In Harm's Way

"What is happening between the communities of color and the local police is nothing more than a powder keg..."

When I was growing up as a wee lad in Robbinsdale, my parents would often tell me one of two things - "If you are looking for trouble, you most surely will find it." Or, "Try to avoid being in harm's way". 

Tonight, they are expecting riots in Chicago because a cop shot a black youth more than a dozen times. Some of the shots came while the youth was already down. Now unless there was extenuating circumstances, this was a very bad shoot. This cop is going to be tried for murder. Even cops who had seen the videotape, have agreed this was a bad shoot and the cop needs to face the music.

I also saw the video tape. I have said this on all the other shootings recently in which the BLM crowd has become involved. Most of the time (maybe not all of the time), if a person obeys a lawful order from the police, things will turn out. However to resist arrest, to confront law officers, this might put you in harm's way.

Now I am not taking sides. I believe that most of the time, our police operates within proper guidelines. That being said, there are times they might not. All I know is this - our law enforcement is here to protect - not to kill us. The best thing to do in these days of terror is to let the police protect us. To stay out of their way. To stay out of harm's way.

So where does that leave us. In Minneapolis. In Ferguson. In Cleveland. In Chicago. In anywhere. We are at war folks. Not with each other - we are at war with Islamic Terrorists. We all need to do better so we can face the real threat. For when the real threat shows itself next to us, there will be no mistaking their intentions. And then we will really, really need the police.