This is for real. It’s not a game or a movie of Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia. It’s North Long Street, Salisbury, right here!

It used to be, a long time ago that kids played cops and robbers. Robbers wore masks, robbed banks and kidnapped bank tellers.

Now we’re not playing anymore. The masked men are the “super cops” the “feds,” and they stop whomever they will (but it helps them if you speak Spanish or “look” Latino.)

This is for real. It’s not a game or a movie of Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia. It’s North Long Street, Salisbury, right here!

And don’t hide behind the notion that it’s just “them,” or “Illegals,” or LGBTQ+ people, or persons labeled “terrorists.” If some category of “other” is not safe, then none of us are.

The “next” category could be bald men (they’re not masculine enough), or women who had miscarriages (they’re not fertile enough) or critics (they’re not servile enough)! The threat to ordinary citizens is now. In the Bible story, God asks, “Where is your brother?” and Cain answers, “I don’t know, am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4). The answer is yes. Jesus says “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12).

Maybe someday our prayer will be answered, “Thy kingdom come.” — Geoffrey Hoy