My response in reference to Jen Hatmaker's posts on FB about recent activities in McKinney:
I am so glad that people are praying, but please also remember law enforcement in those prayers. They get hit from every direction and are under constant scrutiny from their communities, media, administration, and government. The very jobs they are hired and trained to do become the reason for investigations, loss of employment, death threats, and disrespect. Not all officers are bad, not all teachers are mean, not all cooks spit on your food. We all make mistakes but very few of us have people with a camera ready to catch yours and post it for the world to see. Now all you have to do is mention "police" and it becomes a scandalous report of violence, racism, and loss of accountability. I am finding that many of the journalists and public figures that I watched and listened to are very one sided. They are quick to judge and report that some of these incidents are caused by malicious law enforcement. What if, just what if, someone reported on the lack of respect for authority, disregard for the law, a common sense of entitlement and blatant absence of manners for fellow man? It starts with US people. Discipline your children, don't make them afraid of the police, if it isn't yours-don't take it/use it/break it/or set it on fire. When you are told by someone older than you or in a position of authority to sit down, be quiet, hands to yourself, leave this area-then do it! Don't be where you shouldn't, doing something you shouldn't.
Most men and women who choose this profession, do so with a passion. A desire to make a difference and help people. Most of the bad employees get weeded out along the way, and what you are left with are people who are willing to give up personal lives, birthdays, holidays, sleep, money, and support to be available for their community. We should all value each other. It has nothing to do with color or even profession. It is Biblical. Every life matters to someone. From the top down. Everyone is important. Administration should work harder to acknowledge and appreciate their officers. Pay raises don't come, trainings are denied, time off is hard to get, and you never know when you will be thrown to the wolves should an incident occur.
These officers have days they can't always talk about. Things that get held inside in an effort to put on a normal face. Dead bodies, children hurt, people fighting over where to eat for dinner. Hard stuff, dangerous stuff, dumb stuff, funny stuff, and great stuff.
This all makes my head hurt. I just don't know how to help anymore.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Dirty Laundry
Give us Dirty Laundry...
I keep hearing this 1982 Don Henley song in my head as I suffer through yet another new story of police brutality and the race war that police officers have supposedly created. It is a load of crap. I don't know who is to blame for this growing lack of respect for authority, specifically law enforcement officers (which I will refer to as LEO's for brevity's sake).
1. Is it the fault of community? A group of people have decided that they are mistreated more than others and that it must be caused by their color. They say are sought out and killed like animals because they are different. No, you are responded to because you have acted like criminals.
Don't start nothin', won't be nothin' , as they say.
2. Is it the fault of parents? Have you taught your children that they are entitled to certain things, certain behaviors because a hundred years ago a people group was treated badly and therefore because you are distantly related then you can continue to fight their battle? LEO's aren't standing on their side of the field chanting about your race, color, sexual preference, religious belief, etc. Not at all. They are chanting for you to stop giving them reasons to deal with your children. Whatever the age. Whatever the color.
How about you teach your family manners, and respect, and how to keep their mouths shut and their hands to themselves, and don't lie?
3. Is it the fault of LE and City administration? For not standing behind the very LEO's they employ to do a job? They are screened, hired, trained, screened some more, and given a task. A task that most other people are afraid to do. It is a hard job. Even firemen won't go on scene until the LEO's have secured it. However, when an officer gets put into a corner and relies on their training (and someone conveniently videos it) then admin/government is the first one to issue a statement telling the world that they are troubled by what the video shows. Troubled by the fact that they did what you pay them to do? What did you think you were paying them for? To just stand there and look pretty in their shiny badges and clean uniforms? Why give them real guns at all if you are going to freak the hell out when they have to use them? How about you hire PETA, Greenpeace, and Miss America to protect society? Maybe crack heads, prostitutes, and pedophiles? But make sure that they are meeting the social criteria lest they accuse you of discriminating against them because of something stupid. Mayors and police chiefs should back their LEO's as much as they possibly can, otherwise you are undermining what little authority they have left. And that is quickly fleeting. And to the President of the United States, you aren't helping. Maybe it is time for a national address were you read the list of things we learned in Kindergarten and tell people to stop being irresponsible jerks and take ownership of their mistakes.
4. Is it the few bad LEO's that are mucking it up for the good ones? They certainly are NOT helping. If you are not interested in protecting all people and can't hack it on the streets, then please become a probation officer or counselor and get out of the way. You are making things way worse for people who are doing their jobs properly.
5. Or is it our dear sweet media to who is to blame? Why must you take a simple case of "this guy did something wrong and this LEO showed him the error of his ways" and make it about race. You don't show when a black officer arrests or takes aim at a white/black/Asian/Hispanic/Native American suspect. You don't show when a white officer arrests or takes aim at a white/Asian/Hispanic/Native American suspect. Nope, you have honed in on white verses black, with the white role always being played by LEO's. You report the story with it being obvious that you are playing that angle which creates more chaos and anger. No facts, not complete videos. Just enough to get some views. You are not concerned for the safety of the people involved in the story. Only your ratings, and sponsor money. Social media has made it possible for people to tell lies and share stories without merit or fact. They spread like wildfire because somewhere else in the world something bad has happened so we all want to get in on the fight and make it our own. Even if that means distorting the truth to our social media advantage. Equally confusing is how witnesses or involved parties can post their truth in support of LEO's but no one wants to hear it. Instead, let's ignore the truth and have a protest and make ourselves look even more irate and belligerent.
Regardless, I am sick of it. Most of the cases where officers have been investigated, they have been vindicated. Does that matter to a group of people? No, they will continue to wait until the next member of their group gets caught jaywalking and they will turn it in to some hate crime. Am I saying this people group is exclusively one color? No, not at all. This people group consists of cop haters. I can't tell you if the majority of them are a certain color. I can't tell you if the majority of them are criminals. I also can't tell you if the majority of them have ever walked in the shoes of someone who leaves their family to go out and take bullets for the very people who want their heads on a stick.
I can tell you that my husband is a LEO. I can tell you that he works with mostly good officers. The same way that you could say some people make better teachers, nurses, burger flippers, preachers, and gas pumpers. I can also tell you that they widely feel like their city government and department admin do not have their best interest at heart. Money, media and politics play more of a role than it should when you are dealing with a profession that leads the pack in divorce, depression, and suicide. I can tell you that the majority of our community are supportive of the police here. Now, having said that, I am saddened by how many friends and acquaintances have remarked or posted about recent activities or stories out of Ferguson, Baltimore, and now McKinney by passing immediate judgment that LE are out of line. I know that there are officers are make mistakes, but as proven by most of the recent investigations, the officers in question are acting within their right and professional capacity. My husband is a good man. He makes the best decisions he can given the circumstances he finds himself in. And even in a small town where he has had to arrest people we grew up with and he was close to, he does a damn good job. He is fair and forgiving when he can be. He gives chances where he thinks it might help. He uses force and authority where it is asked for. And he would take a bullet for a cop hater if that's what it took to do his job. I would lose my husband. My daughter would lose her father. My in-laws would lose their son. For a person who spent time and effort spreading lies, rumors, and hatefulness about their protector.
I am sorry if you don't like their language or tone. Next time someone breaks into your house why don't you calmly and quietly ask them to put down your things and leave peacefully? See how that goes. They speak in the manner fitting the situation and in a way the suspect will respond to. For some people in life, cursing is their normal vernacular. Therefore, officers speak to them in a way they understand. For others who won't listen, cursing gets your attention and reminds you that this is a serious situation. They can't yell at your with your first and middle name like your grandmother might have.
Long story short, quit being victims but don't pick up a fighting stick unless it is really necessary. There are plenty of just causes that need intercessors like poverty and child abuse. Know your facts, let the professionals do their job, and if you find it hard to obtain either of the previous items-shut the heck up. I will unfriend you. I will walk away from your conversation. I will invite you to consider that you are misinformed, uneducated in the issue, gullible, naïve, or wrong.
And because of the Dirty Laundry style of media these days, I guess I will check the weather by walking outside.
I keep hearing this 1982 Don Henley song in my head as I suffer through yet another new story of police brutality and the race war that police officers have supposedly created. It is a load of crap. I don't know who is to blame for this growing lack of respect for authority, specifically law enforcement officers (which I will refer to as LEO's for brevity's sake).
1. Is it the fault of community? A group of people have decided that they are mistreated more than others and that it must be caused by their color. They say are sought out and killed like animals because they are different. No, you are responded to because you have acted like criminals.
Don't start nothin', won't be nothin' , as they say.
2. Is it the fault of parents? Have you taught your children that they are entitled to certain things, certain behaviors because a hundred years ago a people group was treated badly and therefore because you are distantly related then you can continue to fight their battle? LEO's aren't standing on their side of the field chanting about your race, color, sexual preference, religious belief, etc. Not at all. They are chanting for you to stop giving them reasons to deal with your children. Whatever the age. Whatever the color.
How about you teach your family manners, and respect, and how to keep their mouths shut and their hands to themselves, and don't lie?
3. Is it the fault of LE and City administration? For not standing behind the very LEO's they employ to do a job? They are screened, hired, trained, screened some more, and given a task. A task that most other people are afraid to do. It is a hard job. Even firemen won't go on scene until the LEO's have secured it. However, when an officer gets put into a corner and relies on their training (and someone conveniently videos it) then admin/government is the first one to issue a statement telling the world that they are troubled by what the video shows. Troubled by the fact that they did what you pay them to do? What did you think you were paying them for? To just stand there and look pretty in their shiny badges and clean uniforms? Why give them real guns at all if you are going to freak the hell out when they have to use them? How about you hire PETA, Greenpeace, and Miss America to protect society? Maybe crack heads, prostitutes, and pedophiles? But make sure that they are meeting the social criteria lest they accuse you of discriminating against them because of something stupid. Mayors and police chiefs should back their LEO's as much as they possibly can, otherwise you are undermining what little authority they have left. And that is quickly fleeting. And to the President of the United States, you aren't helping. Maybe it is time for a national address were you read the list of things we learned in Kindergarten and tell people to stop being irresponsible jerks and take ownership of their mistakes.
4. Is it the few bad LEO's that are mucking it up for the good ones? They certainly are NOT helping. If you are not interested in protecting all people and can't hack it on the streets, then please become a probation officer or counselor and get out of the way. You are making things way worse for people who are doing their jobs properly.
5. Or is it our dear sweet media to who is to blame? Why must you take a simple case of "this guy did something wrong and this LEO showed him the error of his ways" and make it about race. You don't show when a black officer arrests or takes aim at a white/black/Asian/Hispanic/Native American suspect. You don't show when a white officer arrests or takes aim at a white/Asian/Hispanic/Native American suspect. Nope, you have honed in on white verses black, with the white role always being played by LEO's. You report the story with it being obvious that you are playing that angle which creates more chaos and anger. No facts, not complete videos. Just enough to get some views. You are not concerned for the safety of the people involved in the story. Only your ratings, and sponsor money. Social media has made it possible for people to tell lies and share stories without merit or fact. They spread like wildfire because somewhere else in the world something bad has happened so we all want to get in on the fight and make it our own. Even if that means distorting the truth to our social media advantage. Equally confusing is how witnesses or involved parties can post their truth in support of LEO's but no one wants to hear it. Instead, let's ignore the truth and have a protest and make ourselves look even more irate and belligerent.
Regardless, I am sick of it. Most of the cases where officers have been investigated, they have been vindicated. Does that matter to a group of people? No, they will continue to wait until the next member of their group gets caught jaywalking and they will turn it in to some hate crime. Am I saying this people group is exclusively one color? No, not at all. This people group consists of cop haters. I can't tell you if the majority of them are a certain color. I can't tell you if the majority of them are criminals. I also can't tell you if the majority of them have ever walked in the shoes of someone who leaves their family to go out and take bullets for the very people who want their heads on a stick.
I can tell you that my husband is a LEO. I can tell you that he works with mostly good officers. The same way that you could say some people make better teachers, nurses, burger flippers, preachers, and gas pumpers. I can also tell you that they widely feel like their city government and department admin do not have their best interest at heart. Money, media and politics play more of a role than it should when you are dealing with a profession that leads the pack in divorce, depression, and suicide. I can tell you that the majority of our community are supportive of the police here. Now, having said that, I am saddened by how many friends and acquaintances have remarked or posted about recent activities or stories out of Ferguson, Baltimore, and now McKinney by passing immediate judgment that LE are out of line. I know that there are officers are make mistakes, but as proven by most of the recent investigations, the officers in question are acting within their right and professional capacity. My husband is a good man. He makes the best decisions he can given the circumstances he finds himself in. And even in a small town where he has had to arrest people we grew up with and he was close to, he does a damn good job. He is fair and forgiving when he can be. He gives chances where he thinks it might help. He uses force and authority where it is asked for. And he would take a bullet for a cop hater if that's what it took to do his job. I would lose my husband. My daughter would lose her father. My in-laws would lose their son. For a person who spent time and effort spreading lies, rumors, and hatefulness about their protector.
I am sorry if you don't like their language or tone. Next time someone breaks into your house why don't you calmly and quietly ask them to put down your things and leave peacefully? See how that goes. They speak in the manner fitting the situation and in a way the suspect will respond to. For some people in life, cursing is their normal vernacular. Therefore, officers speak to them in a way they understand. For others who won't listen, cursing gets your attention and reminds you that this is a serious situation. They can't yell at your with your first and middle name like your grandmother might have.
Long story short, quit being victims but don't pick up a fighting stick unless it is really necessary. There are plenty of just causes that need intercessors like poverty and child abuse. Know your facts, let the professionals do their job, and if you find it hard to obtain either of the previous items-shut the heck up. I will unfriend you. I will walk away from your conversation. I will invite you to consider that you are misinformed, uneducated in the issue, gullible, naïve, or wrong.
And because of the Dirty Laundry style of media these days, I guess I will check the weather by walking outside.
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