My son Phil has served as a Louisville Metro police officer for the past 12 years. So I admit it’s difficult for me to be unbiased concerning the anti-police demonstrations that are currently taking place across the country. I pray daily that God will protect Phil from harm because I’ve ridden with him on occasion and know that cops take a lot of verbal abuse and are often disrespected and threatened. I have prayed just as fervently that he would use good judgment, restrain his temper and never have to use his weapon even though he has patrolled in very dangerous, drug infested areas of our city.
Attention is now focused on the claims that police occasionally use excessive force or unnecessarily shoot people who are unarmed. Those protests are understandable. Police need to use wise restraint and the justice system needs to be applied equally for all. The Bible speaks repeatedly about the need for fairness and justice to all people regardless of race or economic standing.
Yet today, little attention is paid to police whose lives are threatened daily and who are often the victims of bodily harm. It didn’t make the local newspaper a year ago when a criminal attempted to blow up my son’s police car while it was sitting in his driveway, just a few feet from where his kids were sleeping in their bedroom. There were no unruly demonstrations or destructive riots when a young officer in Bardstown, Ky. was recently gunned down at 2:30 in the morning while driving home where his wife and children assumed he would soon arrive.
We now know the most reliable evidence doesn’t support the theory that Michael Brown raised his hands in surrender and begged, “Don’t shoot” before he was shot and killed on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri. Credible witnesses and forensic evidence indicate Michael Brown was defying orders and physically threatening the police officer.
However, I do think the phrase, “Hands up, don’t shoot!” is a good one. Those who believe that police frequently use excessive force on minorities are using the phrase as an appeal to police officers across the country to apply the law equally. That’s a reasonable request. And while there are notable exceptions, I am convinced for the most part, the police do.
And I think, “Hands up, don’t shoot” is a good slogan for parents of every race to teach their children. When police threaten to arrest you, respond with a spirit of submission toward their authority. Raise your hands in surrender. When a patrolmen stops you and accuses you of speeding or driving recklessly and you think it isn’t warranted, respond with a “Hands up – don’t shoot” attitude instead of defiance and anger. Do you feel you’re being singled out because of your race or your age? The surest way to safety is not to run away or lash out in anger, but to stop and display a “Hands up, don’t shoot” reaction. That humble spirit is most likely to keep you out of serious trouble.
As evidenced in the recently publicized cases, most of the trouble people get into with the police is the result of resisting arrest, running from possible capture or exhibiting a spirit of defiance toward those with the unenviable responsibility to enforce the law.
My parents taught me to immediately submit to those in authority because the Bible teaches the police are agents of God and will not punish you if you do right. I suggest all parents teach their children to have a spirit of respect and display a humble, “Hands up, don’t shoot” attitude toward the police. It will keep them out of a lot of trouble and make America a safer place. You will also discover, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
The following Scripture contains wise counsel both to police and those under suspicion: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience” (Romans 13:1-5).
Follow @BobRussellKY on Twitter
