Dangerous criminals need to spend more time behind bars. People with mental health and drug problems need rehab, care and to be housed immediately. However, this can only happen if we inspire people to change the way they view the world.
To awaken someone's conscious requires ancient spiritual methods.
I propose a three-day fast against evil and to promote and protect peace. Before you laugh at this idea please understand I started this fast yesterday and am inspired by the successful fasts of some of the most influential and legendary leaders of all time - Gandhi, MLK and Cesar Chavez.
Before you ignore this solution please ask yourself if you believe in God, if you believe in Jesus, if you believe in a higher power or in some type of organization in the universe. If you are a believer in something more powerful and enlightened than yourself then you recognize fasting as an important way to champion a cause greater than yourself.
I am asking that every spiritual leader, elected official and concerned citizen in Chattanooga, Tn. pray for peace and justice and participate in a three-day fast starting whenever you personally feel it is right to do so.
This fast is a way to remember the pain and suffering of homicide victims’ families and counter on a spiritual level the current gang war that is happening and involves juveniles.
We will be eating only vitamins, and drinking tea and water for three days and am happy Brother Kevin Muhammad and Black Lives Matter leader Cameron Williams are also on board. If you have any ideas on how to stop this senseless violence I’m all ears.
I think that longer prison sentences would help obviously but that is not the hand we are dealt currently.
I understand that many people don’t believe in God or a higher power and that is your prerogative but I was always told “there’s no atheists in a foxhole”.
So let us come together as a community and do all we can including civilian security patrols to stop more murders from happening and hold killers accountable.
Who is with us?
Andrew McLaren