43-I Will Not Walk a Mile in Your Bloody Shoes

43-I Will Not Walk a Mile in Your Bloody Shoes

Technology is neither virtuous nor evil. It is the concept that tools become increasingly useful. How we use the most powerful tools must be given the most consideration. The jackhammer of news, the precise number of dollars electoral free-speech costs, the leverage of lobbyists, the direction of research, all would be better for the world if the agenda was to better the people and the places, not the privacy and pocketbooks of the powerful. Beyond this corruption, there is a more formidable problem: the people too easily segregate into stubborn cliques and the Internet, the greatest of tools, invites us to deepen these circles into ever-reinforcing moats of collective defense. It's classic Group Think. From a secure position, we war against the persistent troublemaker as a unified collective. The cliché birds of a feather has never been more complex or real than it is today. And technology only amplifies the echo-chamber towards deafening levels.

Gay marriage sweeps the nation because a few short years ago the bigots woke and realized they intimately know someone who had been normal just yesterday. They were suddenly forced to face their cherished one with those noxious views. At this point, prejudice becomes untenable. Relationships change everything. An extreme example of this is how Jerry Lee Lewis (a KKK leader) became friends with Daryl Davis (a black man). Prejudice requires you avoid contact with those you hate because you might just get to know them; and then what?

Callings such as teachers, nannies, nurses, therapists, and clergy are seen heroes. Most are but these same professions attract pedophiles. We must scrutinize most those professions intrusted with our most valued assets – like our children. Police officers are no different. In fact, they should be held to an even higher standard because their influence is more than life or death but founded upon the very nature of our Union. They are sworn to uphold our Constitutional Rights amid the messiness of life. It is beyond a calling; like a soldier, it is a voluntary duty.

It takes a rare personality to be cop. Some want the glory or praise. Some want to help. Some want a paycheck and some want the power. Most are motivated by a combination of these, but for the sadistic narcissist, being a cop makes them the most important one in the room. Body cameras and training only work when employed. Good cops want them and use them; bad cops find them limiting and intrusive. I know many good people who carry the badge. It is for them that we must spend more effort identifying these outliers that cause so much trouble. In a world where fidelity is unquestioned, where the blue-line is reinforced by the support of official statements, these bad apples blend in and spoil the bunch.

An exhausted father stops breathing after constant harassment by petty procedure, enforcing a ban on selling singles cigarettes with a deadly choke-hold. A woman is framed for her own murder by her boyfriend dressed in blue. Suicide? A man reaches for his wallet. A youth with a sword flees and is shot repeatedly in the back. A girl tries to drive away. A young man in the subway. A boy plays with a gun. Rodney is stopped for speeding. Is there a chronic pepper-spray shortage I'm not aware of? Overwhelming force is the primary tool of the conqueror, not the ambassador.

When will the tally end? When will it even take it's foot off the pedal? Departments protect their officers in the name of anyone carrying a badge in “those situations” as if by their nature those moments make it okay to fire first. This is a mistake. Why? Because mindful hesitation is a good thing. Each of my examples are in stark relief, white lies to black truths. Deadly force is the last resort. Being alert and safe is the opposite of aggressive and myopic. Cops are not warriors. They keep the peace. They cannot do this from an adversarial position. In fact, their greatest asset is the people's trust and respect. To label a person is to rob them of their humanity. There are no bad guys, only bad behavior, stemming from bad situations. And no matter how bad the behavior, you cannot physically attack someone with their hands up regardless of what they just did or conceivably might do.

If you want the badge, you must understand you're entering a dangerous, stressful, fulfilling occupation, much like a soldier. Unlike a soldier, your tool is not a weapon but a vow to uphold the law, to be a shinny example of the law, and though that great act of humanity, enforce the law. Until we rid the ranks of the hot-heads and every officer crosses that blue line to greet the public they serve, the violence will never end. It is only when they walk in our shoes each and every time they interact with us, that they will be able to help us, help our communities. After all, it is their job. If you never know a cop you like and trust as do I, you'll never like or trust cops; they'll remain the cold, ugly scrutiny of authority. Effort is required on both sides but starts and ends with the badge and the gun – the volunteer. If you're not a level-headed, patient, detail-oriented, compassionate, physically-fit, people-person, do us all a favor and don't join the force. But if you are, understand the most beneficial career is one that connects with those it protects. There is no doubt we should pay you more, but ultimately, a good cop's greatest reward is doing good.

Wait. Find safety. Listen. Think. Act right when the time is right. Until then, continue to comprehend, communicate, and consider. Lives count on you remaining calm. After all, it is your duty to us.