God has ordained the structure of mankind; government is ordained by God. We must all live with rules and regulations. If not, we would live in a chaotic society – some may say we already do.
I titled this column “The Men and Women in Blue – Heroes,” and I would like to mention my son, who is a part of the Chattanooga Police Department, a young man my wife and I raise only by God’s help to always strive to do what is right and to help people. He is my hero because I see him and countless other law enforcement personnel put their lives on the line every day of work and throughout their careers.
Having watched our Chattanooga Police Department men and women from the outside, I formed an opinion on some of the things they’ve said and done. But since becoming a chaplain and also having my son as a police officer, I discovered that I prejudged them without knowing and having all the facts. As I do ridealongs and go on some of the calls – dependent on the situation and if people are around – I can hear them discussing how police are handling the situation. But I really do not know all the facts and this is where so much misinformation get out, even in the news media.
And since we are in such a vast technological age with Facebook and Twitter, information can get out in just a few seconds. It can be wrong or right.
There are so many movements against police departments all over country, but they are individuals just as we are and, at the end of the day, they want to go home to their families. They are sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers. They have been trained to be professional in making sure everyone is protected and, yes, there are some that slip through and, when they become police officers, they allow the power to contaminate their thinking and what they are sworn to do.