Cops and lives that matter

A tough subject for sure.  As with all complicated issues, there are no easy answers, and my comments are more observations than anything else.  

The “Black Lives Matter” movement has generated a lot of controversy and I don’t agree with all of the hub bub.  I suspect that people have a problem with it because of fear.  They fear that if they say that black lives matter that they will lose something.  Perhaps they will feel that they owe something, that they have failed at something, or that acknowledging that black lives matter will then require a response on their part.  And so people just don’t want to admit it.  No one wants to admit that there is a problem, because that would require a need for a solution, or at least some kind of response.  If you’re a white person, you’re probably pretty comfortable with the status quo - no need for any change!

Along with the other tons of stuff that gets posted on social media, I saw a nine-box cartoon that makes an excellent point about people demanding that we say “All Lives Matter” instead of “Black Lives Matter.” 

I like the analogy.  Yes, all lives matter.  But there is an issue with black lives that I think needs to be addressed right now, and I’m not scared to say it.  I don’t know what that looks like in it’s totality, but for the present, I think that it means showing some solidarity with the “Black Lives Matter” movement.  Is it perfect?  Of course not.  Neither is the church.  Nor any charity.  Nor any company.  There are bad people everywhere.  I don’t think that it negates the whole idea.

In regard to the police…

I’ve been saying it a lot lately, and I’ll say it again: you could not pay me enough to be a police officer in this day and age.  I can scarce imagine a tougher job in America, and I make no attempt to exaggerate.  As nice as it is to hear the gratitude for my military service, policeman deserve it WAY more than I do.  Short of deployment to a war zone like Afghanistan or Iraq, policeman face far more danger on a daily basis than those in the military.   Being a cop is crazy dangerous.  

Body cameras certainly should be part of the solution.  However, can you imagine any profession where every second of your performance can be analyzed by the masses?  I can’t.  I do not seek to make excuses.  However, how men (and women) respond when they feel that their life is in danger is hard for any person to judge.  EVERY traffic stop has the potential for something really bad to happen.  If I were a cop, EVERY traffic stop would have my heart beating at twice its normal rate.  I would quit due to anxiety problems within two weeks!  Police work is thankless - they are either being criticized for doing too much, or for not doing enough.  I don’t want to trivialize it, but it’s like Monday mornings around the water cooler when EVERYBODY seems to be qualified to criticize the quarterback who is getting paid $18 million a year because he’s the BEST at what he does.  Except with the police, the consequences are real.  People die as a result of their action (or inaction).  

That’s a start.  I may have more to add later.

My View on Police Shootings, Gun Control and the Politics of these issues

Last night there was another shooting tragedy, this time in Dallas with two snipers opening fire on police officers (killing 5 and injuring several others) who were on location to oversee a peaceful protest against police brutality.  The protest was organized due to two police shootings earlier in the week that occurred in Louisiana and Minnesota, at least one of which was witnessed thanks to video by millions of Americans.  This is the most recent of a string of confrontations between uniformed personnel and the public that ended in shootings where innocent people were killed.

Quoting from A Few Good Men (you know I love this movie) "Those are the facts of the case and they are undisputed."

But that's seems to be where we go off the rails, common sense ends, sensationalism erupts, logic goes out the window, and differences in opinion emerge.  It's really sad.

We need to find common ground and remain focused on that common ground when we disagree on what to do.

I wanted to speak my mind and share a couple of thoughts on these events without prompting a never-ending argument or debate with those who I don't know, and don't know me.  Remarkably, doing so on this blog site will accomplish that since our readership appears limited solely to my two brothers and our Mom and Dad!

The first point I want to make is this:  There are good people in this world, and there are bad people in this world, and they come in all shapes and colors.  Black, white, and everything in between.  You can't differentiate between good and bad people based on their outward appearance, the color of their skin, their ethnic origin, or for that matter whether they wear a badge or uniform. That last part is sad to say, but it's true.

Second point: All lives matter and we have to quit needlessly killing innocent people because of what a small percentage of bad people have done.  If a bad HR professional does something egregious like shooting an employee who doesn't perform, that doesn't entitle anyone to wage war against all HR professionals and start killing them in retaliation.  Because there have been some bad cops that have killed innocent people doesn't mean we should start shooting all cops as a means of resolution.  I read a quote from Gandhi today (who knows if it actually came from Gandhi that said "an eye for an eye just means everyone is blind."  Profound whether it came from Gandhi or not.

Third point:  Video evidence clarifies exactly WHAT happened, but provides very little clarity as to WHY it happened. Millions of people now have the benefit of seeing what happened in these confrontations via video evidence.  But many jump from seeing WHAT happened to making a lot of assumptions about WHY it happened.  As an HR professional I have limited training into investigation.  But one of the basic premises is to withhold judgment until you've gathered all the facts that you can.  When someone who is white shoots someone who is black (or vice versa for that matter) it doesn't automatically mean that their motivation for shooting that person was because of the color of their skin.

Fourth point:  Our men and women in uniform have an unenviable job that deserves the benefit of doubt when their actions are being judged.  They are tasked with protecting us and themselves. And they put themselves in harm's way daily.  In my opinion they should be given the benefit of doubt because of this sacrifice.  The world is far more dangerous today than it has been in the past. I'm not saying that those in uniform have a license to kill or harm others solely based on the uniform and their motto to serve and protect, but they are entitled to the benefit of doubt in doing a job that is thankless, and where differentiating between good and bad people in a split second is challenging at best, impossible at worst.  I've reached this conclusion by putting myself in their shoes.

Last point:  Anyone who kills or harms others with a racially motivated bias should be brought to justice, uniformed or non-uniformed.  It's that simple.

So where to from here?  Good question that isn't getting enough thought, focus, and media attention right now.  Here's my proposed solutions, certainly open to criticism and suggested improvement.

• Mandate uniform cameras on all police personnel - this will shed light on the truth with the caveat of my second point above.  It helps solve the problem.
• Pass stricter gun laws - I believe it the first amendment and in gun ownership in America.  But I'm also moderate enough to support background checks, strict permitting, waiting periods and limiting some firearms from being in public hands.  
• Develop more respect for the men and women in uniform - I don't know exactly how to make this happen or what form this suggestion takes, but there is all this public BS about how much we appreciate those who protect our freedom.  Do we really mean it?  If so, we don't seem to be showing it.  In my limited interactions with the police, military and uniformed personnel I've found that "yes sir, no sir" goes a long way.  For a light hearted version and humorous version of what I'm talking about, check out this video from Chris Rock

I'm sickened by how polarized our country has become on issues that to me are more common sense than complex political problems.  

Treat people as you want to be treated, seek first to understand, show people common courtesy, assume positive intent, put yourself in their shoes; wouldn't any of these phrases rooted deeply in common sense go a long way in addressing the crazy and radical actions that are occurring on the streets in our country today?

And perhaps most importantly, what are we doing to correct course and tackle these issues with solutions and implementable change?  Isn't this more important than the outcries, the outrage, and escalation of difference being highlighted by our media?  

I'm genuinely interested in hearing from those I know and love on their thoughts and suggested solutions regarding these issues.  Not political, not partisan, just what you would suggest for improving what everyone agrees is crazy and unacceptable in terms of what is going on in our country today.