In Touch With Retribution, Reconstruction and Recovery

By Betty Miller Buttram
FWIS Contributing Writer

Psalm 62:12 Don’t become rich by extortion and robbery; if your riches increase, don’t be proud. God has said many times that power belongs to him.

America is a young country that will be celebrating its 250 years of independence from the British rule with the usual fireworks on the Fourth of July. Before the Europeans arrived, the Native Americans already inhabited the land. Some of our African ancestors came with the Europeans. The Native Americans were peacefully minding their business, the Europeans found a new home, and the African slaves would become the free labor. Native Americans, Europeans, and African slaves were the foundation of a new nation.

America has existed for at least eight generations. A generation is commonly estimated to span 20 to 25 years, resulting in approximately four to five generations per century (100 years) and America’s history has been documented by these generations of people.

The signing of the U.S. Constitution took place on September 1787 at the Pennsylvania State house, now called Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. Since that time, America has grown as a nation. Prior to 1787, the country was a wilderness with its own laws.

In the book of Exodus, Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt, where they had been enslaved for 400 years, to Mount Sinai. He leaves the people encamped at the foot of the mountain and ascends to receive God's laws. Moses stayed with God for 40 days and nights. During his absence, the people began to doubt Moses’ leadership, became restless, and built themselves a golden calf to worship. Most of the children of Israel had shifted their allegiance from God of their ancestors to the gods of Egypt. God heard the merriment and told Moses to get down to his people for they had corrupted themselves. In his arms, Moses carried God’s laws, the Ten Commandments, written on the front and back of two stone tablets. When Moses saw the people’s behavior, Moses called for all those who were on God’s side to join him. Those who did not come to Moses died. God later restored the stone tablets, and the people wandered in the wildness for 40 years.

As a young nation, America has been governed by the U.S. Constitution since its independence. Laws are essential for maintaining order. However, in the Nation’s current environment, there are concerns that some laws are not being followed and are being challenged. There is a man-made mountain that is the cause of the unrest and the division within the Nation.

Mount Retribution is named after a leader who is imposing his form of punishment upon the Nation as revenge for his criminal acts. Standing with the leader on his mountain are Greed, Hatred, and Privilege. The leader holds the U.S. Constitution in his hands and is shredding the torn pages to the people at the foot of the mountain. This leader disagrees with the laws established by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. However, he specifically dislikes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Before there was DEI, there was Affirmative Action which emerged during the Civil Rights Movement. The original purpose of the action was to address systemic discrimination and ensure equal opportunity for all qualified people, regardless of race, color, religion, or national origin. DEI includes the diversity of people from a variety of backgrounds such as race, gender, religion, and disability. Equity focuses on fairness and impartiality, such as equal pay and opportunities. Inclusion creates a welcoming environment where people feel like they belong and are valued.

Shredding papers related to DEI administration harms African Americans, other people of color, women, and people with disabilities. Agencies are being dismantled; high ranking civilian and military personnel are being fired because of their support of DEI programs and federal employees are losing their jobs because of the prejudices of the privileged, all disguised as saving money. Show the people the money; show the people the waste. America spent 60 years developing DEI, which is now being dismantled. So, where does the Nation go from this point of retribution.

After the end of the Civil War in 1865, there was a period of reconstruction to help the south find its footing. That is where we will be once this retribution ends, and recovery begins. The focus will be placed on restoring possession and control of our constitutional laws. We do not know how long this journey will be. Let us hope that we will not be in the wilderness for 40 years.

February is Black History Month, and we celebrate our history all the time. In these days when racism is raising its ugly head higher and higher, there are songs of the struggling times that will remind us of the distance we have traveled as a people. I hear Sam Cooke singing “A Change Gonna Come” (1963) during the Civil Rights Movement, and Michael Jackson’s “The Man in the Mirror.” (1988), 25 years later. and diversity was on the scene, and let us always sing our hymn, “Lift Every voice and Sing.”

Make America Great Again (MAGA) is a special slogan for the lost privileged folks. How can American be great again when the Nation is young and still growing. For me, MAGA translates to “Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia…Again.” Some people want to remain in the past and fear the present and anticipation of future developments. America is not perfect; but somewhere and sometime, it can be peaceful.

Proverbs 28:4-5: Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them. Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.