It reminds me of the man who was just selling cigarettes on the street and was killed by police, again, for no real reason. He was crying out about his pain, that he couldn't breathe, and he died from the injuries he endured.
It reminds me of the man who was shot repeatedly, in the back, while running from the police during a simple traffic stop because he feared being arrested for back child support payments.
It reminds me of the man who ran from the police and was killed by a "ride-along" person who thought he was using a Taser, even though he was suppose to me fully trained, even though the Taser looked nothing like a gun. With this news report, I noticed more the way the injured man was treated as he lay on the ground looking for help, how someone in authority unnecessarily pressed his head into the ground. This man later died. Why?
I can hardly forget the video of a police car, at full speed, hitting a suspect with his car, intending to kill him. I had no idea that police were allowed to do those kinds of things. Weren't there other things they could have done?
In the middle of all these current news events, I am reminded of past reports when multiple police were gathered together and began shooting at single suspects -- many, many, many times. The suspect may have been ranting, or had a knife, or was not that large of a threat, but they died as though they were an army attacking the police.
Riots are different. I don't like the riots that accompany some of these protests about unnecessary, wrongful deaths. I also suspect that some people start them as a reason to loot the area stores, to distract the police from other things, or to create more news coverage for their cause. Riots hurt innocent people, they are not controllable, and they destroy the jobs and houses of people who need to survive in that area. I was almost a teen when the 1965 LA (Los Angeles) Watts riots happened, but I still remember some of the news photos I saw.
Black people aren't the only ones who are wrongfully targeted. I remember news stories of border killings when the immigration issue was in the forefront of nightly coverage. Depending on where you live, you can be a variety of races or nationalities and be the victim of wrongful death.
I don't think police corruption is a new trend,
it has been a problem throughout history.
I guess it just seems more visible to me because of repeated reports of it from all kinds of video sources in too many locations. I really don't want to have these reports replaying in my mind for the rest of my life... my years are running out and I don't want them filled with the growing violence of Mankind. I would like to find a better way to exist in this End Time world.
The Bible tells us that, in the End Times, hearts will grow cold because of there will be too many emotionally painful things to consider, to care about (my paraphrase). We will suffer from emotional overload. I can see how that will happen.
If I had the money, I would want to support almost every humane cause I see advertised on TV, in magazines, on the radio, over the internet, or promoted by friends, family, and coworkers. I care deeply about too many issues :: homelessness, youth in distress, orphans, victims of domestic violence, abused animals, job losses and business failures, medical costs, illiteracy, prison reforms, stopping abortion, college educations, senior meals... I could go on for a long time, the list is endless.
It is hard to keep going with our lives when there are so many real needs to think about...and not be able to support. I feel almost heartless when I have to say I can't help someone.
Police brutality, wrongful deaths, and other justice issues are harder to face because they have authority status over us. We need them to help protect us, we want to believe they are good people and will do their job with honor,
BUT...
I suppose the police get tired of the criminals that fill their lives.
I suppose some of them wind up choosing their own form of criminal activity.
I suppose it gets hard to think of people as being good when your job is to make sure bad people don't hurt good people.
I suppose fear might look the same on anyone who doesn't want to get caught. You can't tell if fear is from overdue child support or bank robbery, being underage or being a runaway.
I suppose police have bad days like we have bad days.
AND...
I wish there was an easier way to sort out the bad people from the good ones.
I wish everyone was good and we didn't have to deal with any bad people, ever.
I wish we could keep our measuring sticks equal so everyone would be treated the same.
Unfortunately, I don't think we will ever find a perfect solution
to overcoming what lost and sinful people do to our world because
we are the world,
we are all guilty, and
we have all done wrong things.
I realize it will take time, but I hope we can find a peaceful and truthful way through this difficult time in our history as a country. What happened was wrong, no matter who it was done to. It should never happen again.
