Sounds like two topics that don't normally go together and quite honestly, I am elated but also why I chose the two topics.
In my conversation with Kevin Miller on 580KIDO radio this morning among other topics was a brief discussion on why people like Utah and as I thought about it, my attendance at the Gay Pride parade in 2009 popped into my head. Why you might ask? Because I learned a valuable lesson I believe would apply to our conversation.
I told Kevin I really liked why Utah State Police doesn't cite for speeding. I told him in a conversation I had with USP that they realized it was more of a danger to themselves and the general public if they did because if congestion truly is more dangerous, why create congestion while citing violators. I told him I thought that ISP could learn a valuable lesson from USP and the outcome of that decision would be a clear indicator for the people if the ISP wasn't driven by revenue that they do as USP does. When I said what I did, it was not out of disrespect for ISP, for I have many friends in ISP, my only mention was related to policy, logic and common sense.
I know that many that heard our conversation this morning would say, "But we need ISP to keep us safe" and to "keep people from breaking the law!" (which are both topics on law I have covered in great detail in previous posts.) My simple answer to these statements relates to consistency.
In 2009 as previously mentioned, I attended the Gay Pride parade in Boise (Just before my run for state legislature) and before you ask, the answer is NO! I am not Gay and do not support the Homosexual agenda. I attended for religious reasons and to challenge the status quo and this is the reason I mention it here as it relates to ISP.
Weeks before my attendance at the parade I reached out to many different pastors and asked them if there was any reason that I should not attend because if they gave me good reasons, I wouldn't have. I explained to many of them that the reason I wanted to attend was to help them understand that not everyone that is a Christian hates Gays, we hate the political agenda and we hate the consequences it will rain upon our culture over time. I also hated the fact that it was against what God's plan was for humanity but all in all, that part was between the gays and God.
I was obviously accused of "Hate" simply because I attended and opposed several parts of the agenda and that I didn't embrace the agenda itself. What several couldn't see was that the only real hatred I received didn't come from the gay parade attendees but instead came at me from the MC at the event and several of our pro-gay legislators neither of whom knew anything about me or why I was there and weren't even remotely interested. Sadly because of this, they never did know.
After the event, a few pastor friends of mine attended what we called a Jeremiah 29 Pot bashing ceremony just outside of the office of a local abortionist. We didn't advertise it and there was only a few of us there and all was peaceful. As we were finishing up, a tall man was appearing to loudly talk to himself then came upon us asking why we were there so we told him. Come to find out this man was a self-avowed homosexual and admittedly a Jew for what reason he told us I was unaware. At any rate he was not the kind of person that would yell and scream at us with no desire to communicate.
Contrarily he invited us to his home to have a discussion on religion, politics and homosexuality. After several hours, we thanked him for his time and left. I found him intriguing and wanted to know more. I did have a few conversations with him off and on for several years after that initial meeting because I wanted to know more about why they feel and believe the way they do and he was willing to tell me. Finding anyone that is willing to share anything that you oppose is rare...and welcome. Among other things we spoke about, he told me something I will never forget and thank him even today for taking the time to tell me. What he told me relates to exactly why I wrote this post and has changed my life in ways that has made me a better man. Weird huh?
The man told me that he appreciated why I was at the parade and said it was indeed rare that someone would come without malice in his heart and that most like me that had attended only stirred up trouble. He said the problem he had with me wasn't that I attended the first year, it was because I didn't show up in the years afterwards. He told he although I may have seemed genuine in the beginning, I had lost all genuinity when I didn't show up because it looked like I was pushing a personal agenda not love of humanity. In other words, my intentions did not seem consistent with my actions. After thinking about what he said I felt like he could have been right even if that wasn't my intention.
In all that time preparing to attend, seeking accountability from Pastors and to make sure I was attending for the right reasons, I did realize that not attending years after only appeared to mean that I wasn't there because God had me there or I would have come back. In either case, the lesson I learned was that there is a thought process within consistency that gives people the feeling that people care and that showing up only once looks like one may be present for selfish reasons.
All that being said, all of this flashed by me this morning on the radio to say and ask a few things... If the ISP is on the roadway to keep us safe, wouldn't be keeping us safe include not creating congestion that only creates a less safe environment? Additionally, if the ISP didn't show up on the scene to patrol the roadways for the sake of revenue, the few days a month they patrol the roadway, do they not care about our safety on the days they are nowhere to be found?
My point is that if one claims to do something and they do it inconsistently, doesn't the stated intent appear to differ from the intended action?
Not that I am a big fan of a police state but if we think logically and ISP says they are there to keep us safe and it isn't about generating revenue, why are they not present every day of the year rather than only a few days a month?
I have thought about this topic for years. I was always reluctant to write it because in the back of my mind, I thought if this post was read by the one's that could change the policy, would I then be responsible for the citations of lawful citizens every day of the year instead of just a few days that inadvertently aided in the increasing totalitarian police state rather than moving the needle toward Liberty?
I guess we will see.