Checks and balances
Do black lives matter? YES! Do white lives matter? YES! Do all lives matter? YES! Do Americans have the right to protest peacefully? YES! Does my life matter? I certainly hope so but, these days, sometimes I wonder.
So, since we are a highly moral and upright citizenry, let’s get rid of the local police and allow everyone to take care of themselves. Let’s cut back on police funding and make sure our law enforcement personnel are paid a very low wage while we criticize almost everything they do. And, while we’re at it, let’s ignore the bad people out there who would rather commit horrible crimes than respect someone’s rights.
Of course, I am being sarcastic, but I am a law enforcement chaplain and have some very definite ideas about what is happening in our country. As I have written before, it is the responsibility of the command staff of our law enforcement agencies to get rid of officers who do not adhere to law enforcement guidelines. In other words, law enforcement needs to clean up its act.
However, having said this, there is another side that too often is ignored. What about the huge increase in violent crime in our country right now? Several large cities are experiencing huge increases in gun shootings in the midst of trying to reign in law enforcement personnel. Some cities have experienced a 600% or more increase in violent crime. How would a person feel living in Chicago these days when as many as 50 people are shot every night?
Some people will clamor for stricter gun regulations, and to some extent, I agree; but such actions only ignore the fact that bad people have never lacked guns or other deadly force weapons to use against others. It is unfortunate that sin entered into the human race very early in its creation and, left alone ,it has always found ways to harm anyone or group in its way. Since there will always be deadly weapons available for bad people to use, it becomes imperative for some kind of check and balance to be established to maintain order and safety.
If checks and balances are not established, good people will begin to find ways to protect themselves and their loved ones. Even now, there has been a rush to purchase various kinds of ammunition in our stores. Several large stores no longer have any handgun ammunition and, when they do, the price is expensive. I personally know of individuals who have cases (yes, cases) of ammunition stored in their homes “just in case.” Getting rid of law enforcement personnel is one good way to arm Americans.
Our media is full of examples of law enforcement personnel hurting someone protesting or damaging property, but no one hardly mentions anymore the number of police officers who have been hurt or killed while attempting to uphold the law. Unfortunately, far more officers have been hurt or killed than people outside of law enforcement, but too often no one cares about them and their families and friends. In some places, it has become so bad that no officer is going to pull his or her handgun to protect himself or someone else. To do so is to lose your job, be sued, and face public ridicule.
We need to strengthen our law enforcement agencies and to encourage our officers to be diligent in performing their duties. Instead of defunding law enforcement agencies, we need to be strengthening them. Law enforcement personnel in most agencies in our country are among the lowest-paid people in society for the work they do. They need a decent wage, the best equipment available, and the support of a caring society. Yes, law enforcement personnel need to be held to a higher standard and those in command must make sure those following orders place a high premium upon human life. They are there to “serve and to protect.”
I am hopeful for a new wave of encouragement in our country that will cause us to focus upon the good things in life and those who work so hard to make it happen. When people change their attitude toward law enforcement and our country, you will begin to see a better way of living, one devoid of lawlessness and protests and one dedicated to helping everyone enjoy life.