Hello Charlotte, where have you gone?

                               (This is not my photo. This is a photo being shared on social media, of a Charlotte, NC police officer during the riots)

While on a break at work today, I began writing a blog post. Unfortunately I was in such a hurry to leave, I forgot the paper. So all of the wonderful things I had written down, will have to wait until another day. Today though, today is from the heart.

My heart breaks for Charlotte and her people. My heart breaks, for those of us who reside in Charlotte's shadow. This is not the Charlotte we know and love. How could this, like a cancer invading a body, invade such a beautiful city? What on Earth or in Heaven, can be done to stop this?

Sadly, it isn't just the city of Charlotte that is having to face the riots and fall out of this invasion. In fact, a disease called ignorance. What are the symptoms of this? Division among the people. Find ways to create anger, disharmony, discontent, distrust, and amplify it to the highest level. Find a way, to make it a racial thing. Whether it is or not, find the loudest voice and set them to shouting without rest. Find a way, to make it about equality or rather inequality. Find a way, to feed the beast of discontent and anger. Find a way, to put guns in the wrong hands. People who will not listen and obey. People who are somewhere they should not be, doing something best left undone, or people who forget they and the people they are facing are human not animals.

 Charlotte, I'm watching what is going on there. My face is wet with the tears shed over what is happening. My heart breaks and my soul is weary over this. I fear, that somehow, we are all being manipulated into situations like this, we are pawns in a game created by someone who is sitting back safely watching as their match to the flame, flares and the fires lit, burn out of control.

 Charlotte, we are better than this. We are not an out of control mob bent on destruction. Or at least, we should not be such.

Is there in equality? I would be blind and ignorant to say not. Of course there is. Is this right? No, it is not. But rioting will not change that circumstance. Destroying the property of others, will not bring about the change sought. To bring about change, one must do so, in a positive manner. Even if it is by gathering in protest.. peaceful protest that does not devolve into riots and violence. Talking, calm, under control, rational conversation will help bring about change.

Is there a division among the people of Charlotte? Just as there is division almost everywhere else, I am sure there are divisions among the inhabitants of Charlotte. Just as each area of a city has a different quality, different feel, different life, such is the neighborhoods and the people who live there. Sadly, the quality of life in some areas is not good, is not perfect. Rioting and destroying the property of others, will not change that. Will not have others ready and willing to help you make changes. They will not be ready and willing to help create improvements toward a better more equal life.

At every opportunity, there will be those who shout gun control. As has been said before, passing legislation for stricter gun control will only keep guns out of the hands of the innocent ones, the guilty, the thieves and robbers, they will still find ways to get guns. I would not argue that there is a need for better education, more training, even stronger requirements before one can own a handgun, but that is only a possibility, not set in stone.

Charlotte, along some roadways, I can see you in the distance. Your high rise buildings glittering and reflecting the sunlight. You are the Queen City, you are a crown jewel of North Carolina, you are better than you are acting at the moment.

 Those who are angry, are not thinking, as they shout, "Black Lives Matter" that all lives matter. Everyone there, are humans. Whether it is the out of control rioters shouting and creating destruction, or the police, who are trying to do their job. When the police go home, when they remove that uniform, they are mere human just as you. Do not, for one moment forget that. Do not forget that they too, have families, have parents, have children. They are attempting to do their job, which guess what, is to keep you safe. But if you mess up and do something illegal, adult up and accept responsibility and the charges. If you can't do that, then do not do the crime. They are not profiling you unless you are doing something worthy of being profiled.

 The police, the firefighters, the paramedics, they are out there, every single day, some working very long shifts, to help you. to protect you, to make it better for you.

Bad things happen. People make incorrect decisions and bad moves. They act without thinking or don't think and don't act when they should. But just because bad things happen, we should not go out of our way to make bad- worse.

Charlotte, please, instead of starting fires, lets start conversations. Instead of throwing bricks and rocks, lets throw out ideas. Instead of gathering in mass to loot stores, lets gather to build that bridge to equality. Instead of destroying, lets us stand together and build and rebuild. As a society, we have come a long way, even as there is further to go, let us continue to move forward. Please lets not go backward.

Charlotte, you are a beautiful city, with beautiful people. Let us not sully that with the ugliness of anger, hate, discord and disharmony. Lets get up, dust ourselves off, clean up the mess and move forward.......together.

Let our anger, be as a river, flowing away, so we can move forward with faith, trust, improvement and change