The liberal media, along with some high ranking liberal politicians are fanning the flames of racism while propagating lies, further widening a racial divide in this country. They would have you believe that there is an out of control epidemic of police violence being perpetrated against black people that is being carried out in the name of racism. Is there racism that is alive and active in this country, yes there certainly is. Are there any racist police officers? No doubt there are some, just as there are some racist fire fighters, postal carriers, UPS drivers, doctors, lawyers, dentists, factory workers, professional athletes, politicians, and movie stars. Racism does exist from white, black, and brown people in all of those professions. That however, does not mean that all people are racist.
Yes, racism does exist and it is ugly. Hating another human being for any reason, I believe is wrong. It matters not to me, the color of your skin, your sexual orientation, or your religious beliefs. My Bible tells me that not only am I not supposed to hate, but I am to love my neighbor as myself. It tells me that all men were created in His image and that all of our lives are precious and matter.
My Bible also tells me that we are all born sinners and in need of a Savior. So unfortunately racism will always exist in some form or another in this life. Just as there will always be murder, rape, and robbery. No matter how many laws we pass, you cannot legislate morality into the hearts of sinful men. I believe that someone can only truly be transformed by the blood and power of Jesus. That's not to say that we are all racists, murderers, rapists, and robbers. We are all however sinful people and capable of wicked things. The Bible says that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? - Jeremiah 17:9.
So often when a person of color is involved in a violent encounter with police, it is broadcast 24/7 across national news media outlets and practically played on a loop. When this same thing takes place with a white person, most of the time it does not garner any attention beyond the local news. In fact, just last year alone, almost twice as many white people were shot and killed by the police than were blacks. That's a fact, but you would never know that by watching the news. I understand that blacks make up approximately 13% of the population while whites make up roughly 62%. That is a discussion that can go down a long rabbit trail that I don’t have time for today.
The fact of the matter is that not all cops are trigger happy racists with a hidden agenda. The media is feeding you a bunch of lies and misinformation. The overwhelming majority of police officers are good upstanding people just trying to do a very unpopular job and go home safe to their families at night. I could go on to list all sorts of statistics and data to show the true reality of the situation, but again, the facts don't matter to someone trying to push an agenda based on lies. There are plenty of other articles out there that are full of statistics that you can read. If all you did was watch the news while ignoring the facts, you might believe that there really is an out of control police brutality epidemic being perpetrated against black America. We are being told that trigger happy white police officers are actively hunting down black men and just looking for an excuse to kill them. The facts simply do not bear this out.
Again, it is not just the media that is fanning the flames of racial tension on this issue. The governor of Minnesota, Mark Dayton, where the recent Philando Castile shooting by a police officer took place, accused the officer involved of being a racist. He said that he did not believe that the officer would have shot Mr. Castile if he would have been white. He said this the day after the shooting, before the investigation took place, without talking to the officer actually involved in the shooting, and without knowing all the facts. There is simply no excuse for this and is, in my opinion, grossly negligent rhetoric by a man in his position. It has most assuredly contributed to recent violence against police officers across this nation. Police unions all across his state are calling for him to retract and apologize for his statement. The President of the United States, Barack Obama, has spoken ill of the police and their actions on countless repeated occasions without knowing all of the facts. Saying that the "police acted stupidly" or implying that their actions were motivated by racial intent without knowing all of the facts of a situation is deplorable.
Has a person of color ever been unjustly shot down by a racist police officer? No doubt in our nations 240 year history, this type of thing has taken place. Do I believe that the police are always right and only act legally within the scope of their given authority, not at all. I believe these things are not the norm though. I believe that the overwhelming majority of police officers are hard working, brave, honest, possess integrity, and are willing to die to protect us. Just look at the recent shootings in Dallas, Texas where police officers were being slaughtered. There were scores of police officers running toward the sound of gun fire, into the eye of danger, to protect the very people who were there protesting them. Do not believe the biased and slanted lies being pushed by the media because it is a narrative that fits their current agenda.
I won't give my opinion on the recent police involved shootings because I wasn't there and I simply don't have all the facts. I will withhold my judgement until the investigation is complete. Were any of these recent shootings unjust and racially motivated, that is entirely possible. But my advice is just that, don't rush to judgement. A cellphone video after the fact or from an obscure angle of perspective does not necessarily tell the whole story. Don't assume that what is being touted on the news media is accurate. Don't allow them to start a race war and divide us over lies. Now if the investigations and evidence show unjust criminal intent on the part of a police officer(s), I will be the first to say that they should be held accountable. Let's make sure that we do our due diligence and not paint an entire profession or group of people with a broad brush.
Remember, one of the defining moments of this myth of an epidemic of widespread racist police brutality started with the Michael Brown shooting in 2014 in Ferguson Missouri. That is where the battle cry got started and is still being proclaimed today, "hands up, don't shoot!" The fact of that situation that came out after the investigation was complete was that Michael Brown did not have his hands up when he was shot by Officer Darren Wilson. All of the forensic evidence, internal investigations, autopsies, as well as the investigation conducted by Obama's Department of Justice, proved that to be false. All investigations came to the same conclusion and proved that Michael Brown did not surrender, his hands were not up, he was trying to disarm the officer, and Darren Wilson was justified in the shooting. The mantra of “hands up, don’t shoot!” was built upon a lie.
Regardless of all of this, racism is still a shameful reality in this country. The level of pigment in one's epidermis should not be the measure by which an individual is judged. The police are not perfect and a civilized discussion can take place. I learned a song as a child at church that said, "...red, yellow, black, and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world." All lives matter to Jesus and this world would be a much better place if we followed His example and loved our neighbor as ourselves.
BLUE LIVES MATTER
There are brave warriors who stand at the ready that wear a badge and a gun
These sheepdogs will run into the face of danger to shield you when you dial 911
Their job is dangerous and they put their lives on the line to serve and protect
They deserve our support, encouragement, trust, and have earned our respect
Their every move is scrutinized when in the heat of the moment they have to act
Many times getting vilified before the full truth comes out, and we know every fact
There may be times when some of them act outside the scope of their authority
But don't paint them all with the same broad brush, these few are in the minority
Yes, it's true, racism exists, to some extent, in each and every profession
But violence is not the answer and neither is responding with aggression
So don't be so quick to rush to judgment before all of the facts are known
Two sides go to every story, not everything is revealed on video from a phone
Some spread lies and of their knowledge in police tactics they like to opine
Ignorantly forgetting that their freedoms are maintained by that thin blue line
Do not buy into the false propaganda and myths that some people create
Police officers, as a whole, are noble and brave warriors, not filled with hate
Racism is ugly and hate cannot be justified, for it's always a sin
Look at others as God sees them, and not just by the color of their skin
We have to work together for the foundations of racism to shatter
We were all created in God's image, made equal, and ALL LIVES MATTER!
Randy Mlejnek
July 2016
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