All Press Releases for June 27, 2015

Dylann Roof, The Charleston Slayings And The Need For Forgiveness - Author David Ingerson Issues Statement

A recent segment of Brett Baier's Special Report, hosted by Chris Wallace, covered the church slayings in Charleston, SC. Can we forgive such a grievous act? David Ingerson, author of 'The Caleb Years', shows us we can - indeed we must.



    SHREVEPORT, LA, June 27, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- An episode of Brett Baier's "Special Report," hosted by Chris Wallace, presented an in-depth look at Dylann Roof, the man accused of murdering nine people in a Charleston church. Such horrendous events, far outside the realm of human decency or conceivable common sense, cause us to react first with disbelief, and then with rage. Our gut reaction is to call for justice and punishment of the guilty party. Forgiveness seldom comes to mind.

David Ingerson, author of 'The Caleb Years', believes that justice and forgiveness are not mutually exclusive. "We can have both," he insists. He believes the news media is in a unique position not only to inform but also to help us heal by reporting less about the perpetrator or public reaction to the heinous crime, but to report more about the victorious response of the grieving victims' family members, such as Nadine Collier, daughter of victim Ethel Lance, 70, a lifelong member of the Emanuel church. Collier, who demonstrated that she understands the power of forgiveness when she declared to Roof during his bail hearing: "I forgive you and God have mercy on your soul."

Healing is vital, but as author David Ingerson well knows, healing will only begin when those grieving honestly embrace and live through their many deep emotions, such as anger and despair. Ingerson learned this first hand when his young son died from complications after having received an HIV-tainted unit of blood during one of his five open-heart surgeries.

"Although there is no short-cut to the oftentimes lengthy grieving and healing process," Ingerson stated, "the bereaved will certainly progress more quickly toward emotional well-being and wholeness if they choose to forgive the perpetrator of this heinous act." Furthermore, Ingerson insists that it is vitally important to understand that when the offended person chooses to forgive the offender, he or she is not excusing their reprehensible behavior, nor admitting that what the offender did is okay. Rather, the offended person is acknowledging that he or she will not be controlled or defined by someone else's heinous action.

To fight for the life of a child with a long-drawn-out chronic illness is agonizing enough, but to then lose that child, as the Ingerson family did, as the result of the reckless behavior of another--a blood donor giving his potentially HIV-tainted blood despite his known at-risk behavior--is beyond words. Despite his raging anger, Ingerson did not seek vengeance when faced with this very situation. Instead, he took action and vowed to do something to help prevent this type of tragedy from happening to others.

'The Caleb Years' is a refreshing and inspirational account of the author's journey through the treacherous waters of uncertainty and the deep emotional wounds parents of a chronically ill child must endure. The author's vivid descriptions of each circumstance and deeply compelling emotion puts readers in the middle of his story. Even more importantly, this inspirational book will help readers understand their own life story.

Although we may not be able to determine the final outcome of such tragic situations, we can decide how we are going to live each day - with hope and thankfulness or with anger and bitterness. David Ingerson and his family, as intensely described in this inspirational story chose the way of hope, even when facing the menace of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) and the dread of HIV. While it did not take away their pain, it did give them the strength to live each day with meaning.

'The Caleb Years' has received rave reviews from readers. Phillip Yancey, 'NYT' best-selling author of 'The Jesus I Never Knew' states, "I have read the full account of Caleb's life in 'The Caleb Years', and I'm glad I did. Especially, I appreciated that David didn't offer saccharine answers. He showed the raw, up-and-down vulnerability that always accompanies such a trial."

Eugene H. Peterson, best-selling author and translator of 'The Message' and Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology at Regent College said, "Caleb was born with several undiagnosed congenital anomalies and endured ten major surgeries. His father writes the story, saturated with both pain and prayer, but remarkably without a trace of bitterness. His marvelous witness written with such skill, crafted in language honest and vivid, will not fail to deepen the faith and joy of all who trust God."

"I hope the media covering these types of stories will give us more than just rhetoric about contentious issues such as gun control, but also information and testimonies of the power of forgiveness over hatred as demonstrated by so many of the brave faithful from Emanuel AME Church. Brett Baier, Bill O'Reilly, Neil Cavuto, Anderson Cooper, Lester Holt, and all the major networks can provide more than that which potentially fuels inflammatory public sentiment. By following the leadership of the brave family members of the victims who are calling for forgiveness, journalists are in a unique position to provide this pertinent information which can help us all take the first steps toward healthy grieving and healing.

David Ingerson is available for interviews and speaking engagements and can be reached using the information below or by email at [email protected]. 'The Caleb Years' is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com, Walmart and many other retail book outlets. More information, including samples from the book, testimonials, endorsements and author interviews are available at Ingerson's website at http://www.thecalebyears.com.

David P. Ingerson is an exciting communicator who has spoken to audiences around the world. During his twenty years as a U.S. Air Force officer and pilot he traveled extensively and lived abroad with his family. He has trained and led teams on short-term missions to the Philippines and Cambodia. As a corporate pilot he has traveled to nearly every country on five continents and takes with him great respect and appreciation for the myriad of cultures he encounters.

Having suffered his own share of trials and setbacks as an entrepreneur, he encourages his listeners to rise above life's difficulties and griefs. Given his track record of overcoming challenges, Ingerson has credibility when he exhorts others that the path to success is found and walked with intentionality, faith and hard work. He is genuine and passionate as he encourages his listeners to honestly admit their challenges and disappointments. Through his personal inspirational story of triumph through tragedy, he spurs others to rise above life's frustrations and overcome in spite of intimidating obstacles-even as dreadful as facing CHD, HIV and grieving the death of a child.

David and his wife, Kathleen, are the parents of five children and make their home in Shreveport, Louisiana.

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David Ingerson
David Ingerson
Wilmington, NC
USA
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