Post-Reconstruction,
Revisited
History does not move in straight lines; it circles back like a storm that never fully leaves. After the Civil War ended in 1865, America promised freedom through Reconstruction. Yet by 1877, federal protection for Black citizens was stripped away, paving the road to Jim Crow. Today, in 2025, we stand in a chillingly similar moment. Civil Rights gains from 1964 forward – including voting rights, access to education, and protections against discrimination – are being eroded. And now, whispers of martial law in peacetime cities show how the government is positioning its own people as enemies. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).
Militarizing the Inner City
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek have publicly and strongly opposed the federal government’s actions, calling the deployment “unwanted, unneeded and un-American.” Wilson noted the city has a proud history of peaceful protest and said, “There is no insurrection here.” One Trump official said, “their guns are now unleashed.” Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., are witnessing similar rhetoric, while federal officials float the idea of using American cities as “training grounds for warfare.” This is not targeted at wealthy suburbs; it is directed at inner-city communities – Black, Brown, underserved, and struggling. That makes this a moral crisis. “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees” (Isaiah 10:1).
Poverty as a Pretext
What communities are being militarized against? Those with the fewest resources: families without after-school programs, single parents raising children alone, neighborhoods with food deserts, redlined housing, underfunded schools, poor health care, and no retirement security. Instead of addressing poverty, the state deploys force. The hypocrisy is staggering when studies show that inner-city crimes rates in many Democratic-led cities are declining. “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God” (Proverbs 14:31).
The Red State Contradiction
Critics often point fingers at cities like Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles. But red states, led by GOP governors, face higher violent crime rates, worse healthcare outcomes, and higher maternal mortality. Yet ICE agents and federal task forces are not unleashed with the same ferocity in those areas. This selective punishment exposes the truth: this is not about public safety; it is about power and political theater. “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly” (Leviticus 19:15).
Unprovoked Martial Law
Deploying soldiers in peacetime cities is not law enforcement – it is occupation. Martial law, unprovoked, is a declaration that ordinary citizens are insurgents in their own nation. America’s founders would not recognize this inversion of liberty. The Constitution promises domestic tranquility, not domestic warfare. “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity” (2 Peter 2:19).
Democracy at Risk
When the federal government treats dissent, protest, or even poverty itself as threats requiring militarized responses, democracy falters. During Reconstruction, Black political leaders were removed, lynch mobs replaced voting booths, and “law and order” became code for racial suppression. We are again watching democracy hollowed out – this time with drones, surveillance, and paramilitary tactics. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people” (Proverbs 14:34).
Why Inner-City America is Targeted
Let’s be clear: the inner city is not the greatest source of national crime. But it is the easiest scapegoat. These are communities already demonized in political rhetoric, already suffering from systemic neglect. Targeting them with militarized force normalizes the idea that poor, Black, and Brown Americans are not citizens to be served but problems to be controlled. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute” (Proverbs 31:8).
The Path Forward
We can either accept this new age Jim Crow, dressed in camouflage and armed with military-grade weapons, or resist it by demanding policies that address root causes: equitable healthcare, well-funded schools, career pipelines, affordable housing, and community-led safety programs. True public safety is created by opportunity, not intimidation. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
Conclusion: Choosing Justice over Fear
America is at a crossroads. We can return to Reconstruction’s mistakes – dismantling rights and unleashing force on our own people – or we can honor the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom and equality. “We the People” were never meant to be the enemy of the state. If America insists on that course, it betrays not only its Constitution but its conscience. “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
The eyes of history are upon us. Will we repeat its darkest chapters, or will we finally write a new one worthy of the people we claim to be, WE THE PEOPLE?