THE REAL ISIS THREAT

With all of the media attention about ISIS, ISIL, or just IS, sometimes I just have to turn away and tune some of it out. As a man who has spent his life trying to protect the people he cares about I have done many things to go out of my way to help. I joined the military because I wanted to be a part of the United States military, the greatest military in the world. I became a police officer because I enjoyed law enforcement.

Quite frankly, I was wrong to do some of these things the way I did. My initial motivation for joining the military was based on human weakness, childish dreams, and tendencies towards violence. What little boy hasn’t wanted to be violent without getting in trouble? As I went through the process of joining the military and law enforcement community, I realized that the organizations I was joining were far more than what I was looking for. I learned that more than just to be a war fighting machine, I wanted to help people. I wanted to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. I wanted to give everyone (yes, everyone) the rights that we take for granted in the United States; like freedom of speech and of the press, freedom of religion, and the freedom that allows us absolute control of our freedoms, the right to keep and bear arms. This is the right that so many people fear, because like Uncle Ben said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” (Actually possibly Franklin D. Roosevelt, “Today we have learned in the agony of war that great power involves great responsibility.”, or by Francois-Marie Arouet “Voltaire” in Euvres de Voltaire, Volume 48, and even Luke 12:48, “To whom much has been given, much will be expected”). But I digress.

 I learned over the years, by gaining knowledge and maturity, that these jobs that I had taken on were not only the right choice for me, but were key to the person that I was born to become. My mother likes to say that I have a strong sense of justice and, like all good mothers, she is right. I have a deep desire within me to help the helpless, defend those who cannot defend themselves, and to uphold the values that I have worked so hard to live by. America has been asleep for too long and I am under no delusion that this measly little note will change that, but I hope beyond all hope that perhaps a few good men will read this and shudder.

 America has become lethargic, apathetic, and has left itself completely open to attack. The most brutal attacks are not the physical attacks that rip our worlds apart and tear towers to the ground. The most brutal attacks are mental and spiritual attacks. The ones that we as a whole have been ignoring for years. What many of us have missed is that by allowing atheism to creep into our society and take hold, we have allowed self-worth to degrade and fade. By allowing our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters to believe that there is no god, we have allowed a weakness in our people. The truth is that there is a God and he created humans to be spiritually involved creatures. Argue that point all that you want, but there is a spot in your heart that needs that spiritual attention. If we leave this open spot, this wound, to fester in each other’s spirits/souls, it will only get worse and spread. People will find a way to fill this hole. Thus my main point.

Your sons and daughters are the real ISIS threat.

ISIS is offering something that feels tangible to fill that hole in people’s lives. It makes people feel like they are part of something bigger. If we do not teach our children about the value that their lives have, we are ignoring that hole in their lives and leaving them open to attack.

I had a dream that I interrupted an attack by complete mistake. I blundered blindly into the life of a young girl who I knew as a teenager and discovered by complete accident that she was getting ready to kill herself. The problem is that she was so hurt and so damaged that she didn't care who else got hurt in the process and cared more about making a statement about her death. I stopped the attack in my dream, without ever drawing attention to the fact that she was about to blow people up. I was not the hero in this dream, I was a bystander that almost died with the victim.

When I awoke I realized that this is the way America will die. Our children are so damaged and hurt at this point that many of them are turning to suicide with absolutely no hope. When they turn to suicide, extremists are there to stall them long enough to convince OUR children that there is nothing worth living for and that they can at least make those who they hate hurt by “making a statement” with their death. They become our own enemies because they have lost all hope. This is not an event that has played out. Yet. How long will it be before others are catching on to this idea? How long do you think it will take for evil men, smarter than I, to figure out how to use your broken loved ones against you? It is already in the works. When will you wake up and address the spiritual world that surrounds you?

The United States military has told its people that there are four areas of health: Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual. This giant organization has recognized that there is a spiritual need out there that needs to be addressed. This is one of the four areas they cover to try to prevent suicides. We are spiritual people. Quite denying it and patch the hole in your life, before someone lies to you and puts what they want in there. More importantly, fill that hole with something that has real value and that encourages life, and pass it to your children, family, and friends. Fill the aching, painful hole before it’s too late.

Grow up!

When I was kid, I remember giving my mom a hard time… a lot. I remember there were several times she would threaten to call my dad, and I never liked that. I never liked being in trouble with dad. Maybe it was because he was harder on me, or maybe it was because I didn't want to disappoint him. Whatever the reason, having to talk to dad on the phone always made me cry. I have to admit, it is much different being on the other end of that conversation. I don’t enjoy getting after my sons, but sometimes it can be entertaining. My oldest son always tries to hide when he knows he is in trouble, and he doesn't want to get on the phone, but when I can’t be there, it is nice to be able to see him, even if he is in trouble. I laughed after I hung up the phone today. He was upset because he wanted to play with a toy that my younger son was playing with. Such silly things upset us when we are children! However, as silly as these things seem, looking at some of the things that the adults I work around every day get upset about, it doesn't seem that adults are all that different. We can be just as childish sometimes. I enjoy being in the company of those individuals who have had real problems in their life and overcome them. They learned lessons from the experiences that they have had and learned what really matters in life. Perhaps we should all learn a lesson from the children in our lives and mature to a level of understanding comparable to our age. It is understandable to be upset about things that don’t go our way, but why would we act like children in these circumstances? If we are men (and women) then our childhood years are behind us. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. (1 Corinthians 13:11, NIV). 

Character

Mercy - compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence: 

There are many different people in the world and as many people as are out there I realize there are at least that many opinions. I say this because I realize that my opinion is, far too often, unpopular. I choose to believe that this is because I have a moral character that regards ethics as a bare minimum and strive to achieve a goal far higher than simply allowable. Of course, since this is my blog, this is where I have the opportunity to share my opinion.

I live on a pretty busy street and it seems like I see a police officer driving past my house daily. I hear sirens at least twice a week and sometimes they drive by my house with the sirens blaring and lights flashing. It has occurred to me on many different occasions, as those who know me understand, that people tend to dislike police officers. The times you typically see police officers is generally the worst part of your day. You have a traffic collision, you get a ticket, someone hits you, etc. Police officers are great for everyone until they are dealing with you. I have no delusions that I will change anyone's mind about this, however, I would like to take a moment to change your perspective a little. 

The entire day has been horrible. The rain hasn't stopped until just moments ago when it finally slowed to a drizzle, and it's been raining for at least a week straight. It's still only forty-five degrees Fahrenheit and you forgot your umbrella. You're driving down the street on your way to lunch, driving the car you always drive. It's not the newest model, but at least it's yours. The light turns red. Again. It seems like every light is changing just to slow you down. It's been a long day with plenty of frustrations for everyone and just to add on to it all, you are late to lunch. As you are finally seeing a glimmer of hope as you turn the corner, just blocks from the restaurant, the day gets worse. There are red and blue lights flashing somewhere and you can hear the sirens. You look in the mirror as a police car flies up behind you. "Don't stop me, I didn't do anything", you think as you pull to the right side of the road and wait. The police car stops behind you, lights still flashing and the siren stops. Great. Just another thing to add to the irritations of the day. The police officer steps out of the car, just yards behind yours, and approaches your door. You can see his face in the mirror as he gets closer to you. He has a badge on his chest and a gun on his hip. He's wearing a pair of sunglasses on his face and it almost looks like he's smirking.

I'll pause the scenario here. Think about the vehicle you drive, the town you live in, and the driving habits you have developed. These are just a few of the contributing factors. What could you have done to be stopped? What could be wrong with your car? There are thousands of traffic laws that change from city to city, state to state, even country to country. Here in the United States, we are very fortunate that there are many laws that may be a violation in one state that are acceptable in our home state, and because this is the case, there are many states that recognize that you may not be able to comply and will allow the violation through their state. Even though you might be stopped multiple times. 

Now, I would like to take a moment to address the statement that many people make and even believe. "I didn't do anything wrong." It has come to my attention that the United States has a pretty powerful Constitution (even if it doesn't seem to exist in current times) that protects the peoples' rights. One of those rights, covered in the fourth amendment, is protection "against unreasonable searches and seizures". This includes traffic stops. Traffic stops are a "seizure" of sorts. Keep in mind that the fourth amendment protects against unreasonable seizure, not any seizure. In order to initiate a traffic stop, law enforcement officers must have a reason to stop the vehicle. This may be a traffic infraction, equipment violation, or perhaps your vehicle looks like a vehicle that was identified in a crime that has occurred somewhere else in the city. These are just a few reasons you could be stopped, and are typically the most common reasons. 

Now, if we go back to the scenario, what is it that you might have done wrong? 

"Good afternoon. My name is Officer Friendly with the Municipal Police department. The reason I have stopped you today is because you have a brake light out on the drivers' side of your vehicle."

Are you relieved? Perhaps angry? Maybe you are dumbfounded?

"You stopped me for a brake light being out? Don't you have something better to do with your time? Why don't you go stop some real crime? We have a real drug problem here! Why don't you go arrest a drug dealer?"

The conversation would probably proceed something like this:

"I understand that you're upset. If I could just see your drivers' license, I'll have you on your way momentarily."

Of course you comply. He did say that he would have you on your way soon. You hand him your license and he steps back to his vehicle. He returns to your door just a minute later and hands you your drivers' license. 

"I'm just going to give you a verbal warning. Just get the brake light fixed later. Drive safely."

At this point he returns to his car and the lights turn off. You continue to lunch and never see that officer again. 

I base this conversation on personal experience. Think about it for a minute though. What is the first thing they teach you to do before you get into the car at drivers education? They tell you to check your fluids and walk around your vehicle to look the vehicle over. How many of us actually check to see if our lights are functioning? How many of us can actually check our brake lights? I don't usually have a second person around to push the brake so that I can make sure that the light is functioning. 

When I look back on the situation, and understanding that the fourth amendment protects us from unreasonable seizure, I now understand that anytime a law enforcement officer stops me, they are required to have a reason. Someone has to have violated the law. Maybe I wasn't the one who violated the law, or maybe I didn't know I violated the law. Perhaps I get a verbal or a written warning and I am told to fix my light. Now to change perspective a little. If a law enforcement officer has a reason to stop you and gives you a warning (written or verbal), then they have a reason to stop you, and they chose not to cite you for the violation. This is the thought that crossed my mind. Anytime an officer stops someone and gives them a warning, they are showing mercy. 

So many of us take everyday occurrences for granted. We think we deserve everything we get. This example is a good example of how we don't always receive what we deserve. And sometimes that's a good thing. This is just one of the many examples of things we take for granted. Think about the things in your life that you have been given that you didn't deserve. Think about the things you didn't get, but maybe you did deserve. Especially if you live in the United States. 

We have electricity as often as we want. If you want something, go buy it. Don't have enough money? Get a second job. We may not have a perfect country, but we have it pretty good. There are many options that we have that most of the world doesn't even hope for.

We haven't had to deal with a war on our own soil since the Civil War, and yet we have been fighting across the world since the conception of the United States. Forget about the fact that many of us don't understand why we are fighting wars and be thankful that we haven't had to fight anyone here. 

It is almost Thanksgiving, so I suppose in that spirit I urge you to consider your life and be thankful for what you have. Don't complain today. Take a full twenty-four hours to keep your complaints to yourself, because someone has it worse. 

Provide for the common defense

“...provide for the common defense,...”

This document lays out the need to be able to fight wars, but pay attention to how they said it! These men were not war-mongers. At the time that this was written these same men were just beginning a war against Great Britain. Great Britain at that time was a world power. They had one of the greatest armies and navies in the world. They were stronger than most of the world. The thirteen colonies fought against an established world power and won. That took a lot of guts and came at a high price for both nations. Thousands died in battle and thousands more as a result of illness. Some of the men who contributed to the Constitution fought in the American Revolutionary war. George Washington was a general who led men into combat and watched his men suffer through illnesses. He himself had bullet holes in his coat that could only be explained as the hand of God (see “The Bulletproof George Washington” by David Barton). I find it easy to suggest that George Washington of all people despised war as much as anyone could, but understood its unfortunate necessity in order to provide for a common defense. This line also suggested a promise that since these men claimed this country from Great Britain, they would take on the responsibility of defending its people.

Insure Domestic Tranquility...

“...insure domestic Tranquility,...”

I had to look up the word “Tranquility”, because I was not entirely sure I understood the intent behind the words in the Constitution. I have always thought of tranquility as a peaceful rest, like a Sunday afternoon after church (I had a traditional Christian family). I remember, as a kid my mother used to read books to my siblings and I before bed. One of them was Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little house on the Prairie”. In the book there was a part that talked about the (seemingly) extremes that they would go to to follow the commandment “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” Exodus 20:8 NKJV (http://bible.com/114/exo.20.8.nkjv). In the book, they would make their meals on Saturday and absolutely NO work was done on Sunday. That’s how I used to feel about “tranquility”. A peaceful Sunday afternoon that was spent almost lazily around the house chatting and chuckling happily.

tran·quil·li·ty

noun \tran-ˈkwi-lə-tē, traŋ-\

Definition of TRANQUILLITY

:  the quality or state of being tranquil <the tranquillity of the quiet countryside>

(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tranquility)

After looking this word up on Merriam-Webster’s dictionary online, I was given an entirely different perspective. The example is a quiet countryside. I can only speculate about the various images that anyone else imagines when they read that example, but words can not describe the beauty I see in that part of the Constitution. The founding fathers were worn out, tired of war, tired of debates, and all they wanted for themselves and for everyone else, was a nice peaceful rest. They wanted their nation to have the luxury of domestic tranquility. They understood that it would be necessary to fight wars in the future, but they wished so strongly to keep peace in the priorities of our nation, that they put Tranquility in the very foundation of the country.

Establish Justice...

“...establish Justice,…”

Our founding fathers believed in the concept of justice. They believed in it enough that they were intent on establishing a level playing field for every single person in the US. They wanted to establish a system that would eliminate the injustices that they had suffered and give every single individual, citizen or not, an opportunity to receive the justice that they deserved.

To form a more perfect union..

“...in Order to form a more perfect Union,…”

They believed that this union of thirteen colonies had become so efficient and effective that it was near perfect. They believed that it was, in fact, the unity that made the union near perfect. Their goal in writing this Constitution was in fact to make the union more perfect by making it united in a common government that would promise protection of all of its colonies.