inSCIghts

U.S. Foreign Policy and the Beat Cop:
The Truth Behind the Headlines 

 

April 9th, 2012 | Author: Dr. Ross Riggs

You are working your beat…. Patrolling the streets as you have been doing now for what seems like a lifetime. You know every sound, especially the late night and early morning sounds that you can hear for blocks. Summer nights get hot and even with the air on in the car and your window open enough to hear the dogs barking, perhaps alerting you to a prowler, or to hear the sound of glass breaking, you recognize the sounds of normal. During the day, you know who you will see in that next block, on the corner. He is there every day. Maybe he’s a drug dealer you have busted a dozen times or maybe an elderly war vet looking for help. Whatever the sights and the sounds, it is your beat. You know it so well because it has become part of you, good and bad. As you think about your beat, ask yourself: ‘When was the last time the U.S. Secretary of State came out to ride along and see how things were going?’ Ridiculous. ‘When was the last time any U.S. Secretary of State called you prior to your shift at roll call to ask if there was anything you needed to help your shift on your beat go better?’ Nonsense. ‘When was the last time you received a letter, personally signed by the US. Secretary of State, asking you: “How things could be better on your beat?”’ Never going to happen. “Why? What does the Secretary’s role in world affairs have to do with my beat?” you ask. Everything.

Because of the way the current administration has ignored the issues in Mexico and the U.S. Southwestern borders, major Mexican drug cartels are now directing the street drug operations on your beat. Do the amounts of drugs and the sources of those drugs impact your job? Absolutely. The violence that has been transplanted north of the border is criminal. (Pun intended).

Is it possible that America’s planned withdrawal from Afghanistan on a set date, already announced by the Administration, influences the already heated relationships between Muslims and everybody else on your beat? No doubt about it.

These are just two simple examples. Do you really believe that anyone at that level of government cares about how you have to listen to some clown on the street bad mouth the U.S. military and tell you that you can’t do this or that because America is too weak and you have to listen to that garbage every day? No, of course, you don’t. So what can you do about it? Why even think about it because it just irritates you that much more and your doctor is already on you about your stress and your wife just told you that you come home from work in a negative mood. (She probably doesn’t use those exact words.)

The point is that you can do something about it! You do not have to listen to that garbage mouth guy on the street. If you choose not to just turn and walk away, you can ask him when it was that he cared enough about his own freedoms to serve in the Armed Forces. You can ask him when he had the courage to actually stand up for freedom or, for that matter, even vote! But, wait. Maybe you can’t say that because you quit voting three elections ago! You figured it didn’t matter. It does matter. It matters a great deal.

Maybe you have to get angry before you get involved? Of course, you are already serving your country as a cop and for that you should be proud. Chances are that you are a veteran, too. You should be proud of that. You cannot stop there. When the righteous no longer care enough to become involved in the political process, only the unrighteous will be. You should be writing your congressional representatives. Write your state representatives, too, it will shock the daylights out of them to hear from an ‘ordinary’ person for a change! It is a national campaign year and already the commercials and media hype are enough to turn you off of voting forever. That is all the more reason to be involved. One of those people who are jamming your airwaves will be the next Commander in Chief and will pick the next Secretary of State who, as has already been shown, impacts your daily patrol! Perhaps you are one who has to get angry to get involved. Anger turned inward is destructive. Anger turned outward is vile and ugly. Anger turned upward in prayer returns as wisdom.

Watch the link of this criminal vandalism against the graves of our WWII veterans by a disrespectful, ignorant mob of apparently non-Christians, non-Jews who present themselves as pathetic follows of Islam. (I personally know dozens of young Muslims and none of them would do what you are seeing done in this video, so don’t go throwing your anger at just anyone for what you are about to see.)

Muslim mob in Libya vandalizes Christian & Jewish WWII Tombstones

Angry enough now to get involved? No? OK, try this cartoon on for size.

Now, first things first, you must take that anger and turn it which direction? Upward, right. In prayer. Oh, you say you haven’t prayed for a long time, wouldn’t be sure how to? Not a problem. Have you talked to your patrol partner about how you feel on these issues or maybe another cop? Maybe you are one of the few who has even talked to their spouse about how they feel. Now, if you have done that, you can pray. God, the Father, the Bible tells us is ‘leaning forward, anxious to hear your prayers.’ He wants to talk to you but it is best if you start the conversation. Pretend you are on patrol and He is sitting in the seat next to you and just start talking. (Not to spoil a secret, but when you are on patrol… He is right there with you every day already.) So, tell your Partner, (capital P is out of respect for who God is as a holy and righteous God, He has earned it and deserves it), how all of this makes you feel and ask Him for wisdom. The Bible says that the third king of Israel, Solomon, asked God not for riches or fame or victories but wisdom and that pleased God so much that He made Solomon the wisest man that ever lived. You and I are not going to be a Solomon but God will give us wisdom.

Now, take that wisdom and get involved. Local politics, state issues and maybe, particularly this year, get involved in national campaign issues. Investigate all the candidates and what they say. Send them a letter or e-mail and ask them to clarify what they mean when they are playing the ‘fuzzy answer’ card. Share with others what you are learning about the candidates and get on a couple of newsletters. If you consider yourself a political conservative or just a good American, you might be interested in following Senator Ron Paul’s blogs and newsletters; he seems to have his finger on the issues and knows what he is talking about, at least most of the time. (I would have said that ‘Good American’ and ‘conservative’ are inter-changeable terms; but to keep this argument where it needs to be, I must admit that I truly believe anyone who takes an active role in understanding the issues and voting his conscience or his faith is a great American regardless of political stripe. Just remember though I said ‘takes an active role in understanding the issues.’ That is crucial.)

Personally, I hope you are a person of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is me, DocRoss, saying that, not HSN. If you would like to but you don’t know how, contact me, I will help you. The point is not just a political one or about improving your beat, but about changing your life here and the one after this one for eternity, which means forever and ever. It is also about understanding correctly the relationship Christians have to come alongside and help the Jewish nation of Israel. That is a longer conversation. We can do that, too, if you like. You cannot avoid getting involved if you want to make a difference for yourself and your beat.

In the three departments with which I have been a cop, each one had one older sergeant who was as negative a man as I have met. I have no other appropriate term that adequately describes them except they all fit a certain mold, whatever that is in your mind and I bet you just thought of someone just like that on your department. They come as standard issue. I am pleased to tell you that one of those eventually came to know Jesus Christ as Savior and his negativity disappeared and you could never meat a more pleasant man.

One great example of another that I will never forget (and I have been retired for a dozen years now). This fellow would argue you into a corner over the Ohio Lottery. The Lottery had, maybe still has, a show where they pick the winning numbers. When the State would announce that there were no winners, he was adamant that they couldn’t know that because… (Wait for it, this is too good to miss and don’t jump ahead of me)… they couldn’t know that there were no winners because he hadn’t checked his ticket yet! Do you really want this guy casting a vote for the next leader of the free world and you don’t? If for any other reason, when you think your vote doesn’t count; you could at least be cancelling his out!

Much more importantly, you are making your voice heard in a democratic Republic. That is worth fighting for and even dying for. So many already have. Please, gain wisdom, get involved.

Stay safe.