Law Enforcement Day at Grace Baptist Church

 

Law Enforcement Day at Grace Baptist Church: 

Do not Judge the Majority for the Actions of a Few

By: Angel Hunter / March 20, 2022, 5:40pm

As I walked into Grace Baptist Church for the first time, three things worried me- one, this church was filled with way more people than I thought; two, I feared my plaid purple and pink long-sleeved sweatshirt and gray legging with black Nike’s was a little too underdressed and three if I would look as out of place as I felt. All of my worries slowly disappeared as an older, brown-skinned woman greeted me, urging me to sign it. Not one person commented on my outfit or reprimanded me for lazily wandering around. 

Grace Baptist Church was booming with folks old and in-between, white and black. Worship took place at nine am sharp in a magnificent room. A live band played music as members and guests took their seats. It was my first day as an internship writer, and I sat in the back row, wanting a discreet place to take notes on my phone. I was told to move nicely by a woman and that the row had been reserved. As service continued, I hesitated to take out my phone and jot down what I saw and heard, not wanting to appear disrespectful. I wished I had a badge to show people that I was “on duty” However, as I listened to the live band and a remarkable woman praise God, my uneasiness evaporated like five-second rain in Georgia as the sun came out. 

Fellowship time began with many law enforcement members being praised and celebrated as Law and Order background music played, a few being Kyana Jackson, who served in Fulton County for seven years, Sheriff Melanie Maddox, the first African-American woman sheriff of Dekalb county, Chief Frank Trammer of the Stockbridge Police Department and Sheriff Brown, the first African American of Newton County. 

Law Enforcement Day continued with a talk by Sheriff Reginald Scandrett of Henry County, who had much to say about what it was like to be a cop. He talked about all the things officers saw from deaths and domestic violence and asked, “. . .How do you unpack trauma.?” That officers with sullen faces were, “. . .screaming for help and. . .that it was not normal. . .” Sheriff Scandree asked the church members to pray for these officers who were struggling internally and needed help. He also talked about how there were some “bad apples in the bunch,” but not all cops were like that. It wasn't the police who were wrong but the ones who committed the act. You can not judge the many for the actions of a few. 

"No Trust"

He went on to tell the church about his nineteen-year-old son, who acknowledged everything he had been seeing going on in the world, from racist acts to fighting and wars. His son told him, “If you drop the baton in your season, daddy, we’ll pick it up and do things our way,” Sheriff Scandree went on further to say, “There are people on this side of the aisle, and that side of the island but who is standing in the middle of the aisle bringing people together?” Sheriff Scandrerr repeated again, “. . .no relationship, no trust.” A phrase he had used repeatedly throughout his bold and powerful speech.

“We seen knees on necks, unarmed people gunned down,” The Pastor continued. His reference to the murder of George Floyd in 2020. This horrible matter struck many people both in the black community and outside it. A lot of people turned against the police and hated them. A lot still do, but that shouldn't be the case. It is impossible to have any group of people and not have some in the herd who are doing wrong, racist, and disrespecting the name of the majority. As a people, we have a terrible habit of judging the many for the actions of a few, and we must stop this not only because it is wrong. It’s profiling. If we want to be the change we envision in the world, we must adopt a changed mindset. 

A Call For Change

Law enforcement is not wrong; the few who commit injustice acts are sinful. As Pastor McFarland stated, "We need peace; we have been dealing with a virus that has been making us crazy. We need peace. There must be an effort from all of us. Blessed are the ones who keep the peace.” We can not just look to the police to make a change or the government to change; we all must change and try to get to know one another. Only by doing this can we keep discrimination at bay, stop judging the majority by the actions of a few and move towards a better, more peaceful world.

For anyone looking to find out more about this wonderful church and/or attend: Grace Baptist Church