OK, I know this post is going to draw a lot of criticism, and I accept that because this is the free country that allows freedom of speech. I would hope that the replies are respectful but I must say after reading some other posts that civil communication may not be the goal of some. But here goes:
It has been my experience that most even more than most officers are great public servants who do a terrific job at serving the public even at the risk of their own lives. I still think that is the goal in the heart of most officers who wear the badge and uniform. However let us not forget that these officers are only human beings, with sins and shortcomings that we all have as a flawed species. Nobody on planet earth is perfect all of the time, and that includes officers.
They have the unique task of going into situations that have developed long before they got on the scene. What I mean is some attitudes have been formed and established by our culture, and it is on display in subtle and blatant ways. We cannot help but be human and have some bias both good and bad about our country, our president, our citizens, and the world at large.
While I do not like the idea of singleing out an ethnic group the following I think needs to be said to the “so called black community”. Personally I think we should drop all references to ethnicity and simple tag us all as the human race. But that is just me.
That being said I hope this will resonate with some in the so called “Black Community”.
Listen up, while our history and early beginnings in this country are different from the whites and the indians, make no mistake about it, we are not all that special in the grand scheme of things. I can assure you that history testifies of other people being mistreated on a scale that would make us look like we have been getting luxury massages at the Ritz Carlton, for the last 400 plus years.
Our so called injustices pale in comparison to other people. Furthermore, we are spending way too much time and energy trying to seek something called justice that will never occur in this life for any of us! Justice belongs to God and to God alone. The justice of God is eternal, the revenge of man is temporary. It seems to me that as a people we have been spending time trying to seek revenge that is only temporary.
Ok, so we were slaves, so was the Israelites and a host of others. OK, so the courts do not always rule in your favor, remember you are seeking justice from flawed people. When you get perfect people you will get perfect justice, you will get perfect police officers, you will get non racist people on and on. But until then, realize that you need to operate and live your life above the standards of the flawed people that surround us every day. Don’t forget that we also are flawed sinful human beings. Make allowances for others and they should for us, and if they don’t so what! Don’t you be like them. You love them even if they hate.
It would help greatly if you educated yourselves or ourselves in what the PERSON who can administer Justice says we should be doing in the mean time. (This is where the hate mail begins) Here goes:
HE mentions the following: Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword.
But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. (Definately not popular with the revenge advocates!LOL)
But I say to you love your enemies. And there are a host of other things Jesus says about being mistreated and they all involve putting out and giving more love than revenge. He states to let God be the one to deliver justice on your behalf or our behalf.
That means that when someone does something that seems very wrong your response should be a testament to your ability to trust God for the justice. Your response should not be to riot in the streets, burn cop cars, break out windows, burn buildings, loot businesses, hold protest marches and sing songs that have nothing to do with justice. How about praying that God will forgive the wrong doer and that you trust HIS judgement to handle the matter on your behalf?
Again your response should not be to curse out your fellow citizens when they disagree with you. Keep in mind that to be viewed as a good citizen you must ACT and actually BE a good citizen. Some of your actions causes some white folks to buy into the very stereotype that you are trying to avoid. When they see you respond with violence, they begin to think that surely they must be violent. When they see your lifestyle of drug addiction, welfare, joblessness, they begin to think that yes they are lazy, drug addicts who just sit around and complain and wait for a hand out and fuss over the way their ancestors were treated.
Some of your actions reflect very badly on those of us who have spent a lifetime of intense stuggle to stay above the chaos. Some of us have succeeded with tremendous odds against us, went through horrible childhoods and did not use it as an excuse for failure, or to become an alcoholic, drug addict, serial murderer or rapist, etc.
So you had a hard life or upbringing, get over it so did every other person on this planet. We all have a struggle in this this life thanks to our disobedient parents, Adam and Eve. How about trying to over come your circumstances. Yes in a flawed society and culture like ours you will have to work twice as hard to get the same recognition or results. Yes, you may get looked over for a promotion and a less qualified person may get it, so what. What are you made of?
I recall when I was in the Marine Corps that early on I received some unfair treatment, and it was not going to stop just because I complained about it. Instead I developed a new attitude realizing that obviously I was made of the right stuff to handle the injustice. I pressed on and complained not, and in due time other people began to recognize my unique quiet strength under pressure and they began to speak on my behalf until the injustice stopped and I was elevated.
Listen people, we do not have any so called right to complain about anything in this country regarding unfair treatment to blacks. Not today in 2016. Black on black crime is a disgrace to anyone. We have no business telling any white person to treat us with respect or to be kind toward us, when we traumatize our neighborhoods with violence day in and day out.
How about educating ourselves out of poverty and into the job market? We should not be the default color of welfare. How about policing ourselves and governing ourselves so the so called “white man” won’t have to do it for you. How about reading to your children and setting the example in the home for education, and how to treat women. Black men, how about being a father to your children instead of leaving the entire burden to the woman. And if you don’t want to be a father, then make a wise choice that I did and do not have children. There is no shame in not having a child because of your lack of fathering skills, but don’t you dare abort what you started or bring a child into the world and abandon it, as I was!
And think about this, we have more going for us than any other generation before us and sometimes we are doing less. Free public schools that actually let us sit beside other white children with no repercussions. Yet some of us will not make sure that our child goes to school. We get the same education that white people get and do nothing with it.
Other people come here from other countries and take the resources we have and accelerate themselves and their families, while we sit around and complain about the “system”. They took the same “system” and made it work. They did not complain, about unfair treatment, no hand outs etc. Some of them work like slaves in poor paying jobs that we are too proud to do. Really?
We have easy ways to save money, easy ways to communicate globally and we will not talk to our own families at the dinner table. Listen black folks, we do NOT have a hard life here, not in 2016. Yes, I have had to struggle and pay my dues to get where I am now in life, and if I lost it all tomorrow I would have to pay them again to get to the same point. Life is not fair people, and the sooner you realize that the better. It is what it is, get over it and get on with making your life and community and if I must say it “our race” better.
When we act better as a “so called race” then the doubts and fears that some white people have about us might subside, and even if it doesn’t, God sees all and his justice is the only thing that counts. And how about taking the time parents to teach your children some respect for authority. Respect begins in the home, so that you won’t have to come to a police station and see it being taught there.
It would be preferred to have limited contacts with police. When you are stopped, use some respect for the man or woman in uniform. They are a government representative, their inial goal and thoughts toward you is not to do you harm, but to assess the situation, get information from you and guide you through the entire process. Guide means that you follow their instructions. If you did something wrong, man up, that is what being a man or woman is all about. I have been stopped for speeding when I was younger, even stopped for having a suspended liscence, I told the officer. I mean he was going to run the plates and find out anyway. Yes it was embarrassing, yes I was nervous, as I should have been for doing something wrong. Being a man means not running like a 5 year old.
Yes, it’s not fair that some blacks have been wrongly convicted because of bias and prejudices, and it’s not fair that some have been to prison and two executed who were innocent. But listen, don’t foget that Jesus Christ was wrongly accused and wrongly jailed and executed also. You don’t hear him complaining because while he was on the cross he said, Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” And because he trusted God as his father to dispense justice he also said, “Father into your hands I commend my spirit.”
Now he was innocent and did not complain, so what is our excuse? The so called Justice system was built by flawed humans. It is as good as it is going to get with imperfect people.
And for those of you blacks who think being militant and exacting revenge with your small tiny guns is going to change things. Let me inform you that Jesus Christ never commanded an army, (even though he had angels at his instant command), never picked up a weapon, never fired a shot, and yet his network of people loving people has been on the move and changing lives every since. He said it this way. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
He also said, “Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
So while you may think guns and retaliation to every injustice is the answer, I think you will find love to be more effective. You or we can start with loving the people in our community regardless of color. Show acts of kindness and mercy even when we have been treated wrong. Love will win even if you lose your very life in the process. That my friend is what we are called to do. Is it easy? NO!! But we can get help from the one who got it done!
And please stop acting like there is something wrong with “so called white people”, there is nothing wrong, even if someone shoots or behaves badly toward you, they are acting exactly the way flawed sinners are supposed to act. Yes that includes me and you, we are acting the way sinners act until we get a change of heart and become “born again”. So until we have a planet full of born again people, do not be shocked at the way we are treated by people who have natural flaws from our fallen sinful nature. They and we cannot help ourselves, and that is why we need to allow God to change what we cannot change ourselves.