“We have a choice to let our anger be KNOWN or let it be SHOWN.” – #ToddCPittman
On May 25, 2020, a man named George Floyd was murdered in front of the world. It seems many of us were wearing different lenses that day and saw things differently. What I saw was something that has been going on long before the existence of anyone who is reading this today. What I saw were individuals who had confidence in their arrogance and ignorance of whose children we all are. What I saw was a segment of our society who continues to wear a false perception of superiority. Let’s ask ourselves what we are wearing today? I’m not talking about the shoes on our feet, the label inside our suit jacket, or not even someone else’s monogram on the pocketbooks we carry. No sir, I’m questioning what are we wearing that as protection for our soul? When I read the posts on Instagram, Facebook, Nextdoor, and other sites it is obvious that many of us are walking in the dark without a thing on, I’m talking butt naked with our souls exposed for the enemy to use at will. Like me right now everyone is angry at something, but like I shared yesterday with two brothers I love down in Louisiana, Chief Murphy Paul and Rick Horton, we all have a choice to let our anger be KNOWN or let it be SHOWN. We can choose to let our anger be KNOWN by using our experiences and intellect to position ourselves to decision making positions within the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. We can let our anger be KNOWN by changing out of our bathrobe and into an academic cap & gown or a judge’s robe. We can let our anger be KNOWN by supporting those institutions and organizations that promote spiritual knowledge building and/or peaceful societal change. We can let our anger be KNOWN by PEACEFULLY convening in protest against systemic discrimination and institutionalized racism. We can let our anger be KNOWN by casting our VOTE! But keep in mind that we live by choice and we also have the choice to let our anger be SHOWN. We can let our anger be SHOWN by destroying our neighborhood parks and schools where our children play and receive an education. We can let our anger be SHOWN by looting from our neighborhood shops where we need to buy food and clothing and so many of our brothers and sisters have invested all they have to fulfill their dream of entrepreneurship. We can let our anger be SHOWN by burning down the only community location where so many depend on obtaining their needed medications and pharmaceutical supplies. I am the proud father and grandfather of three adult daughters, one adult son, and three grandchildren. All intelligent, beautiful, African-Americans who represent America’s finest universities and our military, the United States Marine Corps. And although my wife is a beautiful and brilliant Ph.D. Chemist by profession and I have been directly responsible at federal, state, and local levels for more than $100M of reinvestment into our country’s most overlooked communities, to all those who wear the lenses of inequality the beauty of all of our educational and professional contributions to society will continue to be blurred by the color of our skin until each of us take a deep inside look into what is covering our soul. My family has chosen to let our anger be KNOWN both in the natural and spiritually by using all tools and resources available to us to enable us to adequately stand in our spiritual, mental, and physical battle against the tricks of evil. Our strength to stand strong and love others regardless of unjust or prejudicial treatment of others comes from a war chest comprised of truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. We wear the armor of God! Before we can change our mindset to address the racial discrimination many of us face and the views some of us have, we first need to take a moment to be still and change what we are wearing. Whether we need to put on the armor Shiva, Buddha, Allah, or Yahweh we have to protect our soul to protect our minds. Let’s do what needs to be done to protect our minds against the devil’s pursuit to continue to penetrate our thoughts and actions. Let’s protect our minds against thinking all people are alike. All white people are not racists, I can attest for those that have prayed for and continue to pray for equality – but there are those who need to ask themselves What am I wearing? All police officers are not corrupt and prejudice, I can attest for the members of my family who are in law enforcement – but there are those who need to ask themselves What am I wearing? All black men are not thugs and looters, I can attest . . . FOR I AM ABLACK MAN and I wear the Armor of God! – #ToddCPittman
Yep, I Said It! 