A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a column expressing myself about the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis. It was entitled, “I almost feel guilty for breathing today.” It was my way of articulating the injustice I witnessed in that video that lasted 8+ minutes or so.

It was recently brought to my attention that the article could be conceived as disdain for police forces and officers in general. That was never my intention. I wrote the article from the perspective of witnessing a murder — not bashing law enforcement. It is true, I wrote “I have seen police cruelty and brutality in videos before” — but who hasn’t?

Sometimes there are bad cops just like there are bad housewives, bad teachers, bad politicians, bad salesmen and bad drivers. The local cops in our neck of the woods have never shown any malice even close to the degree that Derek Chauvin and his co-horts did last week in Minneapolis.

When I saw the posted video, I felt for the man being knelt on, crying for his mama. I felt for the people who pleaded with the cops to let up on their forceful measures. So I felt I needed to put those feelings down in an article.

Notoriously, sometimes people in levels of influence overuse that power in their line of work or in their homes. It’s no different than a father deploying abuse on his wife or children. Do we hate or discredit all fathers and husbands because of one bad dad’s wrongdoing?

Chauvin is a bad egg — no doubt about it — along with the fellow officers who stood by and let this happen. However, their behavior is in no way a direct reflection on the entire police institution. They say 99% of police officers are good cops, with just a tiny percent of men in blue who screw up from time to time. It’s just a shame the entire police institution gets labeled for one percent’s mistakes.

Perfect example is the Minneapolis City Council voting this week to “dismantle” the police department and build a new “system of community-focused public safety”. It really hit me hard how much we take for granted the men and women in blue and the job they tackle each and every day. A recent meme on social media mocks the idea of disbanding police forces by showing a photo of a 911 dispatcher answering an emergency phone call and saying, “Stay calm sir, we are sending you our thoughts and prayers right now.”

It’s not that far-fetched.

Psalm 127:1 says the following: Unless the Lord builds a house, the builder’s work is useless. Unless the Lord protects a city, sentries do no good.

Psalmist David is expressing the idea that seeking the will of God and acting in accordance with Him is essential to the success of any human venture, and that, if God does not favor an undertaking, no amount of desire, precaution, effort, or worry on the part of those involved in it will be able to accomplish it.

In my mind, a systematic failure in our state and big city governments have failed Floyd, the black cause, the white cause and the rights of law-abiding individuals.

And now the Mpls. PD.

Things need to change in this state. Things need to change in our cities. Things need to change in our homes.

Instead of taking a knee (like liberal legislators recently did or like a former NFL QB), we need to get on our knees and ask God for forgiveness, redemption and grace and return to the umbrella of God’s favor and protection.

In my mind if we do, peace, love and unity will just fall into place.