Who matters?

The latter half of 2016 may have been the worst time in my history to begin a blog intended to point out the humor that normally confronts me on a daily basis. There just seems to be too much going on that upsets me on a near daily basis the last couple weeks and I can't get past the need to deal with it.

Today I am heartbroken. Sure, about the murders of police officers in Dallas but closer to home than that. Yesterday a young man whom I have known since the day he was born posted a meme that said "Black lives matter. If you don't get that then you are the problem." Well I don't get it.

To his credit he took it down when BLM shooters begin pinging away at cops in Dallas and he's not the only person who has taken up the marching cry of #blacklivesmatter. But what sucked the wind out of my sail was that this young fellow, whom I love and respect, was raised alongside my own two children, one of whom grew up to be a police officer.

I went from angry to defeated a lot quicker than I would have thought. I know this fellow is too fine and compassionate a guy to actually wish my son and his friend dead because of a police uniform and I will certainly forgive him. I already have. But how did we get to a point where hate is so loud?

Before I was forced to turn off my radio today the media was trying to defend blacklivesmatter and claim that the gunmen in Dallas were not affiliated with any group.  Sorry. I'm on board with that about as much as I am with the theory that the nutcase in Orlando was not motivated and inspired by ISIS.  I'm going to try and resist the temptation (today) to get sidetracked with what a sick and disgusting tool the media has become and what utter despots journalists are.  I don't think most of them have the intelligence for original thought anyway but they do give voice to those who want to drive the notion that all cops are at war with the black race.

Here is my meme:  "Most cops are heroes. If you don't get that then you are the problem."

My son, the police officer, was not raised to hate or judge anyone by the color of their skin. He is as color blind as anyone I know. I can assure you that he does not wake up in the morning thinking, "I hope today is the day I get to kill a black man." He is a police officer because the instinct to protect those who need it is stronger in him than in most people. It may come from somewhere deeper but I know it at least partially comes from all his years as an offensive lineman, first anchoring the line that protected his best friend in high school and later forging a bond that has a good chance of lasting a lifetime with a band of brothers that was the offensive line for five years for a Division 1 college football team. Incidentally, he was an offensive captain both in high school and in college so it isn't just me who thinks highly of him.

At 6' 4" and 260 lbs. of solid muscle he is exactly who you want to see show up if you need help. I am hard pressed to think of anyone one should want more than him between them and a bad guy (skin color up to you, he doesn't really care) attempting to beat a wife, rape a daughter, damage or steal your property or any other nefarious activity. He takes serve and protect seriously and literally. After some trial and error, policing is something that makes him feel like football made him feel. I am proud as can be of him and more than a little defensive of those who sneer at the suggestion that blue lives matter.

And he is one of hundreds of thousands of good cops across this country who are exactly the same way. Most cops are heroes. I repeat: If you don't get it then YOU are the problem. I'm told these posts need to be relatively short (hard for me) so I won't burden the page with the statistics of what a small fraction of a single percentage of black deaths by gunshot are wrought by bullets from cop's guns or how close the statistics are on black v. white deaths at the hands of cops.  If that shakes you up just consult MSNBC for a set of statistics that can help you feel better about hating cops. Those statistics will be wrong but don't let that stop you.

Are there bad cops? Duh. Of course there are. And the good ones would agree with all of us that they should be punished to the full extent of the law IF THEY ARE INDEED GUILTY OF A CRIME.

Who is driving this narrative of a war on blacks by our nation's peace officers? There's plenty of blame to go around but don't some of you find it puzzling that on any given weekend 50-60 black people, aged 3-70, are killed by other black people in Chicago alone? The Crips and Bloods have killed a WHOLE LOT more black people than cops and yet that rarely even gets reported. Why is that?

I think its because the black leadership in this country and the people who hold power by creating a victim class are reluctant to deal with the social meltdown in inner-city black culture. (Ummm! No he didn't just say that!)  No not everybody. C'mon. But 75 percent of black families are being raised without a father in the picture. Not just divorced.  Totally not in the picture. Who is teaching those youngsters what their behavior should be and what their role in the community should be and what their potential is if they dare to dream and work hard? That's a lot to ask of a single mom who is doing everything she can to keep food on the table and clothes on everyone's backs although those who do are a whole class of hero themselves.

Now sure, I just lost half of you who were inclined to disagree with me in the first place with my horribly racist comments. I don't intend my remarks to be racist. I think it's a real problem we need to address as a society.  That said, it's not a problem white people have the credibility to fix. We'd like to help, sure. But we need a team effort here. I'm far from the first to suggest it but wouldn't it be more productive if American black leaders put their focus on keeping families together and having faith in the resilience of the human spirit? If you really want to stop black deaths by lead poisoning it seems to me there are bigger topics to tackle than the cops.

Ya', it does sound silly and all pie in the sky.  Much easier to blame cops and white people for fun and profit and power.

And here's the moment you've been waiting for: I know how easily offended those of you who drink the koolaid are if anyone is critical of your guy in the White House, but is their a black leader in a more powerful position anywhere in America? The world? Would it be too much to ask for him to stand up and say, "Hey, quit blaming someone else for your circumstance. We CAN change. Yes we can."

That sounds so much different to me than "Not only do black lives matter, blue ones do too." Well, thank you Mr. President.

Ya' know what folks, All Lives Matter.  I've tried to understand why believing that is racist and wrong and I just can't figure it out. Black lives, white lives, blue lives, Asian lives (how come they aren't pissed at us?), Latino lives (they aren't all mad at us either but that's another blog I hope I never write), Native American lives (geez, don't say red lives), lives of any color I may have missed. They all matter. Every single one.

There is no war on black people by cops. It is a myth perpetuated by the media, black leadership, whites who exploit a concept of black victimization for their own gain and whatever the blacklivesmatter movement represents to create a victim class and enable them to focus their frustration on having someone else to blame instead of on stopping the downward spiral of self-victimization. Not to mention the benefit that falls to the perpetuating classes I listed for their own financial and power status quo. And by posting your ridiculous memes all you do is help them.

And no, my young friend, I am not the problem no matter what you have been led to believe.  Black people do not die because of me. You are still my friend. But watch it.