Like many in Fort Wayne, my faith is an important part of my life. My sincere hope is that when I interact with people, whether they agree with me or not, they understand that my faith motivates my actions.
Justice and charity are key components of my faith. I have a strong belief in right and wrong, but I also believe we need to show love to everyone. A community cannot survive without both justice and charity. As Pope Francis said on May 22, 2017, “We are called to live not as one without others, above or against others, but with and for others.”
My faith compels me to condemn racism, but opposing racism is something that should transcend any particular faith or belief system. There is no room in a community to treat people differently based on the color of their skin; it is inexcusable. If you love Fort Wayne, as I do, there is no excuse for racist behavior.
All children come into the world with all of the potential given them by God. They don’t see anyone as different; they only know love.
At some point in life, these innocent children are taught that people are different. Some are taught to continue to know only love. Some are taught to be cruel to people who are different. This is where we, as leaders, must do better. We must share clearly, consistently and emphatically that we are all equal in the eyes of God.
It is tempting to think this will be easy, but quite frankly if it were easy the work would be done. Fighting racism requires consistent effort to build an inclusive community where all people can live out the promises of our Constitution – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We especially need people in positions of authority to consider this when making decisions that directly affect someone’s quality of life or their ability to continue living.
The recent protests which began by rightly condemning the Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd have become something else, a wider nationwide conversation. This conversation has reached our community and for weeks we have experienced mostly peaceful protests, which I completely support. A citizen’s right to protest is the most American activity we have.
However, on May 29 and 30, some protesters clashed with police downtown, placing others at great harm. As a member of City Council, I’ve received hundreds of letters, calls and emails asking me either to condemn the police, to unwaveringly support the police, to cut all funding for the police, to give the police more resources and to advocate for every position possible for every party.
Because this is a serious challenge our community and our nation face, there are no easy answers.
I support any community member’s right to protest injustice. I support every resident’s, including police officers, expectation to get home safely. I support the Fort Wayne Police Department’s efforts to maintain that peace in our streets.
I do not support defunding the police department, but I am happy to participate in a solid analysis of where Fort Wayne’s tax dollars are spent and to make sure we are doing so in a way that ensures the safety of all the members of our community, regardless of race, creed or religion. I support additional training for our officers to make sure they are prepared to safely handle every situation.
I was proud to stand with Mayor Tom Henry last week as he announced his plan for bringing our community back together. The future involves listening to people who have different perspectives. It involves being kind to all members of our community, accepting and celebrating our differences. It involves being mindful of our actions and how they affect others.
I will do this because it is the right thing to do and what I, as a Christian, am called to do. As stated in the Acts of the Apostles, “Then Peter began to speak: ‘I realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.’ ” Please join me in doing what’s right for each other, but also for the community we love.
Tom Didier is president of Fort Wayne City Council.
This opinion piece was originally published in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette on June 23, 2020. View it on their website at this link.
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