Socialist, Marxist and other such rabble, thus massively corrupting it.

            Pretty hard to convince older Black folk that white anarchists are ‘down’ with BLM.

            It was not that long ago when BLM protested on Chicago’s famed “Million Dollar Mile” during the Thanksgiving holiday season, right before Christmas. The protests caught many off guard…but were peaceful and on point. However, add a few years to that protest, pour in Socialist, Marxist and Radicals, mix in a heap of electronic cash and you have Black Lives Manipulated. Its objective is not social justice…but government overthrow. Sadly, some who are in the urban church are aiding and abetting these terrorists who are not only against Black business and Black economic growth, but Black Christians and REAL Black history. More to come in the next installment of this column.

            Mike Ramey is a Minister, syndicated columnist and Modern Street Gangs Consultant who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. “The Ramey Commentaries” is one of a variety of his written works appearing in cyberspace. To drop a line—or a whine—the address is still the same: manhoodline@yahoo.com. ©2020 Barnstorm Communications International.