I am always seeing post with links to stories about how awful and unfair the police have been in some situation. It is amazing to me that the people who are posting this often have a strong hatred for cops because they feel they have been mistreated by cops at some point. Generally it is because they told the cops their story and even though it did not seem very probable they were asking the officer to give them the benefit of the doubt. I find it strange that the one thing they wanted from police is the exact same thing they are refusing to give any officer. it is kind of like asking God for forgiveness but refusing to forgive people in our own lives. Cops are not perfect and some are mean and hateful on purpose. But there are also some bank tellers that are mean and hateful on purpose. Also some waitresses, some store clerks, some hairstylists, some cooks, etc. Last night I went out to eat and the waitress did not give good service. Should I then condemn all waitresses? Police officers are not above the law. If they break the law or violate peoples rights they should be held accountable. But lets be real clear about the circumstances in which they make decisions. Sometimes in the midst of high stress they are called upon to make life or death decisions. They can be in the midst of chaotic situations of which most people will never understand. It is then that they are called upon to make a split second decision. Do you really think that your decision would always be perfect? They do not have the luxury of instant reply. They cannot stop and look at things from every angle to determine the actual reality of the situation. They make decisions based on perception not reality. That is why the law is based on their perception, not the actual reality of the events. If they perceive they are in danger then they will protect themselves. That is why if I get pulled over for speeding or any other reason, I immediately turn on my interior light. I put my hands on the top of the steering wheel with my elbows pointed up in the air. I drive like this while I pull over. And when I pull over I go all the way over into the dirt and get his far off the road as I can without getting my car stuck. I turn my car completely off and I sit still with my hands on top of the wheel and my elbows up in the air and tell the officer comes to speak with me. I do this to make sure he knows what Im doing. To make certain the officer knows that he can see my hands. This is done to put him at ease. Because I understand that this may be an aggravation to me, but it is an intense stressful moment for him. It used to be easy for me to hate cops too. But there were two reasons for that. One, because I didnt know any cops. Two, because my lifestyle was illegal. I didnt want any cops telling me that what I was doing was illegal. So I blamed the cops. But all the while it was my fault for breaking the law. They did not make the law. They did not make me break it. Now I know several cops. I know how much they risk for my sake. I know that they will die to protect those they have never met. I know they work extremely long hours and dont see their family nearly as much as most of us do. and I know that most of them do not do it for some kind of power kick. Most law-enforcement officers do this job because they love you and me. They love their communities and I want to keep them safe. Yes there are cops that abuse their power. But I have found that most of the time other cops are madder about this than the general public. They are not above the law and they are held accountable. They are held more accountable in their job than just about any other profession. How many people have to carry a video camera around with them everywhere they go and account for every single word that they speak? That is why I encourage you. Instead of finding what you can complain about and what you can prejudge an officer for, find one you can pray with. Next time you see a cop and they are not in the middle of something important, walk up to him and ask him if you can pray for him right there. Stop what youre doing, lay your hand on there shoulder and pray for their protection and their safety. Pray for peace for their family. Pray for them to have wisdom and discernment.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 15:47:46 +0000
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