Date: 2021 March or 28
APOK News…
Shhh… This July APOK might be heading south of the border. As more details become known, I’ll let you in on the secret.
With currently over 2000 followers on Facebook with hundreds of thousands of views, the APOK brand is continuing to grow, slow and steady. For those readers eager for APOK III, Chapter 22 has already begun. It’s coming together and getting intense.
For any writers out there, I am considering expanding my blog to others. If interested please contact me.
BEWARE OF WOLVES IN SHEEP CLOTHING
As a police officer, a man, a heterosexual and worst of all, with limited pigments in my skin, I am deemed evil, entitled and privileged by today’s media and activist groups. In saying that please disregard anything that I say because as they have pointed out, I am evil.
From what I am seeing, our society is being attacked by wolves in sheep’s clothing, pushing unbridled racism, sexism, and every other -ISM word out there. While some veil their attacks with claims of love, understanding and equality, at times their veil is so thin you can actually see canine teeth poking through. The attacks involve using a narrow scope of history, demographic and statistics to condemn individuals based on group prejudices. Without critical examination or discussion, anyone failing to agree with their terms or ideals is devoured as part of the problem and labeled just as bad. The actions of outliers and statistics, fuel self-fulfilling prophecies paraded in front of our faces as evidence that their ideas are true, while ignoring facts and underlying information.
As a police officer, we need evidence to prove guilt. Believing someone is bad without being able to prove it means absolutely nothing. I have policed in an area where violent criminals ran the town and holding them accountable / collecting that evidence risked my life and the life of my family. There were those who hated me for making this stand fearing what was going to happen, claiming, “If you leave them alone, they’ll leave us alone.” There were others who felt I was a horrible person for placing my family at risk. My thought process then and now, “If the good people don’t do what is needed to stop evil, evil has already won.”
My second novel published October 10th, 2019, in the final pages quotes a verse from the Bible that sums up my belief, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10). This basis of this quote echoes through the ages and rings true today and for the foreseeable future. “We are, who we are.” Sure, there is much we can do to change, but no matter what changes are made there is only one person we can never run away from, that is ourselves. If we don’t appreciate being who we are, who else will?
This is true generationally. Even if we were scientifically created, when born, we have as much control over that, as we do the demographic we are born into. Why is this so important? It’s important because it means we have no control over our physical properties. And if we had no control over being born, being male or female, being born black, white, or any of the shades between, we do not have control over the actions of those before us. Self hate / shame or any negative emotion based on any of the above is not acceptable.
It is one thing to recognize and learn about historic events that are not in keeping with what we feel is important today, but it’s another to feel bad about who you are (or condemned) because of it. We have enough to worry about in our own lives that causes stress, we should not stress because of something we have no control over. In order to grow we must take notice of the good and bad happening around us and before us and make choices how we want to live our life.
Much like living and policing in that town filled with violent criminals, I refuse to allow those making noise to have influence in my life. This decision is backed up by a wise man’s speech, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” (Martin Luther King – August 28th, 1963).
Content of my character, I realize I have not lived a perfect life, there are many things that I wish I had done, or done that I wish I had not done, but every action or inaction has led me to this point. Such is life. Life is tough. Sometimes we bump and bounce through life like a pinball and although I respect and understand who I have become, I also know it wasn’t always so. I had to forgive myself. I believe it is important to remember but don’t dwell in the past. I only have one today, live in the present, work hard and don’t give up. I know who I am and what I stand for.
It is my actions and intentions that define who I am. Ask important questions, reflect and answer them with a clear heart. Staying true to myself has never been more important.
Take care, until next time,
Mike