Representatives should serve people, not rule over them

The synchronicity of a couple current events should not be lost on humanity. Pope Francis visited Canada on what he called a “penitential voyage” for the abuse of all sorts done to indigenous people in the name of Jesus.

The former belief in this type of power over people only leads to dire oppression and is exactly what many are trying to revive here in the United States and around the world. There are political parties that think that the nation should be led by people who are white, “Christian” and not always said out loud, but implied — male.

Oh my yes, take us back to the good old days when Black people were threatened and much worse for trying to vote and women could be slapped around by their husbands, no questions asked and indigenous children were picked up off the street and taken to boarding schools to have there culture stripped from them. This is just a few examples of the oppression that exists when white “Christian” males are in charge. These horrors that occur are not at all Christian and they are not the actions of healthy masculine men.

True Christianity and true masculinity do not desire power over people. Governance by the people requires that our elected representatives understand that they are there to serve the people not rule the people. They are not there to decide for each individual what their cultural or religious lifestyle should look like. They are not there to make health care decisions for women. They are not there to protect big polluters while most of us want clean air and water and green spaces and a livable planet for ourselves, our children and grandchildren. They are there to guarantee these freedoms to all who live here.

— Kim Bartley

Salisbury