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Romans 13 tells us that to rebel against law enforcement is to oppose what God establishes. Yet, we are in a season when police and correctional workers get abundant scorn and precious little appreciation. Sunday begins Correctional Workers Week. I am humbled and honored to serve with my brothers and sisters. Thank someone this week who serves in this difficult, but important calling.

So yeah this was one of "those" mornings. I overslept, didn't feel well, was stuck in nasty traffic, and then to put icing on the cake, I got pulled over. Now, just to put this out there right off the bat: The officer, being a MD State Trooper, was very professional, polite, and I have no problems with him at all. This isn't an anti-cop rant or anything. He pulled me over because my Captain America license plate frame was partially blocking my registration stickers and he gave me a warning, since my driving record is pretty clean. I also asked him to assist me in getting back into traffic because there wasn't much speed up room in front of me. The emergency lane was about to end because of a bridge. He did so, no problem. But here's my epiphany. I've seen a lot of videos where people assert their rights by not rolling their window down all the way, not answering any questions, recording the incident on a dash cam or phone... And I was prepared to do these things. I have a dash cam, I have an app on my phone that records video and uploads to a remote location so it can't be deleted, and I even have a copy of a DOJ memo to the Baltimore PD asserting that people have a right to record officers. But as I sat there getting my license and registration out, I just felt like all of that was unnecessary. I mean, yes, those rights exist and I won't say that people should never assert them, but I also think those things should be used judiciously. If you feel like the officer is being unprofessional, that's the time to start recording. I just didn't see a need this morning. It's not that I was intimidated. The trooper wasn't being overbearing or nasty or anything like that. And it's not like I get unduly nervous when I see roof lights in my rearview. It's just that this kind of thing was just the officer doing his job (he was right, I looked at it later and the frame does block the stickers) and he did it like a professional. That's all I can ask for. Sure, it helps that he only gave me a warning and not a ticket, but honestly I don't think I'd have been mad at him if he had decided to go with a ticket. I've gotten tickets before and I deserved them all... well, one or two I don't think I did so I went to traffic court. Won one, lost one. But the point is I wasn't being picked on or persecuted or anything. It was fine and it's not ruining my day or anything like that. So now I have a slightly different perspective when I see YouTube videos of people giving officers a hard time for no real reason. Again, I do believe in asserting rights, but I also don't think that it's something you should do when politeness and courtesy work better. The trooper was polite and courteous, so why would I want to start giving him a hard time? Just to prove I have guts? Just to make a video to post on YouTube? Bah. Maybe I'm just too old for that stuff. So now I have to wait until the IT guys get in so I can ask to borrow a screwdriver... Epilogue: Want to hear something funny? Just last night I had a dream that I got pulled over, and it was @mirkwood...

I wondered if blacks were really shot by police more than whites. Well, yes they are. A black man is 3.5 times more likely to be shot by police than a white man. However, when comparing based on the racial make up of violent crimes, a white man is actually 1.3 to 1.7 times more likely to be shot than a black man. Why? Police who work black neighborhoods are aware of the politics, and are likely more cautious about using lethal force. Also, police who work in high crime areas are more experienced in dealing with potentially violent situations, and are slowier in resorting to lethal force. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/21/police-kill-more-whites-than-blacks-but-minority-d/ One of the principles I learned in history is that perception is often more important than reality. Imagine being part of a community that believes deeply that law enforcement is against them. These are hard, frustrating times. Kudos to those spiritual leaders who serve these communities. Props too for the law enforcement officers who do not give up or give in--but continue to serve, despite the hostile and sometimes unfair accusations lobbed their way.

... you haven't been paying attention. I think this can reasonably be called an act of terrorism. This was absolutely predictable. Too many people have been blowing off these concerns and eventually a psycho acted on it. Let the blame game and political exploitation begin!

Here are the stories we don't see enough, but this is more indicative of the experiences I've had with policeman in my area: http://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/cop-feeding-baby-photo?bffb&utm_term=4ldqpho#.jeYPz84zG Protecting AND serving. So sweet. Any other stories or experiences of positive interactions with public servants?

This article is by a retired NYPD officer, who explains why the average police officer is so angry at NYC's mayor. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/opinion/the-nypd-protests-an-officers-view.html?_r=0 Was the back-turning right? Wrong? Understandable? Indulgent? Most important, what is the way forward?