Color Blindness; Seeking Justice for Roy Middleton

LISTEN NOW! Greg, John, and Pat discussed color blindness; seeking justice for Roy Middleton. They continue to discuss the results from the grand jury that met to review what happened when two Escambia County Sheriff Deputies shot an innocent man, Roy Middleton, while he was at home. According to WEARtv 3 on July 27^thtwo deputies shot at Roy Middleton fifteen times. Two bullets struck Mr. Middleton and shattered his thigh.

They continue to discuss that the grand jury found there was “insufficient” evidence proving that any criminal violations were committed by the deputies according to WEARtv 3 reporting. They continue to discuss how there are tons of good officers in the community and Greg shares from firsthand experience and knowledge since he was a deputy in the same county this tragic incident took place for ten years. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said that “Everything Hitler did was legal.” Just because it is legal doesn’t mean it is right. There is a difference

Roy Middleton

between what is legal and what is moral. They continue to discuss the lack of response and the vacuum of silence that still exist over an innocent man who was shot at while he was standing in his car port.

Greg continues to share how God has already told us how to respond. He also shares how he is color blind and how this disadvantage has caused him to slow down and really look deeply into the colors and texture in essence to look deeper. Those who can see color move quickly and don’t take the time to look deeper. They think they know the color and make generalizations. This is often true when it comes to race. They continue to discuss the importance of going deeper than someone’s color but to look deeper into the context of their history. All men are created equal in the eyes of God and the same should be in the eyes of men. Dr. King said that men should be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Jesus clearly understood this. He wants us to walk in the same empathy Hebrews 4:15 talks about. Jesus understood what man was capable of because He walked for some time on earth as a man. They continue to discuss the importance of looking over someone’s life in context instead of momentary lapse in their actions that caused them to move out of character. It’s important not to throw Dr. King’s quote at people when they lose it and have a momentary lapse of character when they have for long periods of time walked in good character. We need to have this conversation because part of healing me is hearing me. When it comes to crime it can’t be about color.

As Christians we must step out of any area that causes us not to empathize with another race that is not like our own. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.” God tells us in his word to make disciples of all nations. The word, nations, in the Greek means “ethnos” which is the word where we get ethnic and ethnicity from. The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:20 “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” Greg continues to share his heart over what Roy Middleton is experiencing even today and how he continues to experience injustice. God alone is the one who can bring justice to this situation. He is just. Greg shares the letter he wrote Roy Middleton expressing to Roy how he felt about this tragedy and expressing empathy as well as his prayers. It’s time for this conversation to happen and it’s time for healing to come to the Gulf Coast and the rest of the nation.
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