Moral leadership

I am embarrassed for our county that there are some living among us who think that they can get away with shooting into black churches without fear of retribution.

I am grateful to the elected and law enforcement officials who stood with the members and officers of the NAACP to condemn these acts and who pledged their diligent efforts to apprehend the perpetrators.

I am hopeful that there has also been strong condemnation of these evil deeds from the pulpits of our churches and other places of worship. The pastors, rabbis, priests, and all who are regarded as moral leaders of our faith communities should make it clear that they will not remain silent in the face of this outrageous expression of racial hatred and intimidation.

I would like to see our faith communities participate in a joint expression of spiritual and ethical solidarity with the congregations of the targeted churches, perhaps a day of prayer at the churches so insulted and threatened. We need to express our determination not to remain in silence when evil rears its ugly head among us. We should demonstrate our faith and determination to fear no evil. We should not allow fear to silence the good people of our county.

As Edmund Burke said, "All that is required for evil to triumph is for a few good men to do nothing."