The Beginning of Senseless Killings in Baton Rouge

As a resident of Baton Rouge since birth, I have very fond memories of my childhood and beyond, growing up in the southern small town atmosphere of Louisiana’s capital city. I am one of a shrinking number of native citizens of this town that remembers “the good old days” when we could walk the streets “downtown” or the suburbs without fear of danger or harm. In the late 50’s our family moved into a brand new home built especially for us in the new subdivision of Broadmoor at the crossroads of Airline highway and Florida Street connected by the traffic circle, similar to our current “roundabouts”.

The new neighborhood was in the infancy stage of development and overflowing with an abundance of wooded land to roam and explore.  It wasn’t until my late teen years that the reality of violence exploded into my life. I was on my way back to Southeastern Louisiana College in Hammond in my freshman year (the college didn’t achieve university status until 1970), just a couple of weeks before Christmas when I heard a bulletin on station WLCS on my car radio. In those days I held a part-time job with Pak-A-Sak convenience stores (21 locations at that time) and had just visited with J.C. Boden, the manager of the store on Greenwell Springs Road in Baton Rouge. The radio announcement blared out the news of an armed robbery at the store I was at minutes before and that the manager of the store had been shot. I immediately turned around and headed back to the store and when I arrived, I witnessed the traumatic scene of my friend’s lifeless body lying on the curb of the parking lot. The incident was the first convenience store murder in the city of Baton Rouge. So went my first real life experience of the violence which is now running rampant in our city.
 
Now, as we are rapidly approaching award-winning status on the national murder-rate charts, where do we go from here? I say we are at the “but God” stage of the dreadfully unsuccessful attempts of our leaders to curtail our frightening rise to number one status. As a born again Christian, I have learned the hard way, to seek the wisdom of my Father in heaven when I face hard times in my life. Jesus Himself said that He consulted His Father before He made any major decisions. Brothers and sisters….we are there. This crisis cannot be defeated without God’s intervention. 2nd Chronicles 7:14 says that the Lord appeared to Solomon and said to him “If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Our leaders and our citizens must humble ourselves and admit that we can’t do this without God. Proverbs 16:18 declares “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” My friends, our leaders are not going to find the answer until they admit that, just as the leaders that founded our country did, by seeking the help of God. Instead of seeking the help of so-called “experts” out of state, we have access to the king of experts Jesus Christ! WWJD! What would Jesus do? He would honor His Father’s promise. He would gather ALL Christians together and do what 2nd Chronicles says and God will hear our prayers.
 
If all Christian church members would swallow denominational pride and come together as “His” people which are called by “His” name and pray, God will answer our prayers and heal our land. Governor, Mayor, Police Chief, Senators, members of Congress and so on….let’s get on our knees and prove ourselves as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and allow Him to do what He does best. Miraculously stop the bleeding before all of the lifeblood drains out of our state. As the murder rate climbs, so do the people’s senseless fascination with Mardi Gras, drunken tailgate soirees, laissez le bon temps rouler, gambling casinos, sports betting, etc. No one seems to take the reality seriously. It is not going to away! Jesus Christ is the answer Christians!

- Don Fontenot