Traffic Stop

I was stopped by the Chino Hills police on my way to pick up my son this evening, supposedly because my license plate light was out. They determined that actually there was just a lot of dirt on it, which I wiped off before I drove away.

But before that happened, they had me out of the car and frisked me. They were talking like I was a dangerous criminal with weapons. They were acting like they might well beat me up or shoot me.

They were the ones with the guns and sticks, and I'm an oldish and obviously harmless geek, but I had to take care of them and their fears. I was reminded - why do the unarmed and powerless have to reassure the armed and dangerous and soothe their fears, while those in their power just have to suck it up? But that is how the world works. Having a gun and a stick does not instill courage in their possessors.

This is what goes down for an old geeky white guy in a nice, bland Republican suburb. Up to now I've always found these deputies to be very nice and polite - Officer Friendly. So what do people in other places have to fear every day from those who are supposed to protect and serve them?

It's not a safe world after all. We need the protection of our God. You never know what might happen out there - but I don't want to find out outside the presence of the Lord.