A black teenager named Ralph Yarl in Kansas City, Missouri was sent by his mother to pick up his younger twin brothers at a house on Thursday night. However, he mistakenly went to the wrong house.
That mistake shouldn’t be deadly. But as his mom said afterward, “he got a couple of bullets inside his body, instead of a couple of twins coming out and giving him a hug.”.
When Ralph Yarl rang the doorbell, an elderly white man opened the door with a gun. Before Ralph had the opportunity to ask for his younger siblings or explain his mistake, the elderly man shot him in the head through his glass door. Then while he was on the ground, the elderly man shot him again in the arm.
Somehow, Ralph managed to get up and seek help. By the time police arrived, he was lying on the street, surrounded by neighbours.
By the grace of God, the shooting didn’t end his life at just 16 years old. After several days in critical condition at the hospital, he was released on Sunday.
Hours after the shooting on Friday morning, police officers arrested the elderly man: Andrew Lester—though they released him on the same day. However on Monday, police officers received a criminal referral from prosecutors and they finally charged Andrew Lester with first-degree assault and armed criminal action.
The elderly man has apparently said to police he believed Ralph was attempting to break into his home and he feared for his life. But Ralph didn’t have a weapon. He didn’t pose a threat to him. He didn’t step inside the house. He didn’t even have the opportunity to explain why he was at the door.
In a press conference on Monday night, prosecutors suggested racial bias played a role in the shooting. The district attorney said: “I can tell you there was a racial component to this case.”
Considering the prevalence of critical race theory and false accusations of racism in our culture, it might be tempting for some conservatives to dismiss that racism may have played a role in this shooting.
Especially since just a couple of days after this shooting, an elderly white man shot and killed a 20-year-old white woman named Kaylin Gillis in Upstate New York because her friend mistakenly turned into the elderly man’s driveway.
But those of us who aren’t woke shouldn’t use that similar case to dismiss a possibly credible accusation of racism. We can reject critical race theory while affirming that some accusations of racism against black people are legitimate.
Furthermore, President Joe Biden has already talked to Ralph Yarl and his parents, and he’s inviting them to White House. However, he hasn’t called Kaylin Gillis’ family and he hasn’t invited them to the White House.
Apparently he also didn’t call the grieving families of The Covenant School in Nashville after the transgender mass shooter murdered 6 people, including 3 children. In fact, his administration blamed conservatives and Christians and defended transgender ideology.
Nevertheless, despite all the opportunistic and inconsistent behaviour from Joe Biden and the Democrats, we Christians should maintain consistency.
Inconsistent thinking on injustice is detestable to God, but consistent thinking on injustice is his delight. (Proverbs 11:1)
We shouldn’t join the world’s inconsistent and abominable beliefs about justice. Though Democrats, the media, and critical race theorists are using Ralph Yarl for political gain, we shouldn’t play their evil game.
So pray that Ralph Yarl will continue to recover. Pray for Kaylin Gillis’ family and friends. And pray that truth and justice will prevail.