22Aug/170
Heather Heyer: Brought as a lamb to slaugther for us, in Charlottesville
By Michael Dobson
Heather Heyer
The death of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville on August 12, 2017 is a story told centuries before her slaying. Flashpoints in human history has often required the spilling of blood.. of a lamb going to slaughter toward our salvation and a reckoning.
Heather Heyer grew up before us as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground: she had no form or comeliness; and when we shall see her, there may be no beauty that we should desire her no more than others. She was despised and rejected of common men; a person of sorrows, and acquainted with grief : and we hid as it were our faces from her; she was despised by those with hardened hearts, and we esteemed her not. Surely Heather has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem her stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But she was wounded for our transgressions, she is killed for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace is upon Heathers blood; and with her stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; everyone of us have turned to what is selfish; and the universe has laid upon her the iniquity of us all. She was oppressed, and she was more than afflicted, yet she did not complain nor open her mouth: Heather was certainly brought as a lamb to slaughter , and as a sheep quietly before those who destroyed her for us.
The paragraph above was the taking of editorial license with Isaiah 53: 2-7. You don’t have to be a believer to accept the biblical nature of the events in Charlottesville. And, if you chose not to accept that, at least accept that the history we are witnessing is rooted in already experienced human patterns. The words are made even more real when we consider the awful remarks made by the Grand Dragon of the North Carolina KKK about Heathers death.
History is replete with moments whereby innocent blood was shed as a flashpoint to a critical juncture in human history. These moments remind us of where we are and who we are. To suggest this critical time in human history is only passing is naïve. Its not, its where we look into the mirror to face the regressive nature of our own evolution. Heathers death acts as both a test and wakening for America. Americas blueprint, which is laid out in its multilayers of documents, like the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights , the Declaration of Independence, are actually where our allegiance exist and what defines us, not an affiliation to any political party’s dogma. What we learned in Charlottesville and its aftermath is, not only do we often cling to political dogma, but also to prejudices of yesteryear. Doing so provides us comfort and familiarity in a changing world. It's a world in dire need of leaders who are statesmen and patriots, instead of those who ignore what they know to be decent, simply to hold unto a narrow base their pollsters identify as crucial.
To the latter, It is without fidelity to any political party that I say we have a President that has given legitimacy and cover to the most evil and anti- America elements of our society, and has pushed us to the brink of a race war. It seems a disdain for who we are as a nation.
Because of the conversations we are having with family and friends, and via social media feeds; we now walk around a bit naked, looking at each other with suspicion as we interface in the everyday routine of living in our communities. We look at the person across from us, or next to us, wondering what side they are on in the racial discussions of the day. We are looking at each other differently because we better know that the enemy among us is … well, us. The enemy is just the boy next door… normal .. not with horns or anything that lets us know when we are in the enemy’s presence. Our eyes are now open to the sheet wearing racists or Nazi’s who walk among us with their festering hate.
For Heather Heyers death to matter, as her mother Susan Bro intimated, and for history to be fulfilled as written, we must not ignore what we see. We must not be passive. We must act. Our leaders have to exercise real political courage again by not putting party before country, to stand up and repudiate what is contrary to our nations principals. They must acknowledge that it is they who must steer the ship and that we are in crisis. Blood is on the streets on Charlottesville, the lamb was silent and taken to slaughter; now patriotic men of substance must put country first even if it means risking their own political futures simply by doing something larger than themselves, which they are called upon to do by a universe larger than them. This moment has its own blueprint, which is found in the oldest of books and annuals of history. May Heather Heyer , who died that we be awoken by her spilt blood, rest in eternal peace. And, may God bless her family and our great nation. The silent lamb leads us. Thank you Heather.
Michael Dobson, is a long time Tallahassee based governmental relations professional and columnist; President/CEO of Dobson, Craig and Associates (aka Dobson and Associates), and renewable energy policy leader as founder of Florida Renewable Energy Producers Association. Can be reached at michael@michaeldobson.org or Michael@dobsonandcraig.com