Sunday, July 10, 2016

Is honesty the best policy?

I have a son who does not  respect the police.  It comes from an incident when he was a teen and was in some minor trouble.  He was taken to the police station. He refused to say a word. I was called of course and sat in on the sessions. I heard several times, and he did also. "Sir, we are not after your son, all we want is the truth," I forced my son to  tell the officers what they wanted to do, and he did.  VERY SOON the full weight of the law fell on my son and my family.  I was in the military.

That day I learned there is a morally right (which I enforced) and a legally right (which my son insisted, 'the law says I do not have to say a word.')  Too soon I realized he was right, our lives were turned upside down. The full force of the law came down on the son and my family.  Today he has little respect for the law. He has a friend who is in law enforcement, but still he insists the COP is in that position because of the AUTHORITY AND POWER he holds. 

Twice in my life other than the incident with my son, I have been rail-roaded by law-enforcement. I was fined for things I absolutely did not do,  BUT I still believe in the law, because I have known good men and true, in law enforcement.  I respect the law and the officers who enforce it.  I have enough sense to know every phase of life has incompetent men/women involved, but if we did not have law enforcement we would have chaos. 

Both cases where I was  mistreated and lied about were traffic violations. Both were speeding violations. Neither incident was I even close to speeding, but the officers lied under oath and I paid the fines and insurance increase. Both cases I had family members in the car and they knew. In the last case it was the same son who has a big problem with police.  His statement to me was, "See dad, they can do what they want."  So I know first hand, the officer can be wrong, and some will lie.   I know first hand why my son does not trust the law.

I said all that to say this, concerning the terrible events of late. A lot of folks have been wrong. To tell the truth the first time when as a young Marine, I was hauled before a judge by a highway patrolman for speeding, the judge practically winked at the patrolman when my wife swore I was not speeding, I really felt like getting my shotgun and walking thru the town and shooting every store window out, but of course I did not.  BUT  I KNOW FRUSTRATION, do you?

The sniper in Dallas was terribly wrong. I think the other two incidents were wrong, but do I know? No, I do not.  We as Americans do seem to be divided.  I hate that.  many bloggers have suggested prayer.  As I have always said, "Prayer can't hurt! Do it!

I have no doubt law enforcement must clean up their act.  But likewise many American Citizens (BLACK & WHITE) should clean up their act.

TRUTH IS, we need to learn to trust!
Nite Shipslog

PS:
Job interviewer: What do you think is your worst quality?
Job seeker:  Honesty!
Job interviewer: Ma'am, I don't think that is a bad quality.
Job Seeker: I don't really care what you think!

(The interview did not end well!)

This is my '48 chevy. I got my first ticket, deserved , in this, loud mufflers. (Now music is louder than my 'Smitties'.)

I have had 5 ticket in my 77 years. 3 deserved, 2 I did not.

I don't not want any more. 5 is enought!

7 comments:

Mevely317 said...

What a heartfelt example!
I've mentioned before, my personal testimony of (being) found guilty when NOT. Believing in the system, I'd taken unpaid leave to appear in court and tell my story ... even asking the judge if I might take a lie detector exam.

I'm not proud of it, but at the time I hated that smug highway patrolman with every ounce of emotion I could muster ... wishing him a speedy journey to there hereafter.

Some 15-16 years after the fact, I have to admit there's GOOD and there's BAD peace officers ... just like the rest of us. In the end, hate and paybacks solve nothing. (But darn it, forgiveness is difficult!)

betty said...

Son had many run ins with the police over the years. They were profiling him a lot when he was a teenager. I might have mentioned it before, but I was riding with him one night and a police car pulled next to him, shined his light into the car, so it was me in the passenger side and then drove away. There were times he was guilty of things and he was involved in the legal system and all that he had to do to "make things right." There were times he was just "harassed" because he drove a Cadillac and he was young. They searched for things and never found what they were looking for. He learned to cooperate with them and never to "cop" an attitude. Thankfully as he grew, they tended to leave him alone (or perhaps because they never found anything on him.) I unfortunately didn't trust them, but I do appreciate that for the most part there are lots of good ones out there. They can be quick to judge, unless you are the victim. Yet I'm thankful they are out there protecting us. I have never been stopped in all my years of driving; I hope if I do, I handle it with dignity and respect.

betty

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Yes we do need law and order. Thankfully I've always been treated fairly and the few tickets I got were my own fault.I do pray daily for them as well as our military. It's not an easy job as they put their lives at risk every day. Sad but true we are not any of us perfect. Praying for a more peaceful world.

Lisa said...

I got a lot of tickets for speeding when I was young. I deserved them. I have several law inforcement in my family. I respect most. I believe there are some that are not cut out for the job. I have had two incedents where I was pulled (both women cops). On claimed I ran a stop sigh in which I did not. I stayed calm but when I told her " maam, I know I stopped at that stop sign" she turned into a she devil. The other was for not wearing my seatbelt. I was in the wrong, I was polite. But the officer had some really ugly words for me and left me crying. Some take their authority to far. But at the end of the day, Im thankful we have "some" police protection and Ill stand with them.

Sorry I blogged a comment ha
Lisa

Paula said...

I had a very good experience with a policeman soon after Mel died and my purse was taken in my own drive-way. He treated me like I was his own mother. On the other hand my brother-in-law who was a policeman was quite cocky and know-it-all. I'm sure they hear and put up with a lot too.

TARYTERRE said...

Unfortunately right now in this country... peoples CIVIL RIGHTS are being violated... by the very folks that are being paid to protect them. Putting your life on the line as a cop, doesn't give you a license to kill or abuse your authority. And unfortunately that is what is happening more and more because America has been militarizing local small town cops since 911. So what we have now is a sad state of affairs. I'm praying for HEALING and for peace that transcends all this darkness.

Rick Watson said...

There are no easy answers.
R