The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and The Beautiful Police and Protesters.

These are very turbulent times that we are living in.

Here in Framingham Massachusetts things are pretty quiet and tranquil. I go to work at the nursing home which is only about a few minutes drive from my house.  I come home, spend time with my wife, watch relaxing TV shows like Stargirl and write inspiring and interesting Patheos blog posts.

I am grateful and thankful that I live in peaceful surroundings.

And when I see videos like this….

I’m reminded that things are not pleasant everywhere.

The two women who are being beaten  in the above video are  Ivoré Westfield and Rachel Harding.

The officers who thought it was OK to use excessive force on them were Jonathan Horlock and Nathaniel Schauwecker,

You would think with all the bad press that cops are getting they would think twice before beating people in the age where people can post their abuse on the internet for the world to see.  Just like Corona Virus, police brutality is not going away anytime soon.

Someone might be reading this and think, ‘Yeah stupid cops. Evil. Bullies. Beating up on peaceful protesters.” And some cops are doing just that. Beating on peaceful protesters.

And others might say “Well not all protesters are not peaceful.” That is so true.

A Chicago Black Lives Matter group decided to loot a Ronald McDonald house for reparations of white supremacy.  This looting instead hurt a 2 year old boy.

Rachel Pierson @WBBMRachel explains.

Owen Buell has stage 4 neuroblastoma and was supposed to celebrate his second birthday at home in Joliet. Instead, Monday morning’s looting downtown kept him from being discharged from Lurie Children’s Hospital. Hear his story today on @WBBMNewsradio

Do certain members of Black Lives Matters realize that they are not helping their cause by looting places where sick children are housed?  It doesn’t do anything to help their cause for people who see them as a crazed radical violent group.

For every police officer you get like the Indianapolis cops, you get some like this.

Here is Houston Chief of Police Art Acevedo walking with protesters in the downtown area.

For every bunch of bad protesters who think looting is the answer to their problems, you get protests like this.

And then you get this guy and his llama.

There are bad raciest cops. And then there good and wonderful cops.

The Saintly Pope John Paul II says this to you police officers.

Yours is a work of service and of brotherhood. As such it needs the support of a profound sense of the unique dignity of every human being. The special value of each person can only be fully understood where each one is accepted as an image of God himself and a brother or sister of Christ. I hope that your work, which sometimes brings you into contact with the darker side of human nature, will not deter you from enthusiastically serving the cause of civic harmony and well-being with sensitivity and Christian hope.
St. John Paul II, John Paul II’s powerful address to police officers by Philip Kosloski (Jun 11, 2020) aleteia.org

There are bad protesters who are actually looters and thieves. And then you have peaceful protesters who just want justice.

Pope Francis called Los Angeles Archbishop José Gómez, the president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, to tell him he is praying for and standing in solidarity with Americans during this period of national unrest. This is after he called  Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso, Texas. Bishop Seitz was the first bishop to join a demonstration against racial discrimination to pray for George Floyd.

And then you have Llamas who are just llamas.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and The Beautiful Police and Protesters.

A prayer for Peace

Lord Jesus Christ, who are called the Prince of Peace, who are yourself our peace and reconciliation, who so often said, “Peace to you,” grant us peace. Make all men and women witnesses of truth, justice, and brotherly love. Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace. Enlighten our rulers that they may guarantee and defend the great gift of peace. May all peoples of the earth becomes as brothers and sisters. May longed-for peace blossom forth and reign always over us all.-Blessed John XXIII