Fallen Leaves

The leaves of autumn shift from green

To show their colors bright,

And drop upon the soil below

To sleep through winter’s night.

The clouds begin their march anew

Then bring a drop or two,

While north winds blow the chill around

And hide the blue sky’s view.

I look then ponder deep inside

The cycle we call life.

Will cold winds come and penetrate

And cut me like a knife?

What happens next while in the ground?

Will I just rot away?

Or is there more beyond the grave,

Or are we held at bay?

Thus while I ponder on these thoughts

My mind soon turns to spring,

Just how the leaves seem lifted up

While morning birds then sing.

Then I’m not saddened by the Fall;

I will not rot away!

I’ll be once more with joy fulfilled

To live another day!

-G. Talley

Hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ

Hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ

            The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the single greatest, most important, and all-encompassing act in the history of the universe.  No other action spans in its presence from the foundation of pre-mortal existence and the Creation through the resurrection, judgment, and eternal rewards as does the Atonement.  It was planned for in the council in heaven, presented to us for our ratification and approval, implemented throughout the mortal ministry of the Savior, and continues to be in full force and effect today.  And whether people want to accept it or not, it applies to all the inhabitants of the earth, past, present, and future.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the force that binds us to the eternities and assures us of not only the resurrection, but also glories in the heavens.  It is the centerpiece of the plan of salvation; it is infinite, eternal, and everlasting.  Through the Atonement, Christ suffered “pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind” that it would be fulfilled that He would “take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people”.  Indeed He loosed “the bands of death which (bound) His people”.  He took upon Himself our infirmities that His bowels would be filled with mercy (Alma 7: 11-12).  The Atonement not only applies to what happens to us when we leave this mortal existence, but to every minute of this life.  Without Him and without the Atonement, there is no hope. 

The Concept of Hope

            I, like probably some of you, have struggled with the concept of hope.  I suppose this is because we may not fully understand hope in a gospel context, yet it could easily be identified as one of the foundational principles of the gospel.  The Apostle Paul in the New Testament, Mormon in his teachings to his son Moroni, and Nephi in his instructions to his brothers, along with others speak of hope in terms of promise, and the Savior has commanded us to obtain it (D&C 6: 19; see also Alma 7: 24).

            Contemporary vs. Gospel Definition of Hope

            We typically speak of hope while expressing an element of doubt.  We say things such as, “I hope it rains today,” or, “I hope spring comes early this year,” or my personal favorite, “I hope I get a pony for Christmas”.  Our use of the word hope in this context expresses uncertainty; however, the use of the word hope in a gospel context is anything but uncertainty.  In reality, hope as used in gospel teaching is an expression of confidence or expectation.  Our hope in the Savior and His Atonement is optimistic and is filled with anticipation.  It is complete trust and is inseparably connected to faith in Christ.  Speaking of hope in terms such as chance, prospect, and likelihood is inadequate to describe the reality of the Atonement as they each express an element of doubt no matter how small.  Hope is moving forward and living in such a way, not as if we believe in the Savior, but because we believe in Him.

            Symbolism

            The scriptures are replete with symbolism and one of the symbols mentioned both in the New Testament and in the Book of Mormon is that of an anchor to express the surety of hope.  Ether, in the Book of Mormon declared, “Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God” (Ether 12:4).  Likewise, the Apostle Paul to the Hebrews said, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil” (Hebrews 6:19).  Both Paul and Ether assure us that this hope in Christ makes us “sure and steadfast”.  So important was the symbol of the anchor for hope in Christ that it was used in the early Christian Church for over 400 years rather than the cross.

Fishing

            As a young boy I enjoyed going to a nearby stream and sitting on the roots of an old sycamore tree with my friends as we dangled our fishing lines into the warm, slow moving water on hot lazy summer days.  As I got older a favorite uncle introduced me to the craft of fishing from a boat.  On one particular occasion as my uncle and I were out on a lake he told me to drop the anchor so we could remain “sure and steadfast” in our position to cast for fish in a favorite spot.  I reached into the bottom of the boat and plopped the anchor into the water.  After I dropped the anchor into the water I grabbed my fishing gear and began to get ready to make my first cast.  As I was doing so, my uncle stopped me and asked me what I was doing, which was followed by this simple question.  “Don’t you know how to set an anchor?”

Science of Anchors

            As it turns out, there is an artful science to setting an anchor.  One does not simply toss it overboard and remain confident that it will hold you in place.  You see, for an anchor to properly work it must dig in below the surface of the ground at the bottom of the lake or river or whatever body of water you are in.  It must be dropped from and secured to the front end of the boat in order to avoid capsizing the boat as a result of too much weight at the back end where the motor is situated and where at least one person sits.  Additionally, you let out five to eight times the length of the chain or rope that it takes to hit the lake or river bottom.  While doing so allows a certain amount of latitude in moving around the anchor point, it prevents the boat from swamping if there is a rise in water level or leaving you high and dry on a sandbar if the water recedes while you are anchored. 

Dropping Our Anchors in the Gospel

            While our hope in the Atonement is anchored in Christ, we should not casually drop our anchors over the side in this world of uncertainty.  We must set our anchors firmly into solid gospel ground that lies below the murky waters of the world.  We must be prepared for every eventuality that may assault our testimonies of the Savior with the rising and lowering tides of opposition, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” (Ephesians 4:14).  We set our anchors in the gospel by not taking our faith casually.  We remember to keep the Sabbath holy and have no other gods before the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  We have clean thoughts and engage in wholesome activities.  We leave no evil thoughts or misdeeds in our past without the cleansing power of repentance.  We follow the council of the prophet whether it is a commandment of God or if it wise council from one whose ears are merely inches away from the lips of God.

            President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said that, “Hope is a gift of the Spirit….  (It) is not knowledge, but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us.  It is confidence that if we live according to God’s laws and the words of His prophets now, we will receive desired blessings in the future.  It is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered.  It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance” (“The Infinite Power of Hope,” Ensign, Nov.2008, 21-22).

            Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles tells us that, “Three divine principles form a foundation upon which we can build the structure of our lives…. Together they give us a base of support like the legs of a three-legged stool” (“The Joy of Hope Fulfilled,” Ensign, Nov. 1992, 33).  Those three legs are faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, hope, and charity.  Remember that charity or the pure love of Christ (Moroni 7: 47) is a natural outgrowth of faith and hope in our Redeemer.  The Apostle Paul taught that “we are saved by hope” (Romans 8: 24) and that Christ is our hope (1 Tim. 1: 1).  “In a word,” according to Elder John Groberg, “Hope…is the Savior” (Hope, Deseret Book, 1988, p. 47).  Hope is what the Savior has done for us having made that infinite atonement.  As night follows day, hope follows faith; it is born of faith.  And, being filled with faith and hope in Christ, our desires naturally flow toward love of God and love of our fellow being.

A Package Deal

            Mormon spoke of these three divine principles as a package deal.  “And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope.  How is it that you can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?  And what is it that ye shall hope for?  Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.  (If) a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity” (Moroni 7:40 - 44).

Trial of Faith

            Moroni recounts the record of Ether explaining that the people did not believe on Ether’s words concerning the need to repent.  He then went on to give several examples of how people were blessed because their faith was anchored in the Savior, prefacing his remarks by the oft quoted verse that “faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12: 6). 

            Despair

            Yes, there is that inevitable trial of faith.  Gathering storms of doubt may cloud our view of the eternal reward. Elder Neal A. Maxwell noticed that proximate hopes are vulnerable to irony and the unexpected, and that “there is an increasing and profound sense of existential despair in the world (and that) a grumpy cynicism now pervades politics” (Neal A. Maxwell, October 1998).  Worldly assaults on our faith are common occurrences, and if we are not firmly anchored in that faith we may fall prey to the antithesis of hope, which is despair.  Despair is a state of depression and anguish.  Those who are in a state of despair are in a state of misery, gloom and despondency.  Dejection, sadness, and unhappiness are the emotions that are experienced by those who feel despair.  A prevailing sense of darkness hangs over those who are in despair.  Father Lehi spoke of the author of despair and misery when he glimpsed into the realm of the pre-mortal world and saw that Satan had fallen from heaven and became miserable and sought the misery of all mankind (2 Nephi 2: 18).  Nothing would make Satan happier than to see Heavenly Father’s children lose their faith and give up on their hope. 

Testimony of King Benjamin

            Though faith and religion are under attack more so now than ever before, we need not despair.  Paraphrasing from King Benjamin in his address to his people, I add my testimony that the time has already come in the not distant past, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigns, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, has come down from heaven among the children of men, and dwelt in a tabernacle of clay, and went forth among men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases.  He cast out devils or the evil spirits that dwell in the hearts of the children of men.  And he suffered temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood came from every pore, so great was his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.  And he is called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother was called Mary (Mosiah 3: 4 – 8).

Our Savior’s love shines like the sun with perfect light,

As from above it breaks thru clouds of strife.

Lighting our way, it leads us back into his sight,

Where we may stay to share eternal life.

Our Savior’s Love,

LDS Hymns #113

Edward L. Hart

OR

The Lord is my light; then why should I fear?

By day and by night his presence is near.

He is my salvation from sorrow and sin;

This blessed assurance the Spirit doth bring.

The Lord is my light; tho clouds may arise,

Faith, stronger than sight, looks up through the skies

Where Jesus forever in glory doth reign.

Then how can I ever in darkness remain?

The Lord is My Light

LDS Hymns #89

James Nicholson

Copyright © 2014 Gregory B. Talley

Binghamton Ward, June 22, 2014

Lighthouse Quottes

Lighthouses

Lighthouses

History and Purpose of Lighthouses

            For centuries, mariners have relied upon lighthouses to help them navigate through treacherous waters and into safe harbors.  It is believed that the earliest nighttime beacon was a fire perched atop a cliff.  Some lighthouses were nothing more than wood and coal fueled fires in metal buckets hanging from poles.  Others were fires built on tall platforms.  As countries emerged from the Dark Ages, lighthouses slowly became permanent features on navigational charts and could be seen throughout Europe.  It was only natural for the construction of lighthouses to take hold on the new American continent.

            Lighthouses can be found today up and down the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines and throughout the Great Lakes.  Interestingly, there are more lighthouses in Michigan than any other state.

            So important were lighthouses throughout the history of our nation that stories abound concerning enemy attempts at destroying these important navigational aids.  Such is the case with the lighthouses on the Outer Banks of North Carolina during the Civil War.

            Two lighthouses on the Outer Banks are of particular interest.  They are the Bodie Island and Cape Hatteras lighthouses.  These lighthouses have warned mariners for over a century and a half of the dangerously shallow waters that have snared thousands of ships and sent them to a watery grave.  Not only do these two lighthouses warn sailors of their approach to shallow waters, but also serve as a reminder that they are in a mix of warm waters from the Gulf from the south and cold waters from the North Atlantic, a condition that is ripe for perilous sailing.  These two lighthouses, along with others throughout the Outer Banks have stood tall against the winds and the storms and have done their jobs well over the years.

            Their work is accomplished mainly by use of a small light bulb, not much bigger than a softball, and a series of specially crafted lenses that magnify and project the light as much as 20 miles away from these lighthouses.  In addition their lights rotate off and on through a designated series of flashes that specifically identify them to sailors.  Whereas one lighthouse may illuminate its light for two seconds then darken its light for two seconds, another lighthouse may turn its light on for three seconds and turn it off for two seconds.  This process allows sailors to know exactly where they are as well as being alerted to the dangers of the waters.  All that is required of sailors is that they be aware of the lights, their systems of signals, and most importantly, to heed their warnings.

            Meanwhile, the lighthouses stand tall against the tempestuous seas and darkest of nights.  Steady and constant do their beacons bid the mariner to stay the course, to seek safe harbor, and to move carefully through troubled waters.  But, for each lighthouse is a caretaker who makes sure that the light continues to burn, who polishes the intricate design of the special lenses, and assures that no uncertain signal is sent from the towering light.

            The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a spiritual lighthouse.  The prophet is its caretaker.  We are the associates and assistants to the caretaker, but we are also the mariners who pass through perilous waters on our journeys.

The Gospel Lighthouse

            The Gospel lighthouse stands as a beacon to the world, warning all within its sight of the dangers of the world and bidding its inhabitants to take safe harbor.  Its signal is sure: “No unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.  Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day” (3 Nephi 27: 19, 20).  Indeed, there is an adversary who has attempted to destroy that lighthouse.  The Gospel has been attacked by its enemies.  Saints of the early Church and those of the Latter-days have been persecuted, attacked and belittled.  But through the years it has stood steady and firm, bidding us to “Follow the Son”, to come unto Christ. 

There are places in this world where the Gospel is forbidden and as a result, its penetrating light is darkened and the people remain in ignorance of gospel principles and doctrine.  How interesting that turbulence in these areas is the rule rather than the exception.  In a like manner, there are those who have the Gospel light available to them, but choose to ignore it.  Likewise, their lives are filled with turbulence, anxiety, and despair.  The grim reality is that those who choose to ignore Gospel principles are no better off in this life than those who do not have Gospel principles to live by.

The Gospel Caretakers

Through the ages, the Lord has called prophets to be His caretakers of the Gospel.  The prophets are charged with spreading the Gospel in their own times.  Just as technology through the years has allowed lighthouse caretakers to use more effective and efficient ways of generating light, the changing conditions of the times dictates that the prophets deliver timeless messages that meet the needs of their generation.  Previous generations to ours did not have to worry about the evil and smut that can be brought into our homes via the internet or pay-per-view TV.  They did not face the temptations of welfare fraud and tax evasion or state sponsored gambling.  However, all the prophets have preached against the evils of pride and vanity, working to serve physical appetites, and pursuit of unearned wealth and unrighteous dominion.  Their mission remains the same, and we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ serve as the associate caretakers.  People watch us.  They know who we are and what we represent.  They understand that we live by a higher standard.

Tom Barrett came from Chicago and he had that distinctive Chicago accent.  When I first met him, he was a detective, and he worked mainly at night.  Those of us who were patrol officers liked Tom as he was both energetic and humorous.  He was also a spiritual man.  When we worked the night shift, we would carry our flashlights in a ring that was attached to our gun belts.  Sometimes when placing the flashlight in the ring, the ring would catch on the switch of the flashlight and turn the light on.  You could literally walk around for hours with your flashlight turned on, aimed at the ceiling or the sky and never know it.  Tom, when he would see one of his fellow officers, would point to the flashlight, and in his best Chicago accent would say, “You know what they say.  You can’t be a beacon if your light don’t shine.”  His message was not lost on any of us and it should not be lost on anybody, as you cannot be a beacon if your light does not shine.  As a fellow caretaker of the lighthouse, you must always be vigilant in keeping the commandments and being an example to those around you.

Brightly beams our Father’s mercy from his lighthouse evermore,

But to us he gives the keeping of the lights along the shore.

Dark the night of sin has settled; loud the angry billows roar.

Eager eyes are watching, longing, for the lights along the shore.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother; some poor sailor tempest-tossed,

Trying now to make the harbor, in the darkness may be lost.

Let the lower lights be burning; send a gleam across the wave.

Some poor fainting, struggling seaman you may rescue, you may save.

LDS Hymns #335, Phillip Paul Bliss

We are Mariners on the Open Sea

Each of us is a mariner.  We travel through this probationary state on sometimes rough and turbulent waters.  And, what at times appears warm, calm and inviting may be shallow and hiding dangers waiting to rip through the foundation of faith.  The temptation to stray is often strong.  Voices from the deep call us to enter spiritually dangerous areas.  But, we cannot go there.  Look to and follow the light of the Gospel.  “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.  Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2 Nephi 31: 20).

© 2003 Gregory B. Talley

Miracles!

MIRACLES CONTINUE TO HAPPEN! 

Not only do miracles continue to happen, but I experienced one today.  Miracles are often unexpected and happen in some of the most unusual places.  Mine happened today in Walmart.  Let me explain.

I went with Susan today as she went grocery shopping at Walmart.  Not being too interested in the fruits and vegetables, I grabbed my own cart and headed off into the “man side” of the store; you know where I mean, the sporting goods, automotive, and electronics sections.  When I got my cart and went past the cobblestone entrance I noticed something I have never found in a Walmart store before.  And I’ve been to a lot of them.  I’ve been in Walmart’s from Maine to Washington to California to Florida and just about everywhere in between.  Think in terms of Indiana, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nebraska…you get the picture.  I’ve been to 48 of the 50 states and I think that I’ve been to at least one Walmart in each of the 48 that I’ve visited.  Anyway, I experienced something today in our very own local Walmart that I have never experienced in a Walmart before and it truly was a miracle!  I got a cart with wheels that did not wobble, thump, or veer the cart to the left or to the right!  It silently and effortlessly went straight.  It truly was a miracle.

After I roamed the “man side” of the store I took the cart back up to the store entrance to leave it there.  As I was dropping it off, there were seven people walking into the store headed to the shopping carts.  All I did was tell them that the cart that I had didn’t wobble or thump.  That is when the fight began among three of them.

Answers to Prayer

Over the years I have come to learn a few things about prayer.  More specifically I have come to learn something about answers to prayer.  For example, there are at least three ways that answers come to us.  At times we ask for a specific answer to a question or a solution to a problem and God will simply provide the answer or solution to us.  Other times He wants us to bring a solution to Him and seek ratification that the answer or solution is correct.  He may even have us do the ground work and then turn the impossible over to Him, to whom all things are possible.  I think that other times He sits back and says to us, “You figure this one out on your own.  You have all the resources you need to find the answer or solution.  You need to figure this out on your own to fulfill your own growth potential.”

Regardless, God answers prayers.  I’ve frequently had answers to my prayers that were not to my liking, but over time I’ve seen the value in doing things His way and not my way.  I’ve also found that answers always come according to His timing.  In the end, when we turn our lives over to Him, He is in charge of the clock and calendar and things work out.  And finally, while answers may come to us in the form of a thought or a “still small voice”, it is just as likely to come in some unexpected form.  It might be something that somebody says or it might even be through a chain of events. 

For me, answers and solutions have come in the still of the night or when I am in sacred places or when I’m alone in the mountains or driving long distances in my car.  Sometimes the answers come in the early waking hours when my mind is fresh and open and ready to receive His inspiration.  Though I have spent much time on my knees seeking guidance, answers have never come to me while there.  However, there are those times of exigency when He has not made me wait, but has delivered His will to me almost before I have been able to ask.  Whichever, He hears and answers in His own time and in His own way.

Keeping an Open Mind about Ferguson

We really do need to keep an open mind about the events that took place in Ferguson, Missouri.

I recently made comments about the scrutiny that Officer Wilson and his department will go through following the shooting death of an unarmed black man in Ferguson.  I pointed out that Reverend Al Sharpton and others have made a rush to judgment about the officer and the Ferguson Police Department.  There had been a media feeding frenzy over the whole affair.  Most of the negative media attention has targeted the officer and his department.  However, over the last few weeks I have seen multiple social media reports (including unflattering pictures) about the past bad behavior of the victim.  Like the dark shadow that has been cast over the officer and his department, this equally tasteless reporting of the victim is unwarranted.

This type of reporting, whether through national news outlets or through social media, does nothing but polarize opinions and society.  It is geared to titillate and sensationalize with the idea to divide, stir contention, and sell copy.  Like the Reverend Sharpton who wants to try Officer Wilson in the court of public opinion, those who demonize the man who was shot are putting the man on trial in the court of public opinion.  It is blatantly unfair and uncalled for.  It is bad enough that money grabbing attorneys have lined up to claim their share of the spoils, but when media, whether national or social, stand to gain at the expense of others, then it is time to call for a time out and ask ourselves just exactly what our values are.  We should never succumb to the sensational as opposed to the rational.

Now in defense of attorneys, some of my best friends are attorneys.  There are many honorable, honest, and just men and women who have dedicated themselves to the needed profession of legal practice.  Not all lawyers are money-grabbers.  Not all attorneys slink in the slime of the shadows just waiting to pounce on the slightest perceived injustice.  To the contrary, most are dedicated to maintaining order in a chaotic world.  Yes, there are those who live in luxury, but the average attorney makes an average salary.  Many earn the salary of a police officer, which isn’t much of a return on a three-year investment in law school after finishing a bachelor’s degree.

© 2014 Gregory B. Talley

Officer Darren Wilson's Life Now

Note: This is a recovered comment from Facebook that I made on August 23, 2014.

August 23, 2014

Officer Darren Wilson’s Life Now (It’s long so put on your reading glasses.)

 Perhaps it would be beneficial to understand a bit of what is happening to Officer Darren Wilson as he awaits his fate. The threat of criminal prosecution is only one of the legal worries that he faces. He will undoubtedly face a civil wrongful death case and he will have to deal with the potential civil rights action. All of these actions will cost him more money than he will make in a lifetime. Some of the expenses may be covered by his department and the political subdivision where he works and if he belongs to some type of fraternal organization that insures officers, then that organization might pick up some of the tab. Regardless, Officer Wilson is merely a small fish in the money pool as Brown’s family attorney will go for the “deep pockets” where the money is located. To do this their attorney will go after Wilson’s training officer, supervisor, commander, chief, and the town/county board where he worked and ultimately the town or county itself. This sets up an interesting legal scenario as everybody will be looking to make sure that their own ducks have been lined up and already marching in a straight row. If not, there will be substantial finger-pointing. The training officers will say that they tried to teach Wilson, but he performed poorly and that they reported this to supervisors and administrators who failed to terminate Wilson’s employment while he was yet a probationary officer. Use your imagination and you will begin to understand how everybody who had anything to do with Wilson’s employment will be interested in their own interests and nobody else’s interest.

 Wilson’s life is going to be examined as though he was a fish carefully filleted and gutted exposing everything that he is, has been, and potentially could be. Some of you reading this have experienced an FBI background investigation and understand a little of what this is all about. I assure you that the background check for a Top Secret government clearance is a Sunday school picnic compared to what will be exposed in this investigation.

 Number One: His police career will be reviewed. FBI Agents will review his hiring. They will ask how he was tested for the position and the results of the testing and the validity of the metrics used to determine if Wilson was qualified for the job. They will review the credentials of those who hired him. They will look to see if he had any relatives or close friends who greased the skids for him to get the job. They will look to see if he was the most qualified applicant or the only qualified applicant or if certain required qualifications were overlooked. His pre-service, in-service, and specialized or advanced training will be scrutinized. Lesson plans will be scrutinized and qualifications of trainers will be reviewed and test results will be examined. His overall work record will be studied to include the use of sick leave and vacation time. His personnel record will be laid open for the purpose of determining what complaints (or heaven forbid-commendations) were made, who complained, the nature of the complaint, and the resolution of the complaint and then complainants will be interviewed. People he has arrested will be interviewed. Supervisors and co-workers will be questioned. His court record will be analyzed. Police reports he has written will be studied.

 Number Two: His personal life will be examined. His personal computer, if it hasn’t already been confiscated, will be confiscated. His work e-mail and personal e-mail will be retrieved. His cell phone records and probably his cell phone itself will be taken into evidence. Anything he has written in social media will be evaluated in terms of hidden agendas as well as outright biased or questionable communication. High school teachers and college professors (if he spent any time in college) will be contacted and interviewed. His financial records will be looked at for any anomalies. Too much or too little of anything will raise a red flag. Late payments or overdrafts will draw an eye of suspicion. Large deposits or withdrawals from accounts will be questioned. His friends, neighbors, and acquaintances will be questioned. If he has children in school, his behavior at teacher-parent conferences will be looked at. If he even thought about cheating on his wife, it will be discovered. His recreational use of alcohol will be measured. His own personal driving and juvenile records, if any exist, will be examined. Those with whom he associates will be contacted. And of course, if he ever used a racially insensitive or charged term, he will be toast. His religious views will be reviewed and if he attends a church, his attendance and adherence to church teachings will be examined. His membership in any organization, even if it is Rotary, will be noted.

 Number Three: Directly related to Wilson will be the investigation of his department. Who are the supervisors and administrators? What training and education do they have? How vigilant are they in performing their duties? What are their rules of conduct? What are the department’s mission, goals, and objectives? How do they measure compliance with those goals? What trends do arrests in the community show? What is the relationship of the police department with the community? If the department is accredited with an accrediting body (which it is), when was the last accreditation review? What was included in the accreditation review? Were there deficiencies and if so, what were they and how were they resolved? What documentation is there to show compliance with accreditation? It turns out that the Ferguson Police Department is in fact accredited through the Missouri Police Chief's Charitable Foundation (MPCCF) State Certification Program. You should know that accreditation is normally a three to five year process and normally requires at least one full-time person to assure that accreditation standards are maintained and documented. Many larger police departments will have an office staff that does nothing but accreditation compliance. Accreditation standards can easily fill a 100-200 page book. Department documentation of compliance fills several file cabinets.

 All of this is just the tip of the review iceberg. How would you hold up under this type of scrutiny?

© 2014 Gregory B. Talley

Ferguson Police and Racial Discrimination

Ferguson Police and Racial Discrimination

 

Preface

 

Before I begin, please understand that I am not defending Officer Wilson in the shooting death of the young black man in Ferguson.  None of us has all the facts.

 

Introduction

 

The Reverend Al Sharpton and others in their rush to judgment in the events that recently took place in Ferguson, Missouri, were quick to note that the Ferguson Police Department is racist.  Racism had to be behind the shooting of the unarmed black man and it had to be stopped!  Oh, that it could be so simple.  And of course now, as I earlier predicted, the Justice Department has begun a civil rights investigation into the Ferguson Police Department.  No doubt they will find complaints.  Every police department receives citizen complaints about police behavior.  The Ferguson Police Department acknowledges their complaints openly.  Everyone should keep in mind though that even if there is a finding that discriminatory practices are tolerated or even encouraged in this department, that does not mean that Officer Wilson holds those same prejudicial thoughts or engages in racially biased practices.  Also, even if there is a finding that Wilson engages in discriminatory practices it does not necessarily hold true that racial bias was a factor in this incident.

 

Discussion

 

Commentators have correctly noted that the predominately black community of Ferguson (67%) is policed by a predominately white department.  Only three of the 54 or so police officers in that community are black (about 5.5%).  Reverend Sharpton and others point to that statistic as evidence of racism.  There are three primary flaws in this reasoning.  First, in order for there to be more black officers on a department, more black men and women must apply for those open positions. Secondly, in order for the black men and women to be hired on police departments they must meet minimum hiring standards, which in most police departments is a high school diploma, a background clear of criminal wrongdoing, and reasonably good health.  Thirdly, Sharpton and others assume that they can read the minds of others.  I’ll not discuss the third flaw. 

 

I.

 

Let’s begin with high school education rates.  According to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, a record 80% of students graduated from high school in 2102.  Nationally, black students had a 69% graduation rate.  Eighty-nine percent of Missouri white students graduated from high school while 73% of black Missouri high school students graduated: rates well above the national norm (governing.com).  Moving on to higher education, of students graduating from college in the 2011-2012 school year, nationally 73.7% of the associate degrees went to whites while 10.9% went to blacks; of bachelor degrees awarded, 77.5% went to whites and 9.0% went to blacks.  The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 77.7% of the 2013 U.S. population is white and 13.2% is black (quickfacts.census.gov).

 

For various reasons that are well beyond time and space here, blacks already find themselves at an education level disadvantage.  When you consider the fact that more and more police departments are requiring at least two years of college, blacks self-eliminate from the competitive hiring applicant pool.

 

By now, some of you are on the same page with me, but others are beginning to think that I am merely making excuses to justify racist practices.  Please bear with me as I am well aware that population distribution is not the (only) factor at work here.  However, you should know that there is a long-standing and continuing debate in law enforcement circles about the need for higher education in the profession.  Some even wonder if policing is a vocation rather than a profession.  My comments here are not about this debate, but I should point out that policing has become even more technical and legalistic since a published article I wrote over 20 years ago about the need for higher education for those entering the law enforcement profession.  Meanwhile, one must ask if we should require police to be able to read, write, and speak the English language in order to effectively communicate on paper, with the public, over police radios, with government and industry officials, and in court.  Should police be able to do simple arithmetic or even more complex math to understand how breathalizers or police radar and laser speed monitoring devices work? Should we require police to be able to take precise measurements at crime and accident scenes when it is impossible to use a tape measure?  Would police benefit from being able to communicate in a second language such as Spanish in an ever increasing Hispanic population in the United States?  Would police and the public benefit from police being able to communicate with the deaf?  Should we expect police to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills in such mundane tasks as interacting with the public, crime-solving and crime prevention?  These are the skills, knowledge, and abilities that are at work in our post-secondary institutions of higher education.

 

II.

 

I have gone beyond the reach of my initial intent, but the above comments are relevant to the question of alleged racism as they point to a glaring problem in hiring minorities, which goes to my second point, which is self-selection.

 

Any person making a career choice must weigh the pros and cons of career paths.  Indeed, in many cases the choice is not between two or more good options, but is often a choice of lesser options, if any.  Sometimes, the best scenario is between a good or bad options, but often it is either no choice or a choice between two or more poor options.  Police jobs are highly competitive in many markets.  No longer is a police job a poor option or a last choice.  Policing has moved from the job that you took when you got out of the military because that was the only thing you were suited for, to the job you sought to move to in order to get off the assembly line, and finally to a career that positions  you to assume a white collar profession.  People now actually self-select policing and corrections careers. One must actually “want” the job and not look at it as a default paycheck.

 

I’ve made some anecdotal observations that have caused me to do some further research.  As I taught criminal justice on the college level I saw black students again and again enrolling in college to play sports – primarily basketball.  Education was secondary to sports for many of these first-time students.  Please note that I said “many”, which means that there were others who were there for the education and truly excelled in their studies.  Unfortunately, these students were outnumbered by the students who came to play basketball.  In working with these students who came to play basketball I found that class schedules had to be arranged around practices and away games.  Classes also had to be relatively easy and there had to be a sufficient number of credits in the course schedule to make the student a full-time student.  (The same considerations for class schedules had to be made for white student athletes.)  What I discovered was that most of these black students would have an abysmal first semester and would be placed on academic probation and would be academically dismissed after the second semester.  We can have all sorts of discussion as to why these students made the choices they made and why they failed, but the bottom line is that these students made career choices (and not just sports) early on by choosing an option that appeared desirable but in all candor was a poor choice.  They chose career paths they believed and/or had been led to believe were optimal for them. 

 

Now, for the research, which is not exhaustive here, but is reflective of what is out there and is illustrative of my point.  This is not a dissertation. 

 

Research by Cynthia Gordy of the University of Central Florida showed that of the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament teams, only 59% of the black players graduated compared to 91 percent of the white players.  Richard Lapchick in reviewing the 2011-2012 bowl bound college football teams found that less than half of the black football student athletes graduated from college while all the schools graduated more than half of their white student athletes.

 

Now consider a study by the Clark Science Center of Smith College for the next part of the discussion.  In 1949 there were no black NBA players.  In 1958 the proportion of blacks in the NBA was proportionate to the general population and in 1998 77% of all pro basketball players were black.  Lapchick (University of Central Florida, The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports, 2013) reported that 13% of professional basketball players in 2012 were white and 76.3% were black.   According to the Clark Science Center, similar figures are found with the NFL.  The first black football player in white professional football showed up in 1946.  Proportion equality of blacks and whites in professional football to the general population was reached in 1960.  By 1998 65% of all professional football players were black.  Lapchick (University of Central Florida, The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports, 2013) reported in 2012 that 30.1% of NFL players were white and 66.3% of NFL players were black.  Now, if you return to the fourth paragraph that I wrote here, you will see that the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 77.7% of the 2013 U.S. population is white and 13.2% is black (quickfacts.census.gov).

 

Now, not every young black man wants to be a professional basketball or football player; however, professional sports serve as an unrealistic allure to many of these youth.  A good research project would be to determine what percent of their respective racial backgrounds of young white men and young black men want to pursue professional sports as a career.  Frankly, focusing on professional sports may distract us from the real discussion here, which is to ask why young black men and women are self-selecting preparation for other professions, professions they see as more beneficial to them than policing.  Do they see policing as inherently discriminatory against their race?  If so, wouldn’t a better option be to work toward employment in policing in order to serve as a catalyst for change in prejudicial practices?  Do they see other career paths as more promising?  Is there a greater allure to other careers than the “prestige” of law enforcement?  Is it possible that young black men (and women) have a sense of hopelessness?  If so, is it justified?  If it is justified, then there are deeper societal problems than what goes on in a police department and we should not be pointing a judgment finger at police as the problem but pointing the finger at policing merely as a symptom of the problem.  Until sufficient research is conducted into these areas of interest, we will not know, but in the meantime we do know that many young black men and women self-select out of pursuit of policing careers in spite of the fact that police departments actively recruit minorities and women. Just because they self-select out does not mean that any police department or any police officer demonstrates racial prejudice. 

 

Conclusion

 

Meanwhile, it is safe to say that there are two primary reasons why we don’t see more minorities in law enforcement.  Many simply do not meet minimum hiring requirements.  There could be any number of reasons for this including a racially prejudiced educational system.  Many who could meet the minimum hiring requirements self-select out of policing careers for what appears to be more enticing and lucrative pursuits.  Stating that the police department is the source of discrimination completely misses the bigger point as to why.  If there is discrimination then we should address the culturally systemic issues rather than say that the police are the problem.  Biased policing is a symptom of the problem, not the problem. There is no doubt that there are police departments and police officers who engage is racially discriminatory practices, but to assume that a police department has not met its presumed quota of minorities because it is racially biased is simply ludicrous.  Making such assertions without requisite evidence can only add to hostility and even stimulate and create racially discriminatory practices where there once may not have been any.

Temporal and Spiritual Peace

There are two kinds of peace in this world.  The most visible type of peace is temporal peace, when nation and nation are not at war with each other or when individuals live together in harmony.  I think we would all like to see that.  Well, many of us would like to see that.  Unfortunately in the world right now there are forces at work that disturb and disrupt temporal peace.

 

The other type of peace is spiritual peace.  While it may come as a result of being content with who you are and what your station in life is, there is a deeper spiritual peace that comes as a result of knowing that your life is in harmony with God.  This requires that we first know what His will is and then doing His will.  The Savior came to bring peace but not as the world knows it (John 14: 27).  In bringing peace He clearly acknowledge that there is and will continue to be tribulation in the world. However, He overcame the world (John 16: 33).

 

Likewise, there are two types of war: temporal war and spiritual war.  They are opposites of peace, and their author is the same.  He who pushes greed, gluttony, lust, sloth, lust, envy, and pride is the author and administrator of both temporal and spiritual warfare.  Just as there are temporal hotspots across the globe the author of spiritual warfare is running rampant and is in our own back yards, perhaps even in our own homes.

 

There are no “holy wars”.  There is nothing holy about war.  It is dirty, disgusting, and repulsive. That said, I for one will stand for our God, our religion, our freedom and our peace and I pray for liberty so long as a band of Christians remain to possess this land.

 

Make no mistake.  I pray for both temporal and spiritual peace.  I pray that there will be temporal peace for all of humanity, but more importantly I pray for spiritual peace for myself and all the children of God.

 

Militarization of Police

 

Even I am a bit concerned.

Returning home from our two-week trip we visited Mammoth Cave National Park and the Statute of Liberty. Now, I’ve heard and read a lot recently about what amounts to the militarization of police. Ho Hum. At least “Ho Hum” until I experienced it. Both parks had park police walking around in full tactical gear. I saw the same thing on road patrols. It didn’t bother ...me per se, but I could see how people would be alarmed. I guess what troubles me most is the shift in policing. And while I am sure that these guys are well trained, I didn’t see a great deal of “seasoning”, or what we used to call “stick time”. Having knowledge and ability is dangerous unless you have sense, and sense comes with experience. Lots of experience.

I know times are different. 9/11 changed everything, but I think it is time to rethink and roll back a bit. We do not live in an internment camp. Getting on an airplane anymore is a task in and of itself, but moving the security lines into the general population is contrary to living in a free society.

Regards,

Greg

Terrorism

 

The terrorists are winning. In fact, they may have already won. The fact is that most people don't understand the objective of terrorism and those who do understand its objectives have willingly, though unwittingly, played into their hands.

ISIS, al qaeda, and other terrorists organizations fully intend to raise their flags over the White House, but they know they will never be able to do so by... militarily invading, not with an armed force up against the might and power of the United States Military. Their goal is to let it happen from within. And, it is working. That is not to say that there won’t be attacks on U.S. soil as I am sure there will be. In fact, I think you can count on it.

The attacks of 9/11 were not intended to inflict an immediate fatal blow to the economy or the military and leadership of the United States. Even if their intent was to fly a plane into the Capitol they realized that our government has too many layers to simply collapse by taking out a building full of congressmen. To the contrary, terrorists know full well that any attack against the United States and its people will result in a full-court press to stop terrorist aggression. They depend upon our might and our strength to work against us.

We value liberty and defend freedom, but we also have this overwhelming desire to be secure. What they understand and what we have failed to grasp is that there is a delicate balance between freedom and security and as we employ greater methods of security the more those freedoms will melt away. This is exactly what has happened. Consider TSA screenings at airports; requiring passport documents to cross back into the United States from Canada and Mexico, two countries that have had open borders for law abiding citizens for decades; security screenings of the public at certain national monuments; the militarization of state and local police with surplus military equipment; warrantless NSA prying into personal communications; criminalizing the telling of lies to the FBI; reporting of bank transactions of more than $10,000 to the federal government; and constant surveillance of any movement you make outside your home. And, how do we as citizens of a free society feel about it? Perhaps we are willing to tolerate bits and pieces, but as the bits and pieces grow they will become a mountain. We are comfortable with the camel sticking its nose into the tent. However, are we comfortable when the camel is in the tent and we are outside in the cold?

All it takes is a single spark. It might not be the first spark, but eventually a spark like that which has touched off in Ferguson will make it all come undone. More likely than not, there will be several sparks that will unravel the fabric of our society one thread at a time. One must wonder what the true protestors are really protesting. Yes, they protested the death of a young black man at the hands of the police, but listen carefully to what they are saying. For starters, they are complaining about the military tactics and equipment adopted by the police. On the other hand, they want all police equipped with body cameras. On the one hand there is too much intrusion and on the other hand they want more. They are terribly conflicted within their own ranks. It is this confusion, the stepped up security measures by government, and our own resistance that can lead to the overthrow of our government as we once knew it 50 years ago.

There is more. There is much more. Indeed there is a conspiracy but it is offshore and it is working and most of us don't even know it. And, as I like to ask, Therefore, What?