I am sure you have all seen one of these signs before, and if you live anywhere near the west, quite regularly. Most people who post this sign up are usually ready and willing to back up their words with action, and have enough heat under the pillow and next to the bed to make any crook in his right mind head for the hills with his tail 'tween his legs.
Most of the time, this type of attitude comes from a self-sufficient attitude, most commonly popularized by the icon of the cowboy and the west - which is why you see a lot of these signs out west.
Well, that isn't why I won't call 911. I mean, I am all for self-sufficiency - and of course cowboys, but that isn't my main reasoning.
Back in the days before the police were the knight-in-shining-armor to anyone who was in distress, when someone kicked in the front door, the first response of the father wasn't to grab the phone and dutifully punch in the life-saving three numbers. The first response of the father was to grab the 'ole 12 next to the bed, and either the thug ended his career with a heavy dose lead poisoning, or he got smart and beat for the bush at the mere sound of that double-aught buck racking into the Remington.
Or if you go even further back, the father grabbed his sword, or the nearest stick, to ward off the intruder.
Nowadays, the reaction is quite different.
Glass breaking someplace in the house in the middle of the night? Get the kids, hide under the bed, call 911.
See someone being robbed? Be useful and call 911.
See suspicious activity in that back alley? Just in case, call 911.
911 has become our Larry-Boy signal (for all those familiar with Veggie Tales...), that we are ever-to quick to punch in at the slightest sign of anything remotely dangerous, so the Hero will come to our aid and save the day.
For as long as I have known about the police, they have been, at least on the mental scale, the ultimate call and the ultimate authority on danger, and dangerous situations. Anything that looked remotely fishy called for an immediate 3 number punch.
The older I get, the more I wonder, and think that maybe I was pretty wrong in my earlier beliefs.
As you probably already know, I am going to resort to the Old Testament for this question.
If we go back to (guess!) Moses and his era, to one of the first governmental systems ever set up, and basically the first one God specifically set up, we obviously should find the Moses police and see how right and proper our police setup is today, right?
Well, first off, before we look for them, what do police actually do? (It's easier to look if we know what we are looking for. :) )
Nowadays, they basically are used in any situations involving the carrying out of or dealing with the infringement of the law.
Run a red light? Police on the move.
Someone robbing a bank? Police here to keep you safe.
Really bad boy and you's a'goin to the slamma? Police here to escort you in a nice air-conditioned car.
So we get the idea.
So if we go looking through the OT near Moses's time, we see lots of officials running around, reporting to Moses constantly on the situation of the tribes, arresting people for selling contraband figs, fining people for speeding on their donkey through the middle of the tent lot..... etc....right?
Ah fooey. None.
So what did they do? Who kept peace and order, if it wasn't the "authorities"( authorities on what??) ? Does it really matter? Do we really believe that God might have spoken to us on this issue, and are ready to find out what he actually did?
Well, I see something radically different in their time. Instead of officials running around keeping the peace, it was the people seeing and reporting violations of the law, and knowing that era, it was probably the heads of the households doing all the doing.
Nowadays, we have moved past that in this day and age, and become more sophisticated and now have trained professionals doing all that work for us.
But why? Are we really "so advanced" that we have moved past scriptural examples?
I don't see that pattern in scripture. We actually see men being men and stepping up to their role of being the heads of the households, and as leaders of their home, also leaders in the immediate community.
For example, they caught a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath.
Quick! Blow 911 on the trumpet! Get the Moses police over here on the double to get this lawbreaker!
Oh wait, sorry. That wasn't what happened - I must have misread that.
It says they grabbed him and took him to Moses, and Moses dealt out the punishment God had decided for the sin of breaking the sabbath. Not the police. Not some official with a big tin badge. They grabbed him.
Numbers 15:32-35 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
Well, that isn't why I won't call 911. I mean, I am all for self-sufficiency - and of course cowboys, but that isn't my main reasoning.
Back in the days before the police were the knight-in-shining-armor to anyone who was in distress, when someone kicked in the front door, the first response of the father wasn't to grab the phone and dutifully punch in the life-saving three numbers. The first response of the father was to grab the 'ole 12 next to the bed, and either the thug ended his career with a heavy dose lead poisoning, or he got smart and beat for the bush at the mere sound of that double-aught buck racking into the Remington.
Or if you go even further back, the father grabbed his sword, or the nearest stick, to ward off the intruder.
Nowadays, the reaction is quite different.
Glass breaking someplace in the house in the middle of the night? Get the kids, hide under the bed, call 911.
See someone being robbed? Be useful and call 911.
See suspicious activity in that back alley? Just in case, call 911.
911 has become our Larry-Boy signal (for all those familiar with Veggie Tales...), that we are ever-to quick to punch in at the slightest sign of anything remotely dangerous, so the Hero will come to our aid and save the day.
For as long as I have known about the police, they have been, at least on the mental scale, the ultimate call and the ultimate authority on danger, and dangerous situations. Anything that looked remotely fishy called for an immediate 3 number punch.
The older I get, the more I wonder, and think that maybe I was pretty wrong in my earlier beliefs.
So, why 911? Why the police? Are Police biblical?
As you probably already know, I am going to resort to the Old Testament for this question.
If we go back to (guess!) Moses and his era, to one of the first governmental systems ever set up, and basically the first one God specifically set up, we obviously should find the Moses police and see how right and proper our police setup is today, right?
Well, first off, before we look for them, what do police actually do? (It's easier to look if we know what we are looking for. :) )
Nowadays, they basically are used in any situations involving the carrying out of or dealing with the infringement of the law.
Run a red light? Police on the move.
Someone robbing a bank? Police here to keep you safe.
Really bad boy and you's a'goin to the slamma? Police here to escort you in a nice air-conditioned car.
So we get the idea.
So if we go looking through the OT near Moses's time, we see lots of officials running around, reporting to Moses constantly on the situation of the tribes, arresting people for selling contraband figs, fining people for speeding on their donkey through the middle of the tent lot..... etc....right?
Ah fooey. None.
So what did they do? Who kept peace and order, if it wasn't the "authorities"( authorities on what??) ? Does it really matter? Do we really believe that God might have spoken to us on this issue, and are ready to find out what he actually did?
Well, I see something radically different in their time. Instead of officials running around keeping the peace, it was the people seeing and reporting violations of the law, and knowing that era, it was probably the heads of the households doing all the doing.
Nowadays, we have moved past that in this day and age, and become more sophisticated and now have trained professionals doing all that work for us.
But why? Are we really "so advanced" that we have moved past scriptural examples?
I don't see that pattern in scripture. We actually see men being men and stepping up to their role of being the heads of the households, and as leaders of their home, also leaders in the immediate community.
For example, they caught a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath.
Quick! Blow 911 on the trumpet! Get the Moses police over here on the double to get this lawbreaker!
Oh wait, sorry. That wasn't what happened - I must have misread that.
It says they grabbed him and took him to Moses, and Moses dealt out the punishment God had decided for the sin of breaking the sabbath. Not the police. Not some official with a big tin badge. They grabbed him.
Numbers 15:32-35 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
Over and over again through the OT, we see men leading the community and doing their part to keep peace in their neck of the woods. We don't see them running off on their donkey and hiding away while the officials of the day dealt with the dangerous situation. They dealt with it.
Oh Heavens to Betsy! A lion is eating my sheep! Get the police out here ASAP while I head to safety!
If that was the response of David while guarding his sheep, he would have been out of a job and a lot more things when he got home.
What did he do? He looked around, and taking what he had, ( in one case his bare hands ) and dealt with the situation himself. He didn't punch the 3 numbers, he dealt with it himself.
Why do we think we should do any different?
In my honest opinion, we shouldn't, but we, deep down in our sinful soul, really want to do it different. We want to be safe and cozy and let someone else be in danger and risked getting killed.
Men nowadays, with few exceptions, are cowards.
Yessir, I'll say that again. It's a stiff word. COWARDS.
Men would rather hide in the sofa with their GMO potato chips and let somebody else take care of the dangerous work.
I have actually seen a girl with her sleeves rolled up, working under the hood of a car, in a parking lot, while her boyfriend sat in the car. I just recently heard of a woman with her husband on a safari-type trip to Africa, and when the "tame" cheetahs turned on her and mauled her, her husband stood at a safe distance and took pictures.
Men nowadays are that lazy - and that cowardice.
Now that I think about it, I bet that lady with the cheetahs wished David the Lion killer was around to save her - because unfortunately, nobody else was, or would.
As men, men have a role not only as the heads of their households, but as the heads of their households, heads of the society as well. It is the men's job, not the cops, to keep peace and order in the society.
Glass breaking someplace in the house in the middle of the night? Grab the '12, and a flashlight and see that everything is all right.
See someone being robbed? Bum rush the guy from behind and knock him to the floor. Or better yet pull your own gun and make him get on the floor why you watch from a comfortable distance.
See suspicious activity in that back alley? Put down the lemonade you were drinking while talking to your neighbor, and both of you mosey down there and make sure things are in order.
Why do we think we should do any different?
In my honest opinion, we shouldn't, but we, deep down in our sinful soul, really want to do it different. We want to be safe and cozy and let someone else be in danger and risked getting killed.
Men nowadays, with few exceptions, are cowards.
Yessir, I'll say that again. It's a stiff word. COWARDS.
Men would rather hide in the sofa with their GMO potato chips and let somebody else take care of the dangerous work.
I have actually seen a girl with her sleeves rolled up, working under the hood of a car, in a parking lot, while her boyfriend sat in the car. I just recently heard of a woman with her husband on a safari-type trip to Africa, and when the "tame" cheetahs turned on her and mauled her, her husband stood at a safe distance and took pictures.
Men nowadays are that lazy - and that cowardice.
Now that I think about it, I bet that lady with the cheetahs wished David the Lion killer was around to save her - because unfortunately, nobody else was, or would.
As men, men have a role not only as the heads of their households, but as the heads of their households, heads of the society as well. It is the men's job, not the cops, to keep peace and order in the society.
Glass breaking someplace in the house in the middle of the night? Grab the '12, and a flashlight and see that everything is all right.
See someone being robbed? Bum rush the guy from behind and knock him to the floor. Or better yet pull your own gun and make him get on the floor why you watch from a comfortable distance.
See suspicious activity in that back alley? Put down the lemonade you were drinking while talking to your neighbor, and both of you mosey down there and make sure things are in order.
Honestly men, I think the police are a mere result of us guys refusing to take up our manly responsibility and do what needs to be done. We jumped ship, and the government was all to keen to come to save the day - where we should have been the knights in shining armor. We baled out and called for help, and they were more than willing to oblige.
Because if you think about it, that is exactly what calling 911 while you do nothing, really is.
You are asking for someone else who is not involved, and not particularly responsible to come and take your place as the defender of the society and save the day from the threat you are not willing to face yourselves.
Manly? Hardly, I think. But sadly, that is the attitude and actions of the majority of the male population of our country.
Am I saying there is never a case for 911?
Actually, if us guys really did what we were supposed to, we would never need armed policemen - ever.
Who would want to mug a lady in front of a cafe full of men who are packing heat and have a reputation for defending ladies at all costs?
Who would want to rob the bank when they know that the little dad with the big family at the counter would give him what-for if he so much as chirped about a robbery? Really?
What crook wants to operate with those odds? If every man walking by is a substantial threat to theirs or anybodies malicious or harmful ways, it would put a real damper on any criminal activity in an area.
We have become way to dependent on the Government to keep us safe, and to tell us what to do in dangerous circumstances.
This is what happens when we no longer think it is in our line of duty to step up in time of danger.
I know this is goofy, and kinda sad, but get the point from it. There really is a serious message behind all of this.
Guys, it's time to Man Up.
Because if you think about it, that is exactly what calling 911 while you do nothing, really is.
You are asking for someone else who is not involved, and not particularly responsible to come and take your place as the defender of the society and save the day from the threat you are not willing to face yourselves.
Manly? Hardly, I think. But sadly, that is the attitude and actions of the majority of the male population of our country.
Am I saying there is never a case for 911?
Actually, if us guys really did what we were supposed to, we would never need armed policemen - ever.
Who would want to mug a lady in front of a cafe full of men who are packing heat and have a reputation for defending ladies at all costs?
Who would want to rob the bank when they know that the little dad with the big family at the counter would give him what-for if he so much as chirped about a robbery? Really?
What crook wants to operate with those odds? If every man walking by is a substantial threat to theirs or anybodies malicious or harmful ways, it would put a real damper on any criminal activity in an area.
We have become way to dependent on the Government to keep us safe, and to tell us what to do in dangerous circumstances.
This is what happens when we no longer think it is in our line of duty to step up in time of danger.
I know this is goofy, and kinda sad, but get the point from it. There really is a serious message behind all of this.
If Big Camo there hadn't called 911, but ran over to his buddy to see if he was ok, maybe Tiny would have lived to see another hunt - despite the serious lack of gun-safety.
But he didn't. He did what he was told good boys always do in danger - get somebody else to figure out what to do. And what happened? Tiny lost any chances that might have still been around for survival.
So again, is there ever a case for 911?
What is your call? Would you? Are you men gonna jump ship and let some boy in blue with a big badge be your wife's hero?
God put You there as the man - You are responsible.
Honestly though, it aint about being the Hero, just for Hero's sake. It's about filling in the role God put you in.
It's what Christ did. His beloved bride, the church, was in dire danger. He didn't whine to the Father for help while he hid. He didn't punch a celestial 3-number. He wen't out and died to save his bride.
Can we as Christian men, in the role of Christ to our wives and families, do any less?
Now of course, there are protests to this reckless burst of macho dependency, as some would view it. I mean after all, cops are trained professionals! They are trained to deal with dangerous stuff like that, and should therefore be the only ones to handle that stuff.
That sounds kinda like Israel saying they couldn't go do what God told them to, since all the countries around them were much bigger, badder, and "trained".
We know, that when they merely obeyed God, and did what they were told, it didn't matter who or what they were against - they won.
So why are we any different? If God has called us to defend our family or the immediate society, does it matter how many guns, knives, and teeth that crook in your living room or the mall parking lot has? I think not.
Do what God has commanded and defend your family, and keep peace in your society. God told you to do it, let him worry about the consequences.
In other words, Man up guys. The world is in need of some manly Heroes, and you are the ones that God has called to be those Heroes. Heroes who obey God, do what he has commanded, because he has commanded. The world could use a few more of those. Those, are real Heroes.
So, I guess those guys out in the west who had that mentality of taking care of themselves and put up signs telling other about it, were pretty on par. They couldn't rely on the government for anything, since there was no government help for thousands of miles. They dealt with it or else. They were the men - they took care of it.
Now, do not confuse all of this with the idea of "meeting out justice" to every wrong-doer we pass. God has placed Judges in the world to carry out his punishment on those who choose to disobey. That is not the common mans job.
I am referring to men stepping up in line of danger to save the innocent and those entrusted to his care. Not men handing out judgement to the criminal for his sins.
Is there ever a case for 911?
Well, I am going to revise my statement in my title slightly.
I won't call 911 to come save the day.
I will call them to come clean up the mess. It is the governments role to judge evil-doers, and that's it.
The saving the day and all that, is up to us guys. Tag we're it. Plain and simple, its our responsibility.
