Evil Wins
Evil Wins
As some of you may know I am a retired LEO with 25 years on the force. The recent shooting in Las Vegas has rekindled an old struggle I often had with things as they occured on The Job. As someone who was sworn to protect and serve, who saw the day to day good that good honest policing offered to a community I often had a hard time with evil winning. I eventually had to accept the fact that often (all too often in my opinion) evil does win.
I remember the first homicide I ever rode. I was still a wet behind the ears rookie with less than a year on the street. I was dispatched to a wreck at a chuch at about three in the morning. I get there and all I initailly saw was a car that had crashed into the side of the church and the car was still running. I thought, well some drunk wrecked and bailed. I approached the car and saw movement in the driver's seat. I walk up a bit more cautiously and peer in and I see a man in the front seat on his back, with three gunshot wounds to the chest. I call for immediate medical support (knowing the nearest station is only blocks away) and then open the door to see what I can do for the man. I quickly realize my First Aid training is inadequate to the task. I looked into that man's eyes and saw the fear, the pain and the hopelessness. He died minutes later while my paramedic buddies were working him. I do not know what he did to deserve that death, the best we could determine was that it was an attempted robbery during a drug purchase, but on that night, Evil won.
Over the next 25 years evil won and gave me memories that sometimes still wake me up in the night. Images of an infant floating in a bathtub with water so hot that skin came off and was in the water, the broken body of a six year old girl that was just run over by an SUV, a ten year old boy who's back was shredded by a belt buckle because his step-father wanted to discipline him, a man in a car who called police then shot his wife, mother-in-law and then himself up as police drove up. Evil won.
I lost two friends and fellow officers when the pressures of The Job were too much and they used their issued sidearm and ended their own lives. Friends and co-workers shot on traffic stops. Truly evil criminals walking free on charges because of officer mistakes in making cases, prosecutorial errors or judicial malfeasance. Fellow officers who took shortcuts or out of greed violated their own Oath. On these occasions, Evil won.
The sad thing is that evil will keep winning. We cannot eliminate evil or the victories it will score. However, we can individually and as a nation make it difficult for evil to get it's wins. We can put aside partisan politics and look for real solutions, solutions that will slow and lessen the wins for evil. The current bickering, name calling and mud slinging creates a climate that only serves to give evil more wins. In light of Las Vegas we as individuals and as a nation owe those who lost to evil better than they are currently getting. Remember, "the subtle thing about evil is in attempting to destroy it, we become it." Don't give evil any easy wins.
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We can do better, myself included.
Sometimes, people forget what police officers go through.
I would, personally, like to thank you. Those incidents you told us about, probably, never leave your mind.
Take care.
Thank you.
You deserve it...
I sincerely hope you find peace my friend...
Dear Bluestride,
My Father was a Ft Worth police officer for more than 15 years. First as a motorcycle officer and then squad car. He saw the worst of society every day, and did his best to help improve the life of those who just needed someone to care. He lost two partners to senseless deaths by those who felt the life of others were expendable, one over nothing but a broken tail light the the office merely wanted to let the driver know. The driver shot him point blank as soon as he walked up to the driver's window, then backed over the dead officer laying in the road, then ran over him again going forward. My Father found his partner laying in the road when he thought he had been gone too long and went to see what might have happened. Never did he expect to find what he did. He was very shaken and heartbroken by the partners horrid death.
He lost his second partner in a shoot out when they were called on a domestic violence report. The shooter shot the partner before he even got off his motorcycle with a shotgun. The death of his second partner really devastated my Father, but, instead of leaving the force, he was even more determined to help stamp out the evil that prayed on the people.
I also had a Cousin who was a Calif Highway Patrol officer who was hit by a drunk driver while checking on a disabled vehicle. It threw him 50 ft down the freeway and he was hit by two other vehicles. He manged to survive, but, was disabled for the rest of his life.
Thank you for your service as a LEO, most people never really know just how dangerous the job is and what officers see and experience that has such an emotional effect on their lives for the rest of their life.
May the Creator Bless you and help you find peace. (smile)
Right on Bluestride; great article.
We CAN do better!
Excellent article Bluestride. We can do better, we must do better.
I am sorry you had to be part those tragedies, but I thank you for your service.
so well said. pointing fingers at everyone but the evil does no good.
"The sad thing is that evil will keep winning."
I'm a glass half full type of person.
Combating evil is a daunting task, but a task that needs to be on going none-the-less. It's a constant tiring battle. It may seem that evil wins, but look on the bright side: There are more non-evil folks than evil folks. IMO, that's a win every time.
"The line between good and evil is permeable and almost anyone can be induced to cross it when pressured by situational forces."
Philip Zimbardo
"All good is hard. All evil is easy. Dying, losing, cheating, and mediocrity is easy. Stay away from easy."
Scott Alexander
I like that you shared something of your own sights and sound to explain why we should give a damn about all these tragedies we as a collective are mounting up!
I looked around at the gun violence in Las Vegas and I honestly had not answer so I despaired. Me—throwing up my hands and walking away from the gun debates going on all around me. Finally, I simply give up and trust, leave, my fate and that of my love ones to the times I live in.
Congress is the saddest bunch of "elders" I have ever seen come together. When these folks are on television I listen with a jaded ear and look on with a critical view. Like someone drowning but holding on for dear life, I prayed and kept faith that after Sandy Hook's failure to act that sooner rather than later both sides of Congress would be forced to help fix the outrages in our land. Now, I am depleted and I just cast myself adrift.
It is as you say: Evil wins.
Good is swamped right now. Arguing, pinching, slapping, lying, belligerence, and hard-heartedness is sailing along the surface of our nation. We are hacked from abroad and we are facing strife within. It is like we no longer care to love one another again. The age of our nation, "Irreconcilable differences" has come.
The Las Vegas shooting is probably just the first "capstone" of its kind on a well of waste that is us right now. A citizen for some nondescript reason shot down into the heart of humanity without a conscience. Our leaders run around in circles. And, the people faint.
2017 will be remembered as the year the United States blinked, in my opinion.
After Las Vegas, after Congress' failures, after conservative rage,'after humanists campaigns, this is what I feel right now all over:
I will find my voice again, but just not today.
The country should unite more. Maybe reasonable candidates can emerge in the next presidential election. There will be little good news before then.
Donald Trump needs to resign the presidency and go back to reality tv. The chances of "unity" before that happens are less than zero, and justifiably so.
Looking forward though, we have to also acknowledge one of the attitudes or beliefs that put this fraud in office - fear of a non white America. Trump played on it to a tee and it got him elected. Unless this issue is confronted somehow the next Trump could be just around the corner.
We ALWAYS DO when we should.
"Maybe reasonable candidates can emerge in the next presidential election. There will be little good news before then."
There is no reasonable Political candidate. They are the biggest dividers this country has.
"Donald Trump needs to resign the presidency and go back to reality tv."
Did you say that about President Obama ? Did you say that about Hillary Clinton ? Did you say that about Bernie Sanders ? Neither one of those three did much to bring the country together. They all had an agenda that didn't include ALL. Hillary still isn't, with her rhetoric on the NRA, Trump Voters and Republicans after Las Vegas !
Donald Trump is ABNORMALLY, UNIQUELY bad. If you don't understand that by now there probably is no hope. He makes Obama look like a combination of Lincoln, Einstein and Gandhi.
Seems the chances before Trump where not so good either. He has only been President for 10 months. Obama had 8 years, Bush's and Clinton had plenty of time also.
Mass shootings have increased over the last 30 years substantially, not just the last 10 months.
Your backhanded attempt at Trump bashing is missing the entire premise of the author.
The OP suggests the country needs to pull together , which I agree would be nice. It's not going to happen while Trump is president because he is easily the most unqualified person to ever seek the office. The idea that that little tidbit can be ignored is just bizarre.
I hear you about the president. Yet I do not understand why a "President" is the nations unifying body, seems to me the divide is between "We the People". There was NO unification under former President Obama either .. the divides are the same divides that were present under Obama, now magnified under Trump.
I have NO answer, wish I did though! I have to believe that healing begins with "us" not with government. I did however feel that if former VP Joe Biden had run as a one term (I think he would have won!) .. the healing could possibly have started!
Mr. Russell. No matter what the subject you somehow manage to bring Pres. Trump into it.
The man in LV started collecting his arsenal while Pres. Obama was in office.
Should we blame him, as well?
I'm not blaming Trump for the shooting, I am saying there is no chance the country will come together while he is president. None.
I have people I don't take seriously either. Do you want to make the list?
Donald Trump is very unpopular.
Mr. Russell's favorite color must be RED.
How is that?
Actually his poll numbers pretty much prove that it's not just the leftists that don't care for trump.
I would think this comment was off topic. But the reality is, it's dead on. Not by anything you have said John, but by the simple fact that you said them. Unity is not going to happen until YOU, the Left, and the Leftist Media get over the fact that he was elected. Qualified? Who gives a shit! Obama was no where near qualified when he was elected. Hell, after 8 years in office he still isn't qualified.
Unity is a two way street. Yet you want the one way of no Trump. It's not going to happen. And until you and your butthurt brethren get passed that and start working together, there will never be unity.
Put your big boy panties on, and get passed the fact that your criminal candidate lost.
With your attitude it most certainly is your fault and the fault of those like you.
Can you explain that comment ? Are you blaming the election of Trump on those that reject him ? Do tell.
Go back and read the whole comment I was replying to not just the bit used for reference.
"Donald Trump needs to resign the presidency and go back to reality tv. The chances of "unity" before that happens are less than zero, and justifiably so."
Why because you don't like him? Because you don't agree with his polucues. Because you are still upset your liusy candidate lost? Because you are not even going to move your positions part way and are going to hold your breath and turn blue until you get your way?
Trump is not qualified to be president and wouldn't be if he lives another 1000 years. I would like to bow out now so as not to derail this seed beyond the obvious.
Evil did nit win in Las Vegas. The proof is those off duty first responders that risked their lives and ran to the sound of the guns and assisted getting others out of the line of fire and probably bringing it in themselves. The proof is in the civilians that risjed their lives doing the same. It was proven by those tgat assisted in transporting the wounded to the hospitals in their own vehicles. It was shown by the survivors and others who came together and gave comfort to each other. It was proven by the hundreds of people tge lined up to give blood even befire tge smell of cordute dissipated at the crime scene.
No you are wrong if you think evil won it Vegas. It tried hard for a victory but extrordinary US citizens toik that victory away from it and beat evil up with it.
You actually give me so much hope just now. (Smiling.) My emotions are raw today. Here is my canvas:
Sorry, but evil had the higher body county by a mile. Good showed up and cleaned up the mess, but to say that evil didn't win is just burying your head in the sand. For evil not to win, this guy would need to have had a change of heart in the months or years that led up to this horrific event, where he made purchase after purchase of mass murdering tools, and expressed his resentments with those he was in contact with. Sometimes you need to just accept the loss. You righties sure know that expression.
Must be sad to have such a poor outlook on life.
Must be nice to live life through a pair of rosy glasses.
Thank you for this well reasoned article and thank you for your service to your community. When there is a police involved incident, people jump on all cops as bad, the same with terrorists who loosely follow Islam (I have lived in an Islamic land and not all Muslims desire anything more than a successful life, raising their family) where people blame all of Islam.
Evil wins when good people do not do anything to stop it. Many did what they could to stop it in Vegas and many that couldn't stop it helped those in need.
Sorry for the poor editing, my first article.
(That's okay. You can update it any time you like.) Just know that you have struck a nerve with me and many others. That's clear.
If you want to edit the article after it's posted go to the top of the article and there is a box named ''update'' click on that and makes all the changes you want.
Thank you, I am still feeling my way around here.
Brother as the husband of a cop of 17 years evil isn't going to win. You did your time and passed the torch on to people like her. Like you, her and her ilk are out there kicking evil in the teeth.
Events like this will probably never stop and like you my wife has seen some stuff that haunts her. She still puts on the vest and belt every day and goes out to make the world a better place for our little daughter.
As long as there are people like you and her out there be assured that evil will never win
Thank you and tell her to keep up the good fight. Also, know that the support and love of a good spouse was key to my survival on the streets and it would seem that your wife has that covered too.
Very well said.
Thank you for your service.
Hi Blue and really good article. I really enjoyed it and welcome to NT!
I am going to put a different spin on your article. I worked as a teacher for over 20 years in the NYC school system, in the worst crime neighborhood in the city. I saw evil win often. I also so good win out over evil. Everytime I had a student of mine go off to college, good won. Everytime I had a student wait to get married to have children, good won. Everytime and act of kindness was done, good won.
I worked with many LEO's over the course of those 20 years. One was so kind as to find the classroom guinea pig who was kid-napped. The story was so touching it even made the papers. Good won that day.
Good is out there and whenever it happens, evil loses. We will never be rid of evil, but we can strive to make it seen less often.
Thank you for your service. I could have never done my job without you doing yours.
Oh, Perrie, awesome to respond to him the way you did.
You know, when I exposed a drug ring in my area, I didn't know how dangerous it was. All I knew was that my soccer kids could buy the shit for a dollar. When the phone calls started and the druggers following me is when I knew I was out of my league. Like a fool, I didn't stop. I put myself and my family in jeopardy. My husband was furious. No one came to help me. Oh, yes, when it was all over I go t all these accolades, but where were they when I needed them? They were closed down, but I put my family in jeopardy....I can't forget that.
Law enforcement officers go through this everyday. I have the upmost respect for everyone of them.
Mags,
I am sorry that you didn't get the backup that you needed. That is a horrible feeling. But on the other hand, you did make it out OK and you did wonderful work. Good won, even if you got scared to death. Again, I am sorry for what you had to endure.
Did you not mean "pig-napped"?
Very well stated, very well written. Thank you for your service and thank you for writing what I have been feeling for years. You have my respect and appreciation.
My friend, thank you for your service.
A long time ago, I stopped what I believe would have been a mass shooting. Early 80's I was down in California on assignment. Now I like my icecream and was salving my thirst for Banana Splits in a local parlor. and what usually happen when eating large quantities of ice cream the facilities were necessary.
while I was in the facilities, a man came in, washed his hands, combed his hair, and pulled a nice shiny chrome 45 out of his waist band and racked the slide. I turned and looked at him, he looked at me and smiled. I tucked everything back in place and he turned towards the door. I let out a sigh of relief but then it flashed, he didn't put the gun away.
I drew my M-40, (back in those day I carried it with a round in the chamber, I'm smarter these days) and proceeded after him trying not to make a sound. When he reached the door he opened it slowly and then raised his pistol.
As his went off so did mine.
Loudest gunshot I ever heard, it was like an explosion right outside my ears.
His round struck a post that was behind a booth where a set of grandparents were celebrating their grandson's birthday. it passed right between granddad and the birthday boy.
He went down in a lump in the doorway.
I live with this everyday, You may imagine the guilt one carries when you take a life. But it had to be done. I still don't know why he didn't shoot me. He couldn't possibly have known I was carrying.
The hardest part about it was they called me a hero. Which I reject. I just did what any responsible adult would have done in that situation. At least that is how I rationalize it.
I took everything that man is, was and would ever be.
I still have issues with it today.
Thank you for your service sir, sincerely, your one of those people that make this nation stronger than the evil that lurks.....
Wow! What we don't know about those who come online.
That's awesome! Geez! You saved a lot that day!
Brother, I was fortunate enough to never have to shoot or kill anyone. I was, on a few occasions, at a point where I was seconds away from killing someone. Every time it was, for the lack of a better word the most "soulless" feeling I have ever felt. I can only imagine what it felt like and the scar it has left on you. As I mentioned earlier my wife is the one person who has kept me sane all these years. Between her and wearing a good pair of running shoes and a long run down the road, I have found my Zen, I hope you find yours.
That is a very good word for it...... another is "failure"
thank god you didn't have to....
Evil will always win some battles or good wouldn't need to fight.
The balance is whats most important. As long as good triumphs over evil in most cases we're still on track.
IMO: We've always had good and bad, If not we wouldn't know the difference.
I have never had a bad experience with a Police Officer, whether it was when I was a lawyer or a layman. As well, that extends to my presence in at least 17 different countries. If anything, I have found them to be respectful, honest and dedicated. At least a part of their job is to help us maintain our personal safety, and for that I will always be thankful.
I have always respected the police. When I was growing up my best friend's father was a policeman and was well respected by all the neighbors. He was a large gentle man who was always fair minded and friendly.
However.. I did have a run in with one cop one time that wasn't cut from the same cloth by a long shot.
You have that in everything though, I've had and seen some really shit doctors as well.
Anytime humans have power, the fact some can't handle it is apparent.
And, Incompetence surrounds us...lol