On this day in which Christians believe the healing breath of God flows over the world for all people, violence not only touches Minneapolis, but many other cities across the Nation — including my city of Madison, Wisconsin; a city in which I served for over two decades.
A police vehicle is set on fire and burns.
What on earth is happening?
Over 70 businesses on downtown State Street are vandalized or looted.
In the aftermath, this must be a time of deep reflection among all of us on how much systemic racism has infected us. It is like we have found another uncontrolled virus among us and it has made us sick. We are ill individually and collectively as a nation.
To combat this disease we also seek a “vaccine” to immunize us from this plague and institute a system of prevention not unlike that of public health..
Let’s work together and fix this. Together, we can do it.
Remember…
“Unless we learn to live together as brothers and sisters, we will die together as fools.”
I served over 20 years as the chief of police in Madison (WI), four years as chief of the Burnsville (MN) Police Department, and before that as a police officer in Edina (MN) and the City of Minneapolis. I hold graduate degrees from the University of Minnesota and Edgewood College in Madison. I have written many articles over my years as a police leader calling for police improvement (for example, How To Rate Your Local Police, and with my wife, Sabine, Quality Policing: The Madison Experience). After retiring from the police department, I answered a call to ministry, attended seminary, and was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church. At the present time, I serve a small church in North Lake (WI), east of Madison. Sabine and I have nine adult children, eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She is also a retired police officer and we both continue active lives.
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If the Second Amendment really protected us from government tyranny as many right-wing milia and NRA people have constantly espoused, the police would think twice about using their weapons and mistreating the population. I haven’t seen the right-wing militia coming out to defending the population against the police.
You are so right right! We can and will fix this as we did in the 60’s and the 70’s and the 80’s and the 90’s and the 2000’s we will be there to bring order and love of ALL humanity to all who aspire to reach the same goals.
It is fixable. First, we must have the courage to acknowledge our own faults in order to begin building a better future for all. Ethical law enforcement must be part of the solution. Thank you for continuing to lead, Sir.
The police don’t want to fix it: https://crooksandliars.com/2020/05/light-em-minneapolis-cops-now-shooting.
If the Second Amendment really protected us from government tyranny as many right-wing milia and NRA people have constantly espoused, the police would think twice about using their weapons and mistreating the population. I haven’t seen the right-wing militia coming out to defending the population against the police.
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You are so right right! We can and will fix this as we did in the 60’s and the 70’s and the 80’s and the 90’s and the 2000’s we will be there to bring order and love of ALL humanity to all who aspire to reach the same goals.
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So right. This is all fixable if we get on board.
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Absolutely.
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It is fixable. First, we must have the courage to acknowledge our own faults in order to begin building a better future for all. Ethical law enforcement must be part of the solution. Thank you for continuing to lead, Sir.
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