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.