Guest Blog

My Uncle Mike was a Police Officer in Phenix City, AL, for 20 years. I think that’s why all this anti-police rhetoric we’ve been fed during the last two weeks has bothered me so much. 

Uncle Mike was a good officer who had respect for everyone he came across. 

In fact, he was the first police officer who ever pulled me over (unfortunately, not the last). 

I had just gotten my driver’s license, and I was headed home from a visit to my best friend’s house, less than 10 minutes from my own. But I ran the stop sign. I did not come to a full and complete stop. Then, whewww, whewww and red and blue lights. I was terrified. I pulled to the side of the road and rolled down my window. As the officer walked to my window, my head was down and I was shaking it back and forth. I turned around and nearly fainted when I heard a familiar deep voice say, “Hello Candy”. 

It was Uncle Mike and I thought I was safe; but, he really let me know why what I did was wrong and he did it in a non-uncle police officer manner. I didn’t get a ticket that day, but I learned what could happen if you ran the wrong stop sign. Worse, I got a talkin’-to from my Uncle Mike. I’ve never run another stop sign. 

I have lots of memories where Uncle Mike was wearing that uniform that he was so proud of. When we were really little, we were fascinated by all the stuff he carried on his belt.

I even stopped by the police station on my way to the prom with my date, so Uncle Mike could see us all dressed up.

Uncle Mike, a GOOD police officer, retired from being an officer in 1992 and died in 1996. 

Uncle Mike would agree with the rest of the country that the tragic killing of George Floyd by Officer Derek Chauvin two weeks ago was horrific. But it’s wrong to be vilifying all police officers. That’s just not right. 

All police officers are not bad. Not that there are not a few bad apples in the bunch. But I can guarantee you these riots have shown more bad members of Antifa or Black Lives Matter than good people who are actually out there marching for George Floyd.  

Protesting peacefully for something you believe in is vastly different than lighting stores and cars on fire, breaking into stores stealing merchandise, looting or violence.

And now, they have decided to defund or disband police all together. Terrible liberal idea. Evil itself. 

That thin blue line is all that’s keeping the good people from the bad people and standing on that thin blue line are our police officers. Standing alongside them on a thin green line are our military and National Guard. They, like my Uncle Mike and other officers I know from church, are good people. 

They deserve our respect. They deserve our thanks. 

Candace Parker

Former Editor Shelby County Reporter

We can only imagine what it must have been like. They were less than ideal accommodations and that’s putting it lightly. Surely the smell was strong, and the lighting was dim. But the noise, the noise is what stands out the most. Roars, barks, yelps, bleats, scratching, clawing, and the like quickly became the new normal that they would have to learn to live with. Then above all of that, the deafening sound of rain pounding on the vessel. Again, these were indeed less than ideal accommodations. 

Then the vessel began to move. It was stable, a steadfast craft built for just such an occasion. It was safe and kept its payload secure during this time of great uncertainty. With so many unanswered questions, that is what they longed for most, to be safe, and to be taken care of. 

Perhaps the most persistent question in their minds was, “how long?” How long would they drift about with no real destination? How long until the pouring rains ceased to fall? How long could they keep their own wits about them? 

Then the rain stopped. Even with all the noise around them there was a certain silence. That silence led to hope. Surely the end of this strange journey was near, and the time was quickly approaching that the door would be opened! But it was not yet to be. Certainly the worst was over, why not just open it up and go back to normal life? 

Then one day the vessel lurched to a stop, grounded, no longer at the mercy of the wind and waves. And the door was opened. Things were not the same and it would be a while before normal was normal again. But one thing remained: faith.  

The wind, the waves, and the rain were never in control, God was. And when the door opened and Noah and his family exited, they worshiped. 

On June 7th, the doors will open. We will come together once again as God’s Family, His Church, bought with the blood of His Son. And although things may not look and feel exactly like they were before, our faith has remained and has brought us back together. And when those doors open, we will worship.

Contributed by Chris Parker, Associate Minister

Originally printed in Peachtree City Church of Christ bulletin May 31, 2020. 

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