It sure seems things could not get much worse in our fair city, state and nation, but believe me it can. We appear to be on a path of self destruction no one is willing to admit or try to prevent. Is it our destiny?

Has God removed his hand of divine guidance and protection from our country? It would appear so, since God no longer has a place in the public square. Deviant behavior and immorality is now celebrated and encouraged taking the place of decency and reverence to a Holy God. Clearly, it appears we are well on our way to the end of the great experiment of a democratic republic under divine inspiration and blessings.

It is mindful of the challenge placed before the patriots in “The American Crisis” by Thomas Paine on December 23, 1776: “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” We have very serious problems to deal with aside from the ever present threat of radical Islamic terrorism. To name a few, there is the astronomical debt piled up over the last 8 years, the loss of respect and prestige around the world, a depleted military in violation of the truism of peace through strength, porous borders contributing to drug trafficking and illegal immigrants by the thousands, in addition to economic stagnation and immobility. It is enough to cause a powerful case of wobegone.

Another of the very disturbing trends is the targeting of our law enforcement officers. There seems to be a perception among some that the entire law enforcement community is biased, preferential and racist. This is even present if the shooting involves a black policeman and a black victim. There seems to be an acceptance of it just being their job when a policeman or other law enforcement officer is gunned down. There is no great outcry, no riots, looting or burning of businesses. Law enforcement officers seem to be expendable somehow. Something is very wrong with this scenario, and must be rectified in a civilized society.

There have been 92 law enforcement officers die in the line of duty so far in 2016. Forty of those died by gunfire, 10 others by vehicular assault, and 1 stabbing according to the website Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). There were 130 officer deaths in the line of duty in 2015. Of those, 39 were by gunfire. Law enforcement officers are our last line of defense against anarchy, lawlessness and total chaos. I challenge you to check the police reports listed in the Selma Times-Journal to see how many times our law enforcement men and women are called upon to settle issues between feuding parties. If we were all angels, we wouldn’t need a police force armed with guns.  Just remember: “When a police officer is killed, it’s not an agency that loses an officer, it’s an entire nation.” -Chris Cosgriff, Founder Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).