thestream--2020-06-10--4 Keys to Understanding ‘Defund the Police’ Movement

“ Defund the police ” has become the newest rallying cry for the left and it ’ s no longer confined to radicals and activists .
Some local lawmakers are going a step further to say “ dismantle ” or “ abolish ” the police , while left-leaning media outlets are giving credence to the fledgling movement .
The idea could mean different things to different advocates , but at a minimum it means slashing police department resources .
“ It ’ s an extremely irresponsible and reprehensible recommendation specifically for the outcomes that we know would come about in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these proposal are being made , ” Rafael Mangual , deputy director of legal policy at the Manhattan Institute , a conservative think tank in New York , told The Daily Signal .
Here are four things to know about the “ defund the police ” movement .
It ’ s a near certainty that Minneapolis — where fired police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd — will defund police .
( The state upgraded an initial third-degree murder charge .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , captured in a cellphone video showing Chauvin ’ s knee on his neck for more than eight minutes , has prompted two weeks of civil unrest .
A veto-proof majority of nine members of the Minneapolis City Council announced that they backed getting rid of the city police force — and didn ’ t even have a plan for what to do next .
“ We recognize that we don ’ t have all the answers about what a police-free future looks like , but our community does , ” council members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the weekend , the Minneapolis StarTribune reported : The nine council members included President Lisa Bender and Jeremiah Ellison , son of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison , who is leading the prosecution of Chauvin and the other three officers .
“ This council is going to dismantle this police department , ” the younger Ellison said .
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey tried to speak to a crowd Sunday , saying at one point , “ I do not support the full abolition of the police department.
” The crowd chanted , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ Shame .
Shame .
Shame.
” The mayor ’ s opposition to a “ police-free ” Minneapolis won ’ t matter against a veto-proof majority .
The Minneapolis StarTribune reported that in 2019 , serious crimes such as robbery , burglary , and assault spiked 13 % in the city .
Two-thirds of the city ’ s 81 neighborhoods saw increases , including a downtown area that had a 70 % increase .
The nation ’ s two largest cities are pushing major funding cuts to their police departments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abolition .
The proposed cuts could spread to more cities .
In Los Angeles , Mayor Eric Garcetti announced major cuts to , but not abolishing , the Los Angeles Police Department .
“ Thank you to all who marched for racial justice and equality for Black Americans this weekend , ” Garcetti tweeted Monday .
“ This is a pivotal moment .
Here in L.A. , we ’ re starting by identifying $ 250M , including cuts to LAPD budget , to further invest in communities of color and confront structural racism.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cuts , up to $ 150 million is expected to come from the police force , the Los Angeles Times reported .
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would slash funding for police and shift money to social services in a revised budget proposal .
The mayor didn ’ t provide specifics for the cuts .
The New York City Police Department accounts for $ 6 billion of de Blasio ’ s proposed annual budget of $ 90 billion for the city .
Although paying for policing is a local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some members of Congress are jumping into the movement without qualification .
Rep. Ilhan Omar , D-Minn. , voiced strong support for ditching the Minneapolis police over the weekend .
“ When we dismantle it , we get rid of that cancer , and we allow for something beautiful to rise , ” Omar told a group of protesters Saturday , adding : One of Omar ’ s colleagues in a small group of House freshmen known as “ the squad ” said that all elected officials must back the “ defund the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what political courage is for .
Political courage .
There are moments in everyone ’ s careers where you have to be willing to stand up and say , ‘ Am I willing to sacrifice all of the privileges I have ?
’ ” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. , said during an online conference with supporters .
“ If you ’ re an elected official for any reason that is on this call , I ’ m asking you to ask yourself what are you willing to sacrifice to make sure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats as a whole are taking a less extreme approach and announced legislation Monday that was crafted by the Congressional Black Caucus .
Among other things , the bill would prohibit discriminatory profiling of any kind , ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants , mandate dashboard cameras for police vehicles , establish a national police misconduct registry , and make it easier to prosecute officers and sue individual officers .
Asked last week about defunding police , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , deferred to the Congressional Black Caucus .
Although loud protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abolishing police across the country , it ’ s a long way from a majority opinion .
Although some might think from media coverage that much of the Democratic base supports it , only 16 % of Democrats in a Yahoo/YouGov poll say they support defunding the police .
That ’ s statistically even with just 15 % of Republicans who say they back the idea .
“ Despite calls by activists and protesters to defund police departments , most Americans do not support reducing law enforcement budgets , ” Yahoo/YouGov said of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 65 % ) oppose cutting police force funding .
Just 16 percent of Democrats and 15 percent of Republicans support that idea.
” There is clear evidence of potential consequences from Floyd ’ s death two weeks ago , the Manhattan Institute ’ s Mangual said .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
“ One piece of evidence here to consider is the fact : Is it a coincidence that while police were occupied with violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we experienced the most violent weekend of 2020 outside the protests , in the neighborhoods where shootings are a regular occurrence ?
” Mangual said .
He said he doesn ’ t think the “ defund the police ” idea has reached a tipping point to become a serious movement .
Mangual rejected the idea “ that we would deprive black and brown communities of police forces who — whether you like them or not — bring about a great deal of peace by intervening in criminal acts and taking criminals off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Is Defunding Police as Bad as It Sounds ?
Defunding police forces seems to mean different things to different advocates .
Some want to reallocate big chunks of police budgets to social programs , which would be more budget cutting than defunding altogether , as in New York and Los Angeles .
Others want to end police altogether — as in Minneapolis — and possibly replace police forces with something else entirely .
Even Patrisse Cullors , a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement , told WBUR in Boston that the goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The demand of defunding law enforcement becomes a central demand in how we actually get real accountability and justice , because it means we are reducing the ability of law enforcement to have resources that harm our communities , ” Cullors said , adding : MPD150 , an advocacy group in Minneapolis , where defunding the police force appears all but certain , is in the more radical camp that also calls for other police departments to be defunded .
“ The people who respond to crises in our community should be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those crises , ” MPD150 says .
“ Rather than strangers armed with guns , who very likely do not live in the neighborhoods they ’ re patrolling , we want to create space for more mental health service providers , social workers , victim/survivor advocates , religious leaders , neighbors and friends — all of the people who really make up the fabric of a community — to look out for one another.
” The Minneapolis organization attempts to acknowledge arguments about violent crime , writing : Christy E. Lopez , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the school ’ s Innovative Policing Program , wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post advocating defunding .
Lopez argued that the idea is not as scary as it sounds :

“Defund the police” has become the newest rallying cry for the left and it’s no longer confined to radicals and activists.
Some local lawmakers are going a step further to say “dismantle” or “abolish” the police, while left-leaning media outlets are giving credence to the fledgling movement.
The idea could mean different things to different advocates, but at a minimum it means slashing police department resources.
“It’s an extremely irresponsible and reprehensible recommendation specifically for the outcomes that we know would come about in exactly the kind of communities for which these proposal are being made,” Rafael Mangual, deputy director of legal policy at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank in New York, told The Daily Signal.
Here are four things to know about the “defund the police” movement.
1. Where Is Defunding Happening?
It’s a near certainty that Minneapolis — where fired police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd — will defund police. (The state upgraded an initial third-degree murder charge.)
The May 25 death of Floyd, captured in a cellphone video showing Chauvin’s knee on his neck for more than eight minutes, has prompted two weeks of civil unrest.
A veto-proof majority of nine members of the Minneapolis City Council announced that they backed getting rid of the city police force — and didn’t even have a plan for what to do next.
“We recognize that we don’t have all the answers about what a police-free future looks like, but our community does,” council members said in a public statement issued over the weekend, the Minneapolis StarTribune reported:
We’re committed to engaging with every willing community member in the City of Minneapolis over the next year to identify what safety looks like for you. … We are here today to begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department and creating a new, transformative model for cultivating safety in Minneapolis.
The nine council members included President Lisa Bender and Jeremiah Ellison, son of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who is leading the prosecution of Chauvin and the other three officers.
“This council is going to dismantle this police department,” the younger Ellison said.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey tried to speak to a crowd Sunday, saying at one point, “I do not support the full abolition of the police department.”
The crowd chanted, “Go home, Jacob, go home” and “Shame. Shame. Shame.”
The mayor’s opposition to a “police-free” Minneapolis won’t matter against a veto-proof majority.
The Minneapolis StarTribune reported that in 2019, serious crimes such as robbery, burglary, and assault spiked 13% in the city. Two-thirds of the city’s 81 neighborhoods saw increases, including a downtown area that had a 70% increase.
The nation’s two largest cities are pushing major funding cuts to their police departments, which may not appease activists demanding full-scale abolition. The proposed cuts could spread to more cities.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced major cuts to, but not abolishing, the Los Angeles Police Department.
Thank you to all who marched for racial justice and equality for Black Americans this weekend. This is a pivotal moment. Here in L.A., we're starting by identifying $250M, including cuts to LAPD budget, to further invest in communities of color and confront structural racism. https://t.co/WjlCPJDCiU — MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) June 8, 2020
“Thank you to all who marched for racial justice and equality for Black Americans this weekend,” Garcetti tweeted Monday. “This is a pivotal moment. Here in L.A., we’re starting by identifying $250M, including cuts to LAPD budget, to further invest in communities of color and confront structural racism.”
Of those $250 million in cuts, up to $150 million is expected to come from the police force, the Los Angeles Times reported.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would slash funding for police and shift money to social services in a revised budget proposal. The mayor didn’t provide specifics for the cuts.
The New York City Police Department accounts for $6 billion of de Blasio’s proposed annual budget of $90 billion for the city.
The next City budget will shift resources from the NYPD to youth initiatives and social services. We know we can do that without stepping away from our responsibility to keep this city safe. Giving young people positive options HELPS make this city safer. — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) June 7, 2020
We will shift certain responsibilities away from the NYPD, including street vendor enforcement. Civilian agencies will move into the lead, de-escalating these interactions that overwhelmingly affect immigrants and communities of color. — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) June 7, 2020
2. What’s Happening in Congress?
Although paying for policing is a local decision, not a federal one, some members of Congress are jumping into the movement without qualification.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., voiced strong support for ditching the Minneapolis police over the weekend.
“When we dismantle it, we get rid of that cancer, and we allow for something beautiful to rise,” Omar told a group of protesters Saturday, adding:
Well, we’ve had a black president, we’ve had a Congressional Black Caucus, we’ve had black mayors, we’ve had black governors, and we’ve had black city council members, we’ve had black police chiefs, yet we are still getting killed, brutalized, surveilled, massly [sic] incarcerated, and we are still having conversations with our children on how to have a conversation with the people that are supposed to protect and serve them so that those people don’t in return kill them.
The Minneapolis Police Department has proven themselves beyond reform. It’s time to disband them and reimagine public safety in Minneapolis. Thank you to @MplsWard3 for your leadership on this! https://t.co/AQfHM5M6eR — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 5, 2020
One of Omar’s colleagues in a small group of House freshmen known as “the squad” said that all elected officials must back the “defund the police” movement.
“This is what political courage is for. Political courage. There are moments in everyone’s careers where you have to be willing to stand up and say, ‘Am I willing to sacrifice all of the privileges I have?’” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said during an online conference with supporters. “If you’re an elected official for any reason that is on this call, I’m asking you to ask yourself what are you willing to sacrifice to make sure that overfunded police departments are defunded.”
House Democrats as a whole are taking a less extreme approach and announced legislation Monday that was crafted by the Congressional Black Caucus.
Among other things, the bill would prohibit discriminatory profiling of any kind, ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, mandate dashboard cameras for police vehicles, establish a national police misconduct registry, and make it easier to prosecute officers and sue individual officers.
Asked last week about defunding police, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., deferred to the Congressional Black Caucus.
3. Where Is Public Opinion?
Although loud protesters are demanding defunding, dismantling, or abolishing police across the country, it’s a long way from a majority opinion.
Although some might think from media coverage that much of the Democratic base supports it, only 16% of Democrats in a Yahoo/YouGov poll say they support defunding the police. That’s statistically even with just 15% of Republicans who say they back the idea.
“Despite calls by activists and protesters to defund police departments, most Americans do not support reducing law enforcement budgets,” Yahoo/YouGov said of its poll. “Close to two-thirds (65%) oppose cutting police force funding. Just 16 percent of Democrats and 15 percent of Republicans support that idea.”
There is clear evidence of potential consequences from Floyd’s death two weeks ago, the Manhattan Institute’s Mangual said.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“One piece of evidence here to consider is the fact: Is it a coincidence that while police were occupied with violent protests in the city of Chicago, we experienced the most violent weekend of 2020 outside the protests, in the neighborhoods where shootings are a regular occurrence?” Mangual said.
He said he doesn’t think the “defund the police” idea has reached a tipping point to become a serious movement.
Mangual rejected the idea “that we would deprive black and brown communities of police forces who — whether you like them or not — bring about a great deal of peace by intervening in criminal acts and taking criminals off the streets,” adding:
The idea that gang members and repeat offenders ought to be walking the streets because there aren’t any police to take them away is one that is very cavalier with the lives of law-abiding citizens in America’s most dangerous neighborhoods.
4. Is Defunding Police as Bad as It Sounds?
Defunding police forces seems to mean different things to different advocates.
Some want to reallocate big chunks of police budgets to social programs, which would be more budget cutting than defunding altogether, as in New York and Los Angeles. Others want to end police altogether — as in Minneapolis — and possibly replace police forces with something else entirely.
Even Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, told WBUR in Boston that the goal was about reallocation of funding.
“The demand of defunding law enforcement becomes a central demand in how we actually get real accountability and justice, because it means we are reducing the ability of law enforcement to have resources that harm our communities,” Cullors said, adding:
And with that demand, it’s not just about taking away money from the police, it’s about reinvesting those dollars into black communities. Communities that have been deeply divested from, communities that, some have never felt the impact of having true resources. And so we have to reconsider what we’re resourcing. I’ve been saying we have an economy of punishment over an economy of care.
MPD150, an advocacy group in Minneapolis, where defunding the police force appears all but certain, is in the more radical camp that also calls for other police departments to be defunded.
“The people who respond to crises in our community should be the people who are best-equipped to deal with those crises,” MPD150 says. “Rather than strangers armed with guns, who very likely do not live in the neighborhoods they’re patrolling, we want to create space for more mental health service providers, social workers, victim/survivor advocates, religious leaders, neighbors and friends — all of the people who really make up the fabric of a community — to look out for one another.”
The Minneapolis organization attempts to acknowledge arguments about violent crime, writing:
Crime isn’t random. Most of the time, it happens when someone has been unable to meet their basic needs through other means. So to really ‘fight crime,’ we don’t need more cops; we need more jobs, more educational opportunities, more arts programs, more community centers, more mental health resources, and more of a say in how our own communities function. … The history of policing is a history of violence against the marginalized — American police departments were originally created to dominate and criminalize communities of color and poor white workers, a job they continue doing to this day. The list has grown even longer: LGBTQ folks, people with disabilities, activists — so many of us are attacked by cops on a daily basis.
Christy E. Lopez, a professor at Georgetown Law and co-director of the school’s Innovative Policing Program, wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post advocating defunding.
Lopez argued that the idea is not as scary as it sounds:
Defunding and abolition probably mean something different from what you are thinking. For most proponents, ‘defunding the police’ does not mean zeroing-out budgets for public safety, and police abolition does not mean that police will disappear overnight — or perhaps ever. Defunding the police means shrinking the scope of police responsibilities and shifting most of what government does to keep us safe to entities that are better equipped to meet that need. … Police abolition means reducing, with the vision of eventually eliminating, our reliance on policing to secure our public safety.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


ARISE and Shine!

Unrest has rocked our nation over the last weeks .
After a blatant display of police brutality in Minneapolis that took the life of George Floyd , cities across our nation have experienced a torrent of lawlessness .
Questions , opinions , hurt , anger , and fear have been some of the primary responses by Americans that are looking for hope , healing , and justice in the midst of the chaos .
As followers of Christ , we know that the Scriptures give us directions on how to respond even in uncertain times .
Recently when President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be allowed to open back up , he said , “ We need more prayer in America , not less.
” We could not agree more .
So on June 2 we shifted plans for ARISE , our virtual partner event , to focus on praying for our leaders and our nation .
We were joined by elected leaders and pastors from across the nation including Michele Bachmann , Ken Blackwell , Pastor Carter Conlon , Rep. Mark Green ( R-Tenn. ) , Pastor Jack Hibbs , Rep. Jody Hice ( R-Ga. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cissie Graham Lynch .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
It was a powerful night filled with discussion of the pressing questions facing America , followed by times of intercession .
As Rep. Mark Walker ( R-N.C. ) acknowledged in prayer , “ We are at a historic , and unfortunately , heavy moment in our country ’ s history , and we need Your guidance .
We do a misnomer to our own selves to try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems in our own strength and our own power… We need you now more than ever to bring healing to our land.
” Lifting up minority communities , he continued , “ I pray for the people that are hurting today .
This pain is real in our communities , this is not fabricated .
Lord , I pray for healing among our minority communities that are struggling with this , rightfully so .
That you would allow us to build bridges , to build bonds that ultimately , they can see Christ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our actions.
” Addressing the question on many Americans ’ minds , Pastor Leon Threatt of Christian Faith Assembly in Charlotte , N.C. shared how we can come together across ethnic lines to bring healing and hope for America : “ I honestly believe that the divide we see in culture is often because there is a divide in the church… According to Ephesians 2 , the cross brought down the line of division between Jew and Gentile .
And it ’ s that work of the cross that the enemy doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a failure of the church to model that according to John 17 , to demonstrate that in such a way that we send a profound message to culture and to community that divide has been eradicated .
I think if we will live that out in such a way , we make transformation and change in our communities.
” It ’ s true that if any place should model what racial harmony looks like , it should be the church .
We ’ re all on level ground at the foot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days for our nation , we can not sit back or stay quiet .
The answers to the problems plaguing America will not come from political parties or even well-intentioned peaceful protests .
The world is searching for the hope , peace , and reconciliation that Jesus alone can bring .
I hope you will take time to not only watch the ARISE event [ see the video below ] and join us in prayer , but to take to heart the words of Cissie Graham Lynch .
“ These [ days ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the darkness , ” she prayed .
“ That , as Christians , we will run to the front of the fire… This is an opportunity to show your love , the love of Jesus Christ , the One that can make a way for healing .
To bind up those wounds .
You [ Jesus ] are the only one that can change the heart.
” As Pastor Threatt stated , “ There ’ s still work to be done in the church to model that the divide was removed at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Scripture and “ First of all , [ let ] petitions , prayers , intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority , that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
” ( 1 Timothy 2:1-2 ) .
Let us ARISE as the church “ to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God ” ( Micah 6:8 ) to help our hurting world .
Tony Perkins is President of the Family Research Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ married for over 30 years and have five children .
Tony is also an ordained minister , as well as the host of a daily , nationally syndicated radio show , Washington Watch with Tony Perkins .

Unrest has rocked our nation over the last weeks. After a blatant display of police brutality in Minneapolis that took the life of George Floyd, cities across our nation have experienced a torrent of lawlessness. Questions, opinions, hurt, anger, and fear have been some of the primary responses by Americans that are looking for hope, healing, and justice in the midst of the chaos. As followers of Christ, we know that the Scriptures give us directions on how to respond even in uncertain times.
Recently when President Trump announced that churches were essential and needed to be allowed to open back up, he said, “We need more prayer in America, not less.” We could not agree more.
So on June 2 we shifted plans for ARISE, our virtual partner event, to focus on praying for our leaders and our nation. We were joined by elected leaders and pastors from across the nation including Michele Bachmann, Ken Blackwell, Pastor Carter Conlon, Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), Pastor Jack Hibbs, Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), Bishop Harry Jackson, and Cissie Graham Lynch.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
It was a powerful night filled with discussion of the pressing questions facing America, followed by times of intercession. As Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.) acknowledged in prayer, “We are at a historic, and unfortunately, heavy moment in our country’s history, and we need Your guidance. We do a misnomer to our own selves to try to solve some of the most complex problems in our own strength and our own power… We need you now more than ever to bring healing to our land.”
Lifting up minority communities, he continued, “I pray for the people that are hurting today. This pain is real in our communities, this is not fabricated. Lord, I pray for healing among our minority communities that are struggling with this, rightfully so. That you would allow us to build bridges, to build bonds that ultimately, they can see Christ not just in our words, but in our actions.”
Addressing the question on many Americans’ minds, Pastor Leon Threatt of Christian Faith Assembly in Charlotte, N.C. shared how we can come together across ethnic lines to bring healing and hope for America:
“I honestly believe that the divide we see in culture is often because there is a divide in the church… According to Ephesians 2, the cross brought down the line of division between Jew and Gentile. And it’s that work of the cross that the enemy doesn’t want. I think there is a failure of the church to model that according to John 17, to demonstrate that in such a way that we send a profound message to culture and to community that divide has been eradicated. I think if we will live that out in such a way, we make transformation and change in our communities.”
It’s true that if any place should model what racial harmony looks like, it should be the church. We’re all on level ground at the foot of the cross.
Though these are dark days for our nation, we cannot sit back or stay quiet. The answers to the problems plaguing America will not come from political parties or even well-intentioned peaceful protests. The world is searching for the hope, peace, and reconciliation that Jesus alone can bring.
I hope you will take time to not only watch the ARISE event [see the video below] and join us in prayer, but to take to heart the words of Cissie Graham Lynch. “These [days] are opportunities for us to shine in the darkness,” she prayed. “That, as Christians, we will run to the front of the fire… This is an opportunity to show your love, the love of Jesus Christ, the One that can make a way for healing. To bind up those wounds. You [Jesus] are the only one that can change the heart.”
As Pastor Threatt stated, “There’s still work to be done in the church to model that the divide was removed at the cross.” May we follow the instructions of Scripture and “First of all, [let] petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
Let us ARISE as the church “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8) to help our hurting world.
Tony Perkins is President of the Family Research Council. He and his wife have been married for over 30 years and have five children. Tony is also an ordained minister, as well as the host of a daily, nationally syndicated radio show, Washington Watch with Tony Perkins.


thestream--2020-06-10--Military Photo of the Day: Off to Afghanistan

Family members wave goodbye to Oregon National Guard soldiers departing the Pendleton Army Aviation Support Facility on May 6 , @ @ @ @ @ of the unit were traveling to Fort Hood , Texas , as they prepared to @ @ @ @ @ thank these heroes and their families for their sacrifices and will be praying for the @ @ @ @ @ every soldier from Afghanistan .
God bless !
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians @ @ @ @ @ Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .

Family members wave goodbye to Oregon National Guard soldiers departing the Pendleton Army Aviation Support Facility on May 6, 2020. Approximately 60 members of the unit were traveling to Fort Hood, Texas, as they prepared to deploy to Afghanistan.
We thank these heroes and their families for their sacrifices and will be praying for the safe return of each and every soldier from Afghanistan. God bless!
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.


thestream--2020-06-10--Our Heavenly Father Hears Our Cries — and Comes Running

“ Hi Mom , ” the voice on the other end of the phone said .
“ Can I have my birthday money early ?
” It was my son Julian .
The 18 year old had moved out of the house last December .
“ Are you okay ?
” I asked .
“ Yeah .
I ’ m just getting low on food.
” It was a call that would tug at the heart of every mother I know .
“ Of course you can , ” I said , forgetting for a moment that when he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we shouldn ’ t give him money .
He chose to move out without a job and needed to earn it himself .
I was going to be tough about it , but the moment he called my heart melted .
I couldn ’ t do it .
He ’ s still my baby , after all .
I ’ m so glad our heavenly Father doesn ’ t act like I did .
I can only imagine that He loves us so much more than I love my son ( and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does our Father answer us when we reach out to Him , but he wants us to call on Him for help .
He wants to answer our cries and wipe our tears .
He wants to provide for us .
He is truly a good Father .
He hears our cries and is close to us when we hurt .
Psalm 34:17 says , “ When the righteous cry for help , the Lord hears , and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles.
” Psalm 34:18 goes on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow.
” Several years ago I was just broken .
Every morning began with me out on my patio , crying out to God .
Just sobbing .
While I was in pain , there was never a time when He was not there .
There was never a time when I questioned if He was with me .
He was right there , holding me in His arms and comforting me .
Please Support The Stream : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Our Father wants to answer our prayers .
Jesus said , “ I assure you : Anything you ask the Father in My name , He will give you .
… Ask and you will receive , so that your joy may be complete ” ( John 16:23-24 ) .
We are also told “ You do not have because you do not ask God.
” ( James 4:2 ) .
The next verse says that sometimes when we do ask we don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong motives .
But even then , if we turn back to Him , He comes running .
He Runs to Us Remember the Prodigal Son ?
He took his inheritance and left , spending all he had on wild living .
In his darkest time , he remembered his father .
“ ‘ How many of my father ’ s hired servants have food to spare , and here I am starving to death !
I will set out and go back to my father and say to him : Father , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you .
I am no longer worthy to be called your son ; make me like one of your hired servants.
’ So he got up and went to his father.
” His father knew what he ’ d done .
But remember what his father did ?
He ran to his son .
He put his best robe on him and his ring on his finger .
“ We had to celebrate and be glad , ” the father told the prodigal ’ s brother , “ because this brother of yours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was lost and is found.
” The Prodigal Son ’ s father is a picture of our Heavenly Father .
He celebrates when we come home , when we admit that we need him and need his provision .
He wants to bless us .
He runs to us .
Heavenly Father , thank You that You will hear and answer me when I cry out to You .
That You want me to ask for help and provision .
That You want to answer my prayers .
Please help me to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in return and show them Your love as You have given to me .
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

“Hi Mom,” the voice on the other end of the phone said. “Can I have my birthday money early?” It was my son Julian. The 18 year old had moved out of the house last December.
“Are you okay?” I asked. “Yeah. I’m just getting low on food.” It was a call that would tug at the heart of every mother I know. “Of course you can,” I said, forgetting for a moment that when he’d moved out I told his father we shouldn’t give him money. He chose to move out without a job and needed to earn it himself. I was going to be tough about it, but the moment he called my heart melted. I couldn’t do it. He’s still my baby, after all.
I’m so glad our heavenly Father doesn’t act like I did. I can only imagine that He loves us so much more than I love my son (and I love him dearly).
Our Good Father
Not only does our Father answer us when we reach out to Him, but he wants us to call on Him for help. He wants to answer our cries and wipe our tears. He wants to provide for us. He is truly a good Father.
He hears our cries and is close to us when we hurt. Psalm 34:17 says, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles.” Psalm 34:18 goes on to say, “The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow.”
Several years ago I was just broken. Every morning began with me out on my patio, crying out to God. Just sobbing. While I was in pain, there was never a time when He was not there. There was never a time when I questioned if He was with me. He was right there, holding me in His arms and comforting me.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Our Father wants to answer our prayers. Jesus said, “I assure you: Anything you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. … Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete” (John 16:23-24). We are also told “You do not have because you do not ask God.” (James 4:2). The next verse says that sometimes when we do ask we don’t receive because we have the wrong motives. But even then, if we turn back to Him, He comes running.
He Runs to Us
Remember the Prodigal Son? He took his inheritance and left, spending all he had on wild living. In his darkest time, he remembered his father. “‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.”
His father knew what he’d done. But remember what his father did? He ran to his son. He put his best robe on him and his ring on his finger. “We had to celebrate and be glad,” the father told the prodigal’s brother, “because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
The Prodigal Son’s father is a picture of our Heavenly Father. He celebrates when we come home, when we admit that we need him and need his provision. He wants to bless us. He runs to us.
Heavenly Father, thank You that You will hear and answer me when I cry out to You. That You want me to ask for help and provision. That You want to answer my prayers. Please help me to be a blessing to others around me in return and show them Your love as You have given to me.
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-06-10--Birmingham Schools, Housing Authority Sever Ties With Church of the Highlands Over Pastor’s Social M

Birmingham Schools, Housing Authority Sever Ties With Church of the Highlands Over Pastor’s Social Media Activity

Several public agencies in Alabama have cut ties with Church of the Highlands .
The church is the largest in Alabama and has an extensive history of serving the community , including setting up a COVID-19 drive-thru testing site at the church .
The decisions to sever ties follow controversy about the senior pastor ’ s social media activity .
Senior Pastor Chris Hodges came under fire for liking several posts by Charlie Kirk , founder of the nonprofit conservative student organization Turning Point USA .
Hodges apologized last week , saying he now realized the posts in question were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board of Education voted Tuesday night to end its leases with Church of the Highlands .
The church rented two of the city ’ s high schools for Sunday worship , constituting two of its more than 20 campuses statewide .
Alabama ’ s largest public housing agency , the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District , voted Monday to end its relationship with Church of the Highlands , citing the recent controversy .
“ Commissioners agreed that Pastor Hodges ’ views do not reflect those of [ Housing Authority of the Birmingham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hodges ’ values are not in line with those of HABD residents .
HABD and Campus of Hope staff will continue to work with other faith-based organizations in the community to identify resources that will replace the services that were provided by [ Church of the Highlands ] , ” the housing authority said in a statement Monday , AL.com reports .
Church of the Highlands ’ s relationship with the housing authority allowed the church to offer social services and resident outreach programs such as mentoring , social service activities and support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Campus of Hope and nine of its public housing communities , according to AL.com .
“ Jesus Christ teaches us to love our neighbors , ” Hodges said in a statement to AL.com on Tuesday regarding the controversy .
“ In these complex times we want to do more than ever to listen , love and serve our city .
We want to publicly thank the Birmingham Housing Authority for the opportunity they provided us to serve them over the years .
We continue to support their work and encourage others to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Birmingham High School English teacher Jasmine Faith Clisby pointed out that Hodges followed Charlie Kirk and repeatedly “ liked ” his posts .
“ I do not attend Church of the Highlands , ” Clisby told AL.com .
“ I would be upset if it comes off as me judging him , ” she said .
“ It ’ s not that .
I ’ m not saying he ’ s a racist .
I ’ m saying he likes someone who post things that do not seem culturally sensitive to me.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hodges “ liked ” several of Charlie Kirk ’ s posts .
One post juxtaposed photos of President Donald Trump and Ralph Northam in the ’ 80s with text questioning the perception that Trump is a racist and Northam is not .
Another post juxtaposed Michelle Obama saying people should stay home with a photo purporting to show former president Barack Obama golfing .
A third screenshot showed Hodges liking a post in which Charlie Kirk is giving blood , with the caption , “ We all must do our part to defeat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving blood to support the victims of this virus .
Tomorrow we rebuild !
Everyone go give blood & save a life !
@ turningpointusa is leading the charge !
” The Stream has provided the above hyperlinks to the posts based on the descriptions of the posts reported by AL.com .
“ One of the main things Kirk harps on is white privilege being a myth , ” Clisby told AL.com .
Donald Trump Jr. responded on Twitter to the news that the Birmingham housing authority was cutting tied with Church of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insane.
” “ They ’ re canceling the pastor of the largest ( and most racially diverse ) church in Alabama just because he “ liked ” some of [ Charlie Kirk ] ’ s posts , ” Trump Jr. wrote .
Kirk was scheduled to speak at Church of the Highland ’ s youth group , Fox News reported .
Kirk told Fox News he is “ deeply saddened ” that he is “ being slandered by the mob for stating mainstream pieces of widely-cited data and public information.
” “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chris in the past and think he is a gifted ambassador for Christ , ” Kirk told Fox News .
“ I didn ’ t ask him to like my posts , he did so on his own .
I will never apologize for stating irrefutable facts , and nor should he.
” Hodges ’ Apologies : “ I Now Realize They Were Hurtful and Divisive , and I Sincerely Apologize ” Hodges made headlines on Fox News and The Christian Post last week when he apologized for liking the social media posts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any supremacy other than Christ , is of the devil , ” Hodges said May 31 during the Sunday morning service .
“ Some have even brought our church or even me into question .
They ’ re wondering , where do you really stand ?
I think some saw something on social media that questioned my character .
And , I ’ ll own it , by the way , but that is not what I believe and it is not what we teach.
” “ I would love for you to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in , but look at the totality of 37 years of ministry and 19 years as a church , ” Hodges said during the service .
“ And I think if you looked at that it would be abundantly clear that we value every person.
” Church of the Highlands is an evangelical multi-site megachurch with its main campus in Birmingham , Alabama .
The church has three outreach ministry centers called Dream Centers serving local communities .
It founded and funds a health clinic , Christ Health Center , that offers medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with sliding scale fees .
The church serves in 20 local correctional facilities and in 2019 served over 700 survivors of human trafficking , according to its financial report .
It also created the Serve app through which churches can connect church members with local service projects .
Hodges also apologized in a letter to his church congregation on Tuesday , June 2 — his third public apology .
Here ’ s the letter in full , as reproduced by AL.com : I want to talk to you from my heart .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is apologize .
I ’ m sorry .
As a pastor and , more importantly , as a follower of Jesus , I work to consider every action carefully , weigh every word , and be respectful of every person and opinion , as Christ taught .
I realize that I have hurt people that I love deeply because I “ liked ” multiple insensitive social media posts .
Each one was a mistake .
I own it .
I ’ m sorry .
I ’ ve learned so much in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I wish I could sit down and have a conversation with everyone impacted or hurt by my actions .
I have realized I can ’ t thoughtlessly scroll through social media and click “ like ” on a post while not fully understanding all that post represents .
After taking the time to review and reflect , I can tell you those social media posts that I “ liked ” do not reflect , in any way , my true feelings or beliefs .
I now realize they were hurtful and divisive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own my mistakes and ask forgiveness from those I have offended .
Please know that I have learned , and will continue to learn , so much from this .
Over the last 20 years , our church and I have fought for the disenfranchised , marginalized , and hurting of ALL races in our community .
But this week , I ’ ve learned that even with 20 years of loving and serving people , it ’ s still possible to have a blind spot that you just didn ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my responsibility to have more conversations to become better aware of the pain and the hurt , and to understand ALL people better .
As painful as this has been for many of you , it has opened my eyes to something that I just didn ’ t fully understand .
Not because I didn ’ t want to , but because I didn ’ t realize I didn ’ t see it , and comprehend it like I should .
Through conversations this week where I just listened , I am learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have always had the privilege of never being followed around a store because of the color of my skin .
That ’ s a privilege I didn ’ t even realize I had .
I ’ ve never had to sit down with my kids and teach them the beauty of their skin color because someone at their school had devalued them merely because of it .
I can tell you this : With revelation comes responsibility .
I have the responsibility of learning new thoughts and new points of view .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago will now shape who I will be in the years to come .
Soon , I will be holding forums at our church to hear from Highlands members of all races , to share their experiences and heart .
I am determined to listen , learn , and be a part of the solution .
I understand my influence , not only in our church locally , but as a voice to many churches globally .
I take my responsibilities very seriously .
I love you so much , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you .
I have spent my lifetime loving and pouring into people , and moving forward , I will prove to you that even at 56 years old , you can still learn , you can get better , you can make changes and love people more deeply .
I ’ m committed to that .
I can promise you one thing : As a pastor , I will continuously do my best to lead you to Jesus , and I will also teach you , by my actions , what it looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be the last mistake that I make or the last bit of mercy I will need .
I need God ’ s compassion and your mercy .
All of us need God ’ s grace and mercy in this season , and I ’ m asking you to help me , help us , get better .
Let ’ s all learn more , pray more , love better , and stand stronger so that we can see His Kingdom come , His will be done , on earth as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a staff writer and proofreader for The Stream .
You can follow Aliya on Twitter @ AliyaKuykendall and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

This article was updated Thursday to add comments from former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Two public agencies in Alabama have cut ties with Church of the Highlands. The church is the largest in Alabama and has an extensive history of serving the community, including setting up a COVID-19 drive-thru testing site at the church. The decisions to sever ties follow controversy about the senior pastor’s social media activity.
Senior Pastor Chris Hodges came under fire for liking several posts by Charlie Kirk, founder of the nonprofit conservative student organization Turning Point USA. Hodges apologized last week, saying he now realized the posts in question were “hurtful and divisive.”
The Birmingham Board of Education voted Tuesday night to end its leases with Church of the Highlands. The church rented two of the city’s high schools for Sunday worship, constituting two of its more than 20 campuses statewide.
Alabama’s largest public housing agency, the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District, voted Monday to end its relationship with Church of the Highlands, citing the recent controversy.
Jeff Sessions Calls for Birmingham Authorities to Reverse Their Actions
Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who is running for to regain his seat in the U.S. Senate, denounced the decisions on Wednesday, calling the actions of the Birmingham authorities against the Church of the Highlands “an attack on both religious liberty and freedom of speech.”
“The withholding of public facilities and the refusal to allow a church to minister as a result of a social media ‘like’ implicates freedom of speech in a profound way,” Sessions said in a statement.” It is intolerable for a government agency to deny access and discriminate against a faith-based organization, based on a political or religious disagreement. This is a dangerous trend we’re seeing today. It is the vicious and ugly side of political correctness. If this intimidation in the name of ‘tolerance’ by the Birmingham government is allowed to stand, don’t be surprised if politically correct officials begin trying to condition government contracts, approvals, and permits on whether the applicant has ever ‘liked’ a social media post that suggests support for President Trump or conservative causes.”
“The Housing Authority is an extension of the Mayor, and it is Mayor Woodfin’s responsibility to call for a reversal of the Authority’s outrageous action, and this he must do now,” Sessions stated. “The members of the Board of Education should likewise immediately reverse their blatantly anti-religious decision to terminate lease agreements with the Church of the Highlands.”
What Sparked the Controversy?
In a Facebook post, Birmingham High School English teacher Jasmine Faith Clisby pointed out that Hodges followed Charlie Kirk and repeatedly “liked” his posts.
“I do not attend Church of the Highlands,” Clisby told AL.com. “I would be upset if it comes off as me judging him,” she said. “It’s not that. I’m not saying he’s a racist. I’m saying he likes someone who post things that do not seem culturally sensitive to me.”
Clisby reportedly provided screenshots showing that Hodges “liked” several of Charlie Kirk’s posts. One post juxtaposed photos of President Donald Trump and Virginia governor Ralph Northam in the ’80s with text questioning the perception that Trump is a racist and Northam is not. Another post juxtaposed Michelle Obama saying people should stay home with a photo purporting to show former president Barack Obama golfing. A third screenshot showed Hodges liking a post in which Charlie Kirk is giving blood, with part of the caption reading, “We all must do our part to defeat China Virus.” The Stream has provided the above hyperlinks to the posts based on the descriptions of the posts reported by AL.com.
“One of the main things Kirk harps on is white privilege being a myth,” Clisby told AL.com.
Church of the Highlands’s relationship with the housing authority allowed the church to offer social services and resident outreach programs such as mentoring, social service activities and support groups at the housing authority’s Campus of Hope and nine of its public housing communities, according to AL.com.
“Commissioners agreed that Pastor Hodges’ views do not reflect those of [Housing Authority of the Birmingham District] and its residents; and Hodges’ values are not in line with those of HABD residents. HABD and Campus of Hope staff will continue to work with other faith-based organizations in the community to identify resources that will replace the services that were provided by [Church of the Highlands],” the housing authority said in a statement Monday, AL.com reports.
“Jesus Christ teaches us to love our neighbors,” Hodges said in a statement to AL.com on Tuesday regarding the controversy. “In these complex times we want to do more than ever to listen, love and serve our city. We want to publicly thank the Birmingham Housing Authority for the opportunity they provided us to serve them over the years. We continue to support their work and encourage others to do the same.”
Donald Trump Jr. and Charlie Kirk Respond
Donald Trump Jr. responded on Twitter to the news that the Birmingham housing authority was cutting ties with Church of the Highlands, calling it “absolutely insane.”
“They’re canceling the pastor of the largest (and most racially diverse) church in Alabama just because he liked some of [Charlie Kirk]’s posts,” Trump Jr. wrote.
They’re canceling the pastor of the largest (and most racially diverse) church in Alabama just because he liked some of @charliekirk11’s posts. Absolutely insane. https://t.co/OiYc3AXu9C — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) June 9, 2020
Kirk was scheduled to speak at Church of the Highland’s youth group, Fox News reported. Kirk told Fox News he is “deeply saddened” that he is “being slandered by the mob for stating mainstream pieces of widely-cited data and public information.”
“I have had wonderful times of fellowship with Chris in the past and think he is a gifted ambassador for Christ,” Kirk told Fox News. “I didn’t ask him to like my posts, he did so on his own. I will never apologize for stating irrefutable facts, and nor should he.”
Hodges’ Apologies: “I Now Realize They Were Hurtful and Divisive, and I Sincerely Apologize”
Hodges made headlines on Fox News and The Christian Post last week when he apologized for liking the social media posts in question.
“White supremacy or any supremacy other than Christ, is of the devil,” Hodges said May 31 during the Sunday morning service. “Some have even brought our church or even me into question. They’re wondering, where do you really stand? I think some saw something on social media that questioned my character. And, I’ll own it, by the way, but that is not what I believe and it is not what we teach.”
“I would love for you to not just look at a microscopic zoom in, but look at the totality of 37 years of ministry and 19 years as a church,” Hodges said during the service. “And I think if you looked at that it would be abundantly clear that we value every person.”
Church of the Highlands is an evangelical multi-site megachurch with its main campus in Birmingham, Alabama. The church has three outreach ministry centers called Dream Centers serving local communities. It founded and funds a health clinic, Christ Health Center, that offers medical, dental, counseling and pharmaceutical services with sliding scale fees. The church serves in 20 local correctional facilities and in 2019 served over 700 survivors of human trafficking, according to its financial report. It also created the Serve app through which churches can connect church members with local service projects.
Hodges also apologized in a letter to his church congregation on Tuesday, June 2 — his third public apology. Here’s the letter in full, as reproduced by AL.com:
I want to talk to you from my heart. The first thing that I want to do is apologize. I’m sorry. As a pastor and, more importantly, as a follower of Jesus, I work to consider every action carefully, weigh every word, and be respectful of every person and opinion, as Christ taught. I realize that I have hurt people that I love deeply because I “liked” multiple insensitive social media posts. Each one was a mistake. I own it. I’m sorry. I’ve learned so much in the past few days about racial disparities in America. I wish I could sit down and have a conversation with everyone impacted or hurt by my actions. I have realized I can’t thoughtlessly scroll through social media and click “like” on a post while not fully understanding all that post represents. After taking the time to review and reflect, I can tell you those social media posts that I “liked” do not reflect, in any way, my true feelings or beliefs. I now realize they were hurtful and divisive, and I sincerely apologize. I own my mistakes and ask forgiveness from those I have offended. Please know that I have learned, and will continue to learn, so much from this. Over the last 20 years, our church and I have fought for the disenfranchised, marginalized, and hurting of ALL races in our community. But this week, I’ve learned that even with 20 years of loving and serving people, it’s still possible to have a blind spot that you just didn’t know was there. I realize it is my responsibility to have more conversations to become better aware of the pain and the hurt, and to understand ALL people better. As painful as this has been for many of you, it has opened my eyes to something that I just didn’t fully understand. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t realize I didn’t see it, and comprehend it like I should. Through conversations this week where I just listened, I am learning more about unconscious bias and privilege. I have always had the privilege of never being followed around a store because of the color of my skin. That’s a privilege I didn’t even realize I had. I’ve never had to sit down with my kids and teach them the beauty of their skin color because someone at their school had devalued them merely because of it. I can tell you this: With revelation comes responsibility. I have the responsibility of learning new thoughts and new points of view. Conversations I wish I had engaged in years ago will now shape who I will be in the years to come. Soon, I will be holding forums at our church to hear from Highlands members of all races, to share their experiences and heart. I am determined to listen, learn, and be a part of the solution. I understand my influence, not only in our church locally, but as a voice to many churches globally. I take my responsibilities very seriously. I love you so much, and I’m deeply sorry that I hurt you. I have spent my lifetime loving and pouring into people, and moving forward, I will prove to you that even at 56 years old, you can still learn, you can get better, you can make changes and love people more deeply. I’m committed to that. I can promise you one thing: As a pastor, I will continuously do my best to lead you to Jesus, and I will also teach you, by my actions, what it looks like to need Him. This won’t be the last mistake that I make or the last bit of mercy I will need. I need God’s compassion and your mercy. All of us need God’s grace and mercy in this season, and I’m asking you to help me, help us, get better. Let’s all learn more, pray more, love better, and stand stronger so that we can see His Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. With love, Pastor Chris
Aliya Kuykendall is a staff writer and proofreader for The Stream. You can follow Aliya on Twitter @AliyaKuykendall and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-06-10--I Predicted the Left Would Ban Gone With the Wind

HBO Max has removed the Oscar-winning Civil War epic Gone With The Wind from its library over concerns about racial tensions following the death of George Floyd .
I predicted this would happen in my new book , Culture Jihad : How to Stop the Left From Killing a Nation .
I would sincerely encourage you to get a copy and prepare to defend our great name from the jihadists .
I was ridiculed by many in the conservative and the leftist media for my assertion that we were approaching a day when book bannings and movie bannings would become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ producers for several well-known primetime conservative television hosts refused to promote the book .
As I ’ ve said many times in the past , most of the people who work in conservative media are not in fact conservatives .
“ Gone With the Wind is a product of its time and depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have , unfortunately , been commonplace in American society , ” HBO said in a statement said .
“ These racist depictions were wrong then and are wrong today , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without an explanation and a denouncement of those depictions would be irresponsible.
” The film won eight Oscars including best picture and made history when Hattie McDaniel became the first black American to win an Oscar for her performance .
“ These depictions are certainly counter to WarnerMedia ’ s values , so when we return the film to HBO Max , it will return with a discussion of its historical context and a denouncement of those very depictions but will be presented as it was originally created because to do otherwise would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never existed .
If we are to create a more just , equitable , and inclusive future , we must first acknowledge and underhand our history .
In 2017 the Orpheum in Memphis made national headlines when they decided to ban the beloved Hollywood classic .
“ As an organization whose stated mission is to ‘ entertain , educate and enlighten the communities it serves , ’ the Orpheum can not show a film that is insensitive to a large segment of its local population , ” Brett Batterson , president of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
The film was later returned two years later after massive local and national outrage .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
John Ridley , who won an Academy Award for 12 Years a Slave , praised HBO ’ s decision to censor the film .
“ It is a film that glorifies the antebellum south .
It is a film that , when it is not ignoring the horrors of slavery , pauses only to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people of color , ” he wrote .
I wonder if Mr. Ridley would be so bold as to call for the banning of rap and hip hop music that glorifies violence against police officers and women ?
It ’ s doubtful .
“ Let me be real clear : I don ’ t believe in censorship , ” he wrote .
Now that ’ s laughable because that ’ s exactly what he ’ s doing .
“ I don ’ t think Gone With the Wind should be relegated to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just ask , after a respectful amount of time has passed , that the film be re-introduced to the HBO Max platform along with other films that give a more broad-based and complete picture of what slavery and the Confederacy truly were , ” he wrote .
“ Or , perhaps it could be paired with conversations about narratives and why it ’ s important to have many voices sharing stories from different perspectives rather than merely those reinforcing the views of the prevailing culture , ” he added .
As I wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hell-bent on tearing down statues of Robert E. Lee and Christopher Columbus .
They are banning books like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , Little House on the Prairie and To Kill a Mockingbird .
And unless freedom-loving patriots of all races and political parties rise up these jihadists , we will live the dystopian future predicted in George Orwell ’ s 1984 .
“ Every record has been destroyed or falsified , every book rewritten , every picture has been repainted , every statue and street building has been renamed , every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process is continuing day by day and minute by minute .
History has stopped.
” Our statues are being toppled .
Our streets are being renamed .
Our books are being rewritten .
And our films are being destroyed .
The Culture Jihad has begun , ladies and gentlemen .
Read my book .
Todd Starnes is a columnist , commentator , author and radio talk show host .
His latest book is Culture Jihad : How to Stop the Left From Killing a Nation .

HBO Max has removed the Oscar-winning Civil War epic Gone With The Wind from its library over concerns about racial tensions following the death of George Floyd.
I predicted this would happen in my new book, “ Culture Jihad: How to Stop the Left From Killing a Nation. I would sincerely encourage you to get a copy and prepare to defend our great name from the jihadists.
I was ridiculed by many in the conservative and the leftist media for my assertion that we were approaching a day when book bannings and movie bannings would become the norm in American society.
And producers for several well-known primetime conservative television hosts refused to promote the book. As I’ve said many times in the past, most of the people who work in conservative media are not in fact conservatives.
Targeting Rhett and Scarlett
“Gone With the Wind is a product of its time and depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society,” HBO said in a statement said. “These racist depictions were wrong then and are wrong today, and we felt that to keep this title up without an explanation and a denouncement of those depictions would be irresponsible.”
The film won eight Oscars including best picture and made history when Hattie McDaniel became the first black American to win an Oscar for her performance.
“These depictions are certainly counter to WarnerMedia’s values, so when we return the film to HBO Max, it will return with a discussion of its historical context and a denouncement of those very depictions but will be presented as it was originally created because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. If we are to create a more just, equitable, and inclusive future, we must first acknowledge and underhand our history.
In 2017 the Orpheum in Memphis made national headlines when they decided to ban the beloved Hollywood classic.
“As an organization whose stated mission is to ‘entertain, educate and enlighten the communities it serves,’ the Orpheum cannot show a film that is insensitive to a large segment of its local population,” Brett Batterson, president of the Orpheum Theatre Group, said in a statement.
The film was later returned two years later after massive local and national outrage.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
John Ridley, who won an Academy Award for 12 Years a Slave, praised HBO’s decision to censor the film.
“It is a film that glorifies the antebellum south. It is a film that, when it is not ignoring the horrors of slavery, pauses only to perpetuate some of the most painful stereotypes of people of color,” he wrote.
I wonder if Mr. Ridley would be so bold as to call for the banning of rap and hip hop music that glorifies violence against police officers and women? It’s doubtful.
“Let me be real clear: I don’t believe in censorship,” he wrote. Now that’s laughable because that’s exactly what he’s doing.
“I don’t think Gone With the Wind should be relegated to a vault in Burbank. I would just ask, after a respectful amount of time has passed, that the film be re-introduced to the HBO Max platform along with other films that give a more broad-based and complete picture of what slavery and the Confederacy truly were,” he wrote.
“Or, perhaps it could be paired with conversations about narratives and why it’s important to have many voices sharing stories from different perspectives rather than merely those reinforcing the views of the prevailing culture,” he added.
The War on Western Civilization
As I wrote in Culture Jihad, the Left is hell-bent on tearing down statues of Robert E. Lee and Christopher Columbus. They are banning books like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Little House on the Prairie and To Kill a Mockingbird.
And unless freedom-loving patriots of all races and political parties rise up these jihadists, we will live the dystopian future predicted in George Orwell’s 1984.
Remember his prophetic words.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped.”
Our statues are being toppled. Our streets are being renamed. Our books are being rewritten. And our films are being destroyed.
The Culture Jihad has begun, ladies and gentlemen. Read my book.
Todd Starnes is a columnist, commentator, author and radio talk show host. His latest book is Culture Jihad: How to Stop the Left From Killing a Nation.


thestream--2020-06-10--Does the Ruling Class Hate Black Americans?

First it was the economically catastrophic lockdown orders from petty Democrat tyrants .
Next , the death of George Floyd , followed by peaceful protests against excessive force in Democrat stronghold cities .
Finally , violent riots broke out across the country , destroying homes , businesses , and churches — predominantly in black communities .
Black Americans have had a front-row seat through it all .
In some ways they ’ ve had more occasion than anyone else to ponder the events of 2020 in their hearts .
In light of the current riots and protests , if COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaigns have shown us anything , it ’ s this .
Our ruling class hates black Americans .
Straight up hates them .
For months now , white leftist ideologues have been pummeling the public with shame for wanting to leave their homes , earn their livings , gather to worship together , or even visit their doctors for lifesaving screenings and elective surgeries .
Failing to wear a mask or “ socially distance ” wasn ’ t only a matter of protecting yourself , they said .
It was a matter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event that you were unwittingly carrying it .
Mainstream media commentary compared people to murderers if they failed to comply with the lockdown orders of Democrat governors drunk on their newfound COVID-19 power .
In fact not only was it murderous to resist “ quarantine.
” It was racist .
Why ?
Because African-Americans we were told are suffering disproportionately from the pandemic .
So white protesters of the lockdowns were showing a disregard for black lives .
A few days ago , CNN reported that over 1,000 health professionals had signed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riots among blacks .
The letter condemned any suggestion that these gatherings posed enough of a public health risk that they should be banned or limited .
CNN ’ s report makes no mention of rioting or violence against black neighborhoods , but does quote this key passage from the medical experts ’ letter : The anti-lockdown protests , you see , are “ rooted in white nationalism and run contrary to respect for Black lives.
” Mass gatherings of black Americans with no social distancing and only sporadic use of masks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vital.
” And just like that , all the vapid pop stars of the COVID narrative have hopped to it : praising black protest groups for doing the very same things that were condemned as deathly dangerous mere days earlier .
MSNBC anchor and NBC News correspondent Katy Tur celebrated by tweeting a video of nurses and doctors reacting to black protests like they were at a birthday party .
“ Healthcare workers … come out to cheer on and take a knee in support of protestors.
” Other leading anchors , public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsing the gatherings too .
Even as the marches and demonstrations reach into the tens of thousands or more , as seen in the video below from Los Angeles : Contrast that laissez faire attitude toward black gatherings with the way white media figures feel about gatherings that might affect their own health : ABC News ’ Chief White House correspondent was horrified .
“ This is a flagrant violation of CDC guidelines on social distancing , ” he chimed in , “ and a move that puts reporters at risk for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prop….
” NPR ’ s White House correspondent shared the terrible news as well , and several media outlets published a flurry of write ups about this appalling endangerment of our nation ’ s white press corps .
Media veteran Ron Fournier , formerly of the Associated Press and The Atlantic , summed up their collective hysteria well : I don ’ t believe most of the recent protesters are putting themselves in mortal danger from COVID .
In any case , I apply the true , American tradition to the question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe my neighbors can be trusted with the responsibility of choosing the level of risk they are willing to assume .
The government too should trust them to look out for their own well-being .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
I also believe the cause of holding police accountable for the assassination of George Floyd is a just one .
And that black Americans have legitimate reasons to feel resentful of their unequal conditions in relation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to know where contempt for black lives is most alive and well in America today , it ’ s high time we acknowledge this fact : It ’ s in the heart of our ruling class .
Jason Jones is a senior contributor to The Stream .
He is a film producer , author , activist and human rights worker .
You can follow him @ JasonJonesShow .

First it was the economically catastrophic lockdown orders from petty Democrat tyrants. Next, the death of George Floyd, followed by peaceful protests against excessive force in Democrat stronghold cities. Finally, violent riots broke out across the country, destroying homes, businesses, and churches — predominantly in black communities.
Black Americans have had a front-row seat through it all. In some ways they’ve had more occasion than anyone else to ponder the events of 2020 in their hearts.
In light of the current riots and protests, if COVID-19 and its accompanying lockdown orders and messaging campaigns have shown us anything, it’s this. Our ruling class hates black Americans. Straight up hates them.
Let me explain.
Black Lives Come In Handy
For months now, white leftist ideologues have been pummeling the public with shame for wanting to leave their homes, earn their livings, gather to worship together, or even visit their doctors for lifesaving screenings and elective surgeries.
Our ruling class hates black Americans. Straight up hates them.
Failing to wear a mask or “socially distance” wasn’t only a matter of protecting yourself, they said. It was a matter of protecting others from the virus in the event that you were unwittingly carrying it. Mainstream media commentary compared people to murderers if they failed to comply with the lockdown orders of Democrat governors drunk on their newfound COVID-19 power.
In fact not only was it murderous to resist “quarantine.” It was racist. Why? Because African-Americans we were told are suffering disproportionately from the pandemic. So white protesters of the lockdowns were showing a disregard for black lives.
Black Health is Expendable
Fast-forward to now.
A few days ago, CNN reported that over 1,000 health professionals had signed a letter in support of public protests and riots among blacks. The letter condemned any suggestion that these gatherings posed enough of a public health risk that they should be banned or limited.
CNN’s report makes no mention of rioting or violence against black neighborhoods, but does quote this key passage from the medical experts’ letter:
As public health advocates we do not condemn these gatherings as risky. … We support them as vital to the national public health. … This should not be confused with a permissive stance on all gatherings, particularly protests against stay-home orders.
The anti-lockdown protests, you see, are “rooted in white nationalism and run contrary to respect for Black lives.” Mass gatherings of black Americans with no social distancing and only sporadic use of masks, on the other hand, are “vital.”
And just like that, all the vapid pop stars of the COVID narrative have hopped to it: praising black protest groups for doing the very same things that were condemned as deathly dangerous mere days earlier.
Media Giddy with Glee
MSNBC anchor and NBC News correspondent Katy Tur celebrated by tweeting a video of nurses and doctors reacting to black protests like they were at a birthday party. “Healthcare workers … come out to cheer on and take a knee in support of protestors.”
Healthcare workers @sloan_kettering come out to cheer on and take a knee in support of protestors. The same people NYC has been honoring every night at 7pm now returning the support. pic.twitter.com/ezWpQtFdr0 — Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) June 2, 2020
Other leading anchors, public health experts, and celebrities are enthusiastically endorsing the gatherings too. Even as the marches and demonstrations reach into the tens of thousands or more, as seen in the video below from Los Angeles:
Black Lives Matter protest in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/eKY30ig2FL — Louie Tran (@louie_tran) June 8, 2020
White Lives Matter to CNN
Contrast that laissez faire attitude toward black gatherings with the way white media figures feel about gatherings that might affect their own health:
The news conference was initially set up for social distancing. Then the WH rearranged the chairs. Before and after pics from our @abdallahcnn pic.twitter.com/jxKAneAZsy — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 5, 2020
ABC News’ Chief White House correspondent was horrified. “This is a flagrant violation of CDC guidelines on social distancing,” he chimed in, “and a move that puts reporters at risk for the purpose of turning the press corps into a prop….”
This is a flagrant violation of CDC guidelines on social distancing and a move that puts reporters at risk for the purpose of turning the press corps into a prop for a so-called "press conference" where the president refuses to answer a single question. https://t.co/dgImSBblaO — jonkarl (@jonkarl) June 5, 2020
NPR’s White House correspondent shared the terrible news as well, and several media outlets published a flurry of write ups about this appalling endangerment of our nation’s white press corps.
Media veteran Ron Fournier, formerly of the Associated Press and The Atlantic, summed up their collective hysteria well:
Forcing workers to sit close together during a pandemic is assault. @jonkarl @whca https://t.co/822B9kEeJf — Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) June 6, 2020
America’s Spoiled Aristocrats
I don’t believe most of the recent protesters are putting themselves in mortal danger from COVID. In any case, I apply the true, American tradition to the question: If there is risk, I believe my neighbors can be trusted with the responsibility of choosing the level of risk they are willing to assume. The government too should trust them to look out for their own well-being.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
I also believe the cause of holding police accountable for the assassination of George Floyd is a just one. And that black Americans have legitimate reasons to feel resentful of their unequal conditions in relation to their neighbors.
But if we want to know where contempt for black lives is most alive and well in America today, it’s high time we acknowledge this fact: It’s in the heart of our ruling class.
Jason Jones is a senior contributor to The Stream. He is a film producer, author, activist and human rights worker. You can follow him @JasonJonesShow.


thestream--2020-06-10--Joy Break: 7-Year-Old Boy Prays With Tulsa Police Officers

When we turn on our televisions or smart phones we are bombarded with news that brings us down .
Where are all the good stories ?
They ’ re still there .
Here ’ s one that we hope will bless you .
Trey Elliott placed his hand on the Tulsa Police Chief ’ s shoulder .
“ Please protect this police officer , and his family , and his entire city , amen.
” Trey may just be 7 years old , but he ’ s already making a Kingdom impact .
He wants to show his love and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests and riots , Fox News reported .
His mom , Brittany Elliott , told The Stream that Trey never wanted to pray out loud before this experience .
“ It ’ s been quite eye-opening to say the least just to see him be bold in his faith and step out and not be afraid to go up to them and ask them if he could pray for them , ” said Brittany .
“ It ’ s really amazing to watch that with him.
” When she explained the protests and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers could use some prayers .
“ I think I want to pray for the police officers , ’ cause it seems like they need some prayers , ” he told his mom .
“ They ’ re in some really hard times.
” The first prayer was last Monday at a coffee shop where Trey saw some detectives .
The police officers ’ response has been overwhelmingly positive .
“ You know , they ’ re just so sweet , ” said Brittany .
“ We met some really awesome officers that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this little boy that wants to pray for them.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Brittany tells parents to talk to their kids about what ’ s going on in the world today .
“ Don ’ t try to hide it from them .
Explain it to them on their level .
You ’ ll definitely appreciate learning from your kids through this.
” Brittany and her husband have been teaching Trey about prayer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ m glad that he ’ s learning to pray out loud .
… If your kids want to do something , help them .
If they have a goal , it might sound crazy , but don ’ t turn them down .
Definitely help your kids along in it.
” Trey hopes to be able to pray with every officer in the Tulsa Police Department .
As of Tuesday , he ’ s prayed with 90 officers out of the 800 police officers in Tulsa .
Nancy Flory is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

When we turn on our televisions or smart phones we are bombarded with news that brings us down. Where are all the good stories? They’re still there. Here’s one that we hope will bless you.
Trey Elliott placed his hand on the Tulsa Police Chief’s shoulder. “Please protect this police officer, and his family, and his entire city, amen.” Trey may just be 7 years old, but he’s already making a Kingdom impact. He wants to show his love and support to the police officers amid the protests and riots, Fox News reported. His mom, Brittany Elliott, told The Stream that Trey never wanted to pray out loud before this experience.
“It’s been quite eye-opening to say the least just to see him be bold in his faith and step out and not be afraid to go up to them and ask them if he could pray for them,” said Brittany. “It’s really amazing to watch that with him.”
When she explained the protests and riots to him, Trey thought the officers could use some prayers. “I think I want to pray for the police officers, ’cause it seems like they need some prayers,” he told his mom. “They’re in some really hard times.” The first prayer was last Monday at a coffee shop where Trey saw some detectives.
The police officers’ response has been overwhelmingly positive. “You know, they’re just so sweet,” said Brittany. “We met some really awesome officers that are just so thankful to have … this little boy that wants to pray for them.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Brittany tells parents to talk to their kids about what’s going on in the world today. “Don’t try to hide it from them. Explain it to them on their level. You’ll definitely appreciate learning from your kids through this.”
Brittany and her husband have been teaching Trey about prayer and faith since he was a baby. “I’m glad that he’s learning to pray out loud. … If your kids want to do something, help them. If they have a goal, it might sound crazy, but don’t turn them down. Definitely help your kids along in it.”
Trey hopes to be able to pray with every officer in the Tulsa Police Department. As of Tuesday, he’s prayed with 90 officers out of the 800 police officers in Tulsa.
Watch:
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-06-10--‘Cop’ is Not a Dirty Word

‘Cop’ is Not a Dirty Word

There are bad cops and corrupt cops and racist cops and brutal cops .
But the great majority of police officers are not bad or corrupt or racist or brutal .
If they were , given the 375 million annual contacts that police have with citizens , our country would look very different .
Think about it for a moment .
Police officers generally perform thankless jobs .
( How often do you thank the officer who pulled you over for speeding , let alone thank the officer who arrested you for committing a crime ? )
Police officers do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Have you ever heard someone say , “ I ’ m going to become a cop so I can make a lot of money ” ? )
Police officers risk their lives protecting us .
( Yes , bad guys shoot at cops and try to kill them . )
Police offers do difficult jobs .
( One of our sons-in-law is a police chaplain and has done many ride alongs , arriving at homes shortly after suicides or homicides , with devastated family members standing nearby . )
Yet in every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police to be there if we have an emergency and call 911 .
That includes the police responding to calls reporting a domestic dispute or to calls reporting a neighbor ’ s dog barking in the middle of the night .
And if shots were fired in your neighborhood and there was no response , your first question would be , “ Where are the police ?
” Of course , none of this justifies or excuses police brutality .
And none of this brings back George Floyd or Daniel Shaver ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while begging for his life ) or others wrongfully killed .
And none of this denies that some people become police officers because they are into power or control .
But it does remind us that the current demonizing of police is an unhealthy , unfair , and even dangerous trend .
First it was Lego stopping the promotion of its police sets .
( It also “ shut down promotional campaigns and marketing for its toy sets that include .
.
.
firefighters , criminals and even the White House.
” ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our intention was to temporarily pause digital advertising in response to events in the US.
” Next were the calls to defund the police , something rightly rejected as absurd and counterproductive ( for example , see here and here . )
Now it is the Parmount TV network dropping the Cops show after 30 years ( ! )
on the air .
As David Ng wrote on Breitbart , “ Whatcha gon na do when the woke mob comes for you ?
“ Cops — the long-running reality series following police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and other dangerous missions — has been cancelled after a more than 30-year run as anti-police sentiment continues to sweep through Hollywood following last month ’ s death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody.
” And be sure that your kids don ’ t play games like cops and robbers .
Or , if they do play , remind them that cops and robbers are morally equivalent .
Both are oh so bad .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m aware , of course , that Americans hold to widely disparate views of the police based on the communities in which they live ( and/or based on the color of their skin ) .
As the Pew Research Forum reported on June 5 , “ Just a month before Floyd ’ s death , a Pew Research Center survey found that 78 % of Americans overall – but a far smaller share of black Americans ( 56 % ) – said they had at least a fair amount of confidence in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interests of the public .
By contrast , large majorities of white ( 84 % ) and Hispanic ( 74 % ) adults expressed at least a fair amount of confidence .
These views — and the wide racial and ethnic gap in opinions — had changed little over the prior few years.
” This report yielded similar results to a Twitter survey I conducted on June 7 , asking , “ Do you believe police brutality is the rare exception to the rule or fairly common ?
” Of the 818 who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white and 24 percent non-white .
( I was only able to use these two categories in the poll . )
Of the white voters , 77 percent said that police brutality was rare and 23 percent it was fairly common .
Of the non-white voters , only 56 percent said it was rare while 44 percent said it was fairly common .
Either way , where there is a pattern of police brutality , it must be addressed , and where individual officers are guilty , they must be held accountable by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great responsibility .
And where police reform is needed , let it be actively pursued .
But “ cop ” is not a dirty word , and we should not allow the police force , as a whole , to be vilified and denigrated .
For the most part , despite the horrific and inexcusable exceptions , cops are only your enemy if you ’ re trying to do wrong .
If you want to do right , they are on your side .
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radio program .
His latest book is When the World Stops : Words of Faith , Hope , and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis .
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

There are bad cops and corrupt cops and racist cops and brutal cops. But the great majority of police officers are not bad or corrupt or racist or brutal. If they were, given the 375 million annual contacts that police have with citizens, our country would look very different.
Think about it for a moment.
Police officers generally perform thankless jobs. (How often do you thank the officer who pulled you over for speeding, let alone thank the officer who arrested you for committing a crime?)
Police officers do not get rich doing their jobs. (Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m going to become a cop so I can make a lot of money”?)
Police officers risk their lives protecting us. (Yes, bad guys shoot at cops and try to kill them.)
Police offers do difficult jobs. (One of our sons-in-law is a police chaplain and has done many ride alongs, arriving at homes shortly after suicides or homicides, with devastated family members standing nearby.)
Yet in every community in our nation, we expect the police to be there if we have an emergency and call 911. That includes the police responding to calls reporting a domestic dispute or to calls reporting a neighbor’s dog barking in the middle of the night.
And if shots were fired in your neighborhood and there was no response, your first question would be, “Where are the police?”
Of course, none of this justifies or excuses police brutality. And none of this brings back George Floyd or Daniel Shaver (an unarmed white man shot by police while begging for his life) or others wrongfully killed. And none of this denies that some people become police officers because they are into power or control.
But it does remind us that the current demonizing of police is an unhealthy, unfair, and even dangerous trend.
The Dangerous Trend
First it was Lego stopping the promotion of its police sets. (It also “shut down promotional campaigns and marketing for its toy sets that include . . . firefighters, criminals and even the White House.”) In Lego’s own words, “Our intention was to temporarily pause digital advertising in response to events in the US.”
Next were the calls to defund the police, something rightly rejected as absurd and counterproductive (for example, see here and here.)
Now it is the Parmount TV network dropping the Cops show after 30 years (!) on the air. As David Ng wrote on Breitbart, “Whatcha gonna do when the woke mob comes for you?
“Cops — the long-running reality series following police officers on high-speed chases, drug busts, and other dangerous missions — has been cancelled after a more than 30-year run as anti-police sentiment continues to sweep through Hollywood following last month’s death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody.”
Oh, those evil cops!
And be sure that your kids don’t play games like cops and robbers. Or, if they do play, remind them that cops and robbers are morally equivalent. Both are oh so bad.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
I’m aware, of course, that Americans hold to widely disparate views of the police based on the communities in which they live (and/or based on the color of their skin).
As the Pew Research Forum reported on June 5, “Just a month before Floyd’s death, a Pew Research Center survey found that 78% of Americans overall – but a far smaller share of black Americans (56%) – said they had at least a fair amount of confidence in police officers to act in the best interests of the public. By contrast, large majorities of white (84%) and Hispanic (74%) adults expressed at least a fair amount of confidence. These views — and the wide racial and ethnic gap in opinions — had changed little over the prior few years.”
This report yielded similar results to a Twitter survey I conducted on June 7, asking, “Do you believe police brutality is the rare exception to the rule or fairly common?”
Of the 818 who cast votes, 76 percent identified as white and 24 percent non-white. (I was only able to use these two categories in the poll.)
Of the white voters, 77 percent said that police brutality was rare and 23 percent it was fairly common.
Of the non-white voters, only 56 percent said it was rare while 44 percent said it was fairly common.
Either way, where there is a pattern of police brutality, it must be addressed, and where individual officers are guilty, they must be held accountable by the law. With great power comes great responsibility. And where police reform is needed, let it be actively pursued.
But “cop” is not a dirty word, and we should not allow the police force, as a whole, to be vilified and denigrated.
For the most part, despite the horrific and inexcusable exceptions, cops are only your enemy if you’re trying to do wrong. If you want to do right, they are on your side.
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is When the World Stops: Words of Faith, Hope, and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-06-10--Georgia State Trooper Only Kneels For God

A Georgia State Trooper ’ s response to being asked to kneel during a Black Lives Matter protest following the murder of George Floyd has gone viral .
Trooper O ’ Neal Saddler was asked Sunday to kneel during a protest in Hartwell , Georgia .
He refused to do so , telling activists that , while he has respect for BLM , he only kneels for “ one person , ” meaning God .
“ If I didn ’ t have any respect , I wouldn ’ t [ be here ] , ” Saddler told them .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town this weekend with my wife .
I took off today , this weekend , but I ’ m out here to make sure y ’ all are safe.
” He added , “ Don ’ t go there with respect , okay ?
I have much respect , but I only kneel for one person.
” Someone in the crowd said , “ And that ’ s God , ” to which he replied , “ God.
” Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Streamdotorg .

A Georgia State Trooper’s response to being asked to kneel during a Black Lives Matter protest following the murder of George Floyd has gone viral.
Trooper O’Neal Saddler was asked Sunday to kneel during a protest in Hartwell, Georgia. He refused to do so, telling activists that, while he has respect for BLM, he only kneels for “one person,” meaning God.
“If I didn’t have any respect, I wouldn’t [be here],” Saddler told them. “I was supposed to be out of town this weekend with my wife. I took off today, this weekend, but I’m out here to make sure y’all are safe.” He added, “Don’t go there with respect, okay? I have much respect, but I only kneel for one person.” Someone in the crowd said, “And that’s God,” to which he replied, “God.”
Watch:
https://twitter.com/RyanAFournier/status/1269742403902214144
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.