By Rev Phyllis Scott, President of the Pastors of Oakland
Last week, as the Pastors of Oakland and the NAACP held a prayer vigil seeking proactive solutions from the community and our elected officials, we witnessed a week of an unprecedented wave of violence, killings and crime.
Our pastors, community chaplains and civil rights groups have come together to lift up our voices seeking an end to this season of reckless violence. Sadly, this week was another bloody week here in Oakland as four more innocent lives were taken by senseless acts of reckless, unwarranted violence.
The call has gone out to our city officials, a cry has gone out to law enforcement and a call has gone out to our mayor: “Stop the Violence!”
It appears we’ve grown numb to the sound of gunfire. Have we grown numb to the cries of grieving mothers who have been yelling for justice for shattered families and the tears of our children?
It seems as if the cry of outrage is growing faint. We’ve fallen into a frightening pattern.
We’ve become reactive rather than proactive. We wait for a body to drop in the cold of the streets before we become inflamed with righteous indignation.
If city officials have not risen to the level of righteous indignation — if they cannot or will not do anything to address the violence in the city right now, why should we trust them with a greater responsibility? The Scriptures teach us that “For to whom much is given, much is required.”
It’s up to communities, to the people of Oakland to demand and ensure that the seed of violence is identified and pulled out of our communities. We must provide economic justice through jobs and affordable housing now for the good of the people.
Let’s make our voices heard. Let’s join together. Let’s not grow numb to the sound of violence.
If you’re interested in letting your voice be heard, if you have a heart for peace — join in on the conversation. Register for a city-wide conversation by calling (510) 689-9544.
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