Break the Shackles

(Inspired by the plight of the first African American Juvenile Court judge elected to Hamilton, County)

She ordered that shackles be removed —
Broke them up.
Refused to let them bind the legs of our babies. 
She freed them.
“No routine shackles in my courtroom” was the decree.
“Free at last” some would say
But the cost of freedom is more than many of us could have ever fathomed.
Cause freedom ain’t free.
It cost something.
Sometimes even our lives.
Not many of us are willing to pay that price
It sounds good.
Revolutionary.
But freedom ain’t free
It cost.
Not many are willing to pay…
But our sister has.
Open persecution.
A life put under a microscope.
Many looking at pieces of the puzzle.
Making judgments.
Assumptions.
And mis-interpretations.
She stands
Stripped.
Open naked.
And bare before us.
What will we do?
Will we cover her?
Stand with her?
Pray for her?
Support her?
Listen to the whole story before
We stand as
Judge.
Jury.
And executioner.
Using only distorted information that the media has fed to us.
Freedom ain’t free.
It cost something.
Yes— she removed the shackles from our babies’ legs.
Liberated them in her courtroom.
Not to be shamed.
Degraded.
And lessened before any ruling.
But the cost of freedom wasn’t free
She paid and is still paying…
Shall we just talk?
Or will we uplift her arms
Like Joshua and Caleb held up Moses…
Hold her hands up!
Pray
Support
Speak out
Write
For we must
Break the shackles too!
But remember— freedom ain’t free.