My perspective on the Missouri thing: Here's my piece of the how this happens...

It's Friday, and time for another Thought tale hour here at the Henderson's.  It was impossible for us to escape the story and discussion surrounding the events in Missouri last week. While some looked to make this about race, I kept finding myself going back to the basics of what happened in Missouri - that being - a citizen was killed by a Police Officer.  It happens nearly every day in our country, far more than in any other 'controlled' country in the world.  I didn't ask 'why?', because there are too many why's, and each will be followed by yet another why. Instead,  I asked 'how?'.  How is it that we hear about this and jump to conclusions?  How is it that we make up our minds about who is right and who was wrong?  How come so many people even consider challenging a person holding a gun?  But ultimately -

How is it we are a now a place where there is no respect for public servants?

When I was growing in up in a small town, the local Sheriff was a position to be aspired to.  Our sheriff's name was Bob Wiley, and he really resembled Sheriff Matt Dillon of 'Gunsmoke' fame to me.  I remember he came to our school and spoke, and I think I was 8 years old, but he was this incredible hero to me.  I knew there were 'bad guys' out there, as my parents were the very overprotective kind, but this guy, this guy would stop them all with the power of his stare.  It never occurred to me that he was human, and could make a mistake while 'keeping the peace'.  Remember what we called them?  Peace Officers.  But come to think of it, we were surrounded by images in the later 60's of 'good guys' that would put themselves between us and whatever threatened all things right - Batman, Superman, Colombo, The Mod Squad, Andy Griffith. I guess I knew that there were times that public servants (that's what we called them then) acted badly and hurt innocent people, like we saw at Kent State and in places in the South, but those were the very rare instances.  Only the best of the best became Peace Officers.  So, if they had to shoot someone, there had to be a good reason.  My perspective, growing up small town, protected, and of course, Caucasian.

I'm not saying I don't have a skewed view...  

But I do think that something dramatically changed regarding our view of law enforcement in the last 50 years, even among us blond and blue-eyed Americans.  I still raised my kids, no matter what, to obey the person carrying a badge and a gun, regardless.  I would rather defend them for being mistreated than try to defend them for breaking an obvious law.  And yes, over the years, I can cite times when an Officer acted anything but like a 'peace officer' when I was part of a situation requiring they be present.  But this is where my perspective that these are the people who are there to serve and protect us, made me look at these times as the exception, never the rule.  It was the person in the uniform that was broken, not the job they were supposed to do.  I realized, as I watched and discussed the Missouri incident this week, that there is a mass of people who have a completely different perspective on the Police in this country.  They are not 'peace officers' they are a 'force', and not one that is always looking for the best interests of the citizen.  While I was taught to run toward the car with the lights, others have been told to run from it.  This is more than skin deep.  It comes from where you were raised, and what experiences you've watched in your life. I imagine it would make you believe that the only real protection comes from yourself, or maybe those around you who are of the same opinion.

But therein lies the problem... I can only imagine.

My Sheriff Wiley has been replaced with the updated reality of faulted humanity and seasoned with a Batman who is motivated by his fractured past.  Yet I still live in an existence that tells me an officer of the law has only my best interest in mind.  If one of them told me to leave a McDonald's because there was a need to vacate, I'd gather my things quickly and bolt.  I sensed this week that this part of my psyche is seen by some to be a huge part of the problem vs. a large part of keeping the peace.  Their view is that by obedience and somewhat eyes shut following, I am empowering a 'force' that is blinded by authority and bullet happy.  "Mayberry RFD" has been replaced by "Cops", where every citizen encountered is seen as a 'civilian' in a military-like battle.  Music lyrics and movies indicate that these Police Officers are not interested in keeping the peace, they just want to control us. I heard it over and over this week.  The 'cops' are out of control. The word 'Cop' came from a term meaning to arrest or seize.  This is what they've been reduced to in many circles.  This is the how.  This is the how Peace Officers find themselves in a war zone, telling someone to get out of the street and ending up shooting them.  They were not there to protect.  They were there to seize.

I'm simplifying, but don't shoot the messenger.

Skin color here is a distraction friends.  Putting this at the feet of racial division is for people looking for the 'why'.... I'm not into that, it's too simple - and far too obvious.  A disdain and distrust  for all things in authority is the crack in our foundation that is fast becoming a chasm.  If we don't start now, reminding ourselves and those who will listen to us, that doing the right thing is always the best thing, we are doomed to be a society ran by Robo Cops.  I still believe that a majority of us want to live in peace, and we want Peace Officers to protect us from those few who don't.  We have to stand together to instill this in our children and grandchildren, or we will fall.  Walk in the streets holding signs asking for justice, but go home and assure your family that the people sworn to protect them will do just that....

So tonight, we are going to drink the only kind of Molotov Cocktail that we believe in throwing back, made with vodka and rum, and one does the trick.  We will toast those brave enough to be the 'peace officers' in a world that seems to want anything but.....CHEERS FRIENDS.

Molotov Cocktail

1 1/2 oz. of Vodka

1 oz of 151 Rum

Float the rum over chilled vodka.  Light.  Blow it out and shoot.  REMEMBER: Drink responsibly.