Serve... and Protect

On Thursday, March 6, 2014, I was scared for my life due to the neglect of the Cincinnati Police Department and their extreme mishandling of an auto-theft.

First and foremost, I would like to thank the men and women of the Cincinnati Police Department who operate under the core values of the force and help make the city a better place to live.  Unfortunately, on Thursday, March 6, 2014... I was not lucky enough to encounter one of them.  Here are the core values the department strives to uphold (taken from their website):

• Integrity: Our actions and relationship with the community are guided by an internal sense of honesty and morality.
• Professionalism: Our conduct and demeanor display the highest standard of personal and organizational excellence.
• Diversity: Our members recognize differences as a strength in our organization and community.
• Accountability: Our duty is to promote public trust by upholding our obligations to the department and community.
• Vigilance: Our responsibility is to be alert to issues and activities impacting our community.

It was a typical Thursday and I woke up around 9 AM.  I went up to the main floor of our home and my roommate, Drew Lens, looked at me and said, "you'll never guess what just happened to me."  At 9 AM, there weren't a whole lot of potential negatives that crossed my mind before he informed me his car had just been stolen.  Drew was warming his car up directly in front of our house before leaving for work.  He stepped inside and within 2 or 3 minutes someone took off with his vehicle.  He called the police as anyone else would do, although he wasn't too optimistic about the response he would receive due to previous experiences during the 6 years he has lived in Cincinnati.

On multiple occasions, Drew has been a victim of crime in the city and has had to resort to the police in hope they would fulfill their duties.  He explained to me that every single time they have come only to treat him as a criminal.  Once his house was robbed and the first question the police asked upon arrival was, "what kind of drugs are you selling?"  I find it hard to pick integrity and professionalism out of that sort of response.

Hoping that this situation would warrant a different response, we awaited the arrival of a police officer.  Upon arrival, the officer did two things:  issued Drew a ticket for a parking violation (apparently leaving your keys in the ignition is an offense) and then wrote a parking ticket for one of our neighbors.  The officer seemed more interested in making the city a few dollars on parking tickets than he seemed inclined to pursue an auto-theft felony.  Officer Beasley continued to be rude and matter-of-fact with Drew when he exclaimed, "If you see your vehicle, you better not get inside of it because we will treat you like you stole it," before he finally drove away.  The officer kicked the victim while he was down.  This all greatly irritated me, but as the day went on, things only got worse.

Throughout the day, Drew was never contacted by anyone from the department.  Around 4 PM, he remembered his vehicle was equipped with Onstar services, so he called the police department and they connected with Onstar to locate his vehicle.  Coincidentally, after a little time on the phone, the police said they had already located the vehicle although they never attempted to contact its owner.  There were no keys inside and the vehicle was in the middle of an apartment complex in one of the most crime-ridden neighborhoods of Cincinnati. 

The police suggested they were going to tow the vehicle, impound it, and charge Drew for all of the services.  Rationally thinking, Drew told the officers we would be there soon so he could avoid more expenses piling up.  On the way, we received a phone call from the dispatcher suggesting we hurry up because the police officer would "rather have it towed and impounded."

(So, let's get this straight.  A law abiding citizen has his vehicle stolen, gets ticketed for it, and the officer treats him like a criminal.  Then, once the vehicle is located, they want to tow it, impound it, and charge the owner again.  It seems to me that the police, at least in this situation, are working more as a capitalistic corporation with the goal to make profit at any necessary cost, opposed to operating under the department's core values.) 

Once we arrive, another officer treats this crime as if it holds no significance.  He looked at me and said, "This is the 8th one in 3 days," chuckles, turns away, and says, "see ya, guys."  The officers pulled away and this is where things got rough.

The officers left us alone for over an hour with the stolen vehicle as we waited for a tow truck.  Not to mention, this is considered probably the most dangerous road in a very dangerous neighborhood and we were obviously not welcome.  Outside of one family nicely speaking with us, many people walked by and drove by multiple times, giving us dirty looks which seemed to be efforts of intimidation.  Within one hour, I witnessed more than 10 blatant drug deals and even noticed a few individuals carrying guns at their waistlines.  Here are some notable facts about the neighborhood where the cops left us to retrieve a stolen vehicle (all taken from Area Vibes):

• The estimated Winton Hills crime index is 32% higher than the Cincinnati average and and the Cincinnati crime index is 131% higher than the Ohio average.
• The estimated Winton Hills violent crime rate is 32% higher than the Cincinnati average and and the Cincinnati violent crime rate is 244% higher than the Ohio average.
• The estimated Winton Hills property crime rate is 32% higher than the Cincinnati average and and the Cincinnati property crime rate is 120% higher than the Ohio average.
• The crime rate in Winton Hills, Cincinnati is less than 2% of the cities in Ohio.
• The estimated chance of being a victim of a crime in Winton Hills is 1 in 10.

The picture that follows is taken from the department's website and depicts crime on that particular street within the last 8 months, including homicides, many assaults, even more aggravated assaults, along with an abundant amount of robberies and burglaries (note that the 'crosshairs' are approximate to where we were located):

 The police made no attempt at an investigation concerning who stole Drew's vehicle.  They actually seemed more bothered that they didn't get the chance to tow it to the impound.  They were not concerned with the criminal as much as they were with dealing out parking violations or impound fees.  The actions of the police made us feel more unsafe in Cincinnati than we ever had before because these officers did not seem particularly concerned with protecting the residents of their own town.

I don't enjoy complaining, but I believe that the way the officers acted that day is not coincidental.  Knowing this neighborhood is as bad as it is, the police still left two people there with a vehicle that had been stolen by, more than likely, someone within close proximity.  I was literally, for the first time in my 27 years, scared for my life.  Do the police often treat victims like they are in the wrong?  Is this type of neglect something that happens regularly?  It is hard to believe that this is an isolated case and isn't widespread in the city. 

Most importantly, the department's neglect of this neighborhood is atrocious.  There are honest, hard working families that live in this community who have to face this crime every single day because of hardly any police presence.  Their children play outside on these streets only to witness the criminal activity because it cannot be avoided with the aid of police. I cannot even begin to imagine how these people feel on a daily basis.  Can you find integrity, accountability, professionalism, morality or vigilance in any of this?  I know I certainly cannot.  We were served through disservice and left to protect ourselves. 


Until next time...

Check me out on Twitter:  @PrallyD

Capitalism and (Un)Happiness

1 John 2:15-17 - Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world-- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions-- is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing along with its desires...

           The ultimate goal of capitalism is profit, 100% profit.  Basically, you give up nothing and get something in return, or, you give up something of lesser value in exchange for something more valuable.  Capitalism is designed around profit and then more profit.  As if “profit” is some abstract, immeasurable, infinite thing everyone can get.  That’s where there is a problem though; profit of any kind is always very finite, whether that is some kind of material, object, or currency.  You don’t “create” profit; it’s there for the taking.  Capitalism is based around the fallacious idea that anybody can be rich if they work hard enough.  In order to become rich, one must take money/resources from someone else first by means of selling a product, a service, taxation, etc…  The rich cannot exist without the poor and vice versa.  It’s all about the balance of resources (or imbalance, if you will).  That isn’t the issue at hand here, though, because I am no economy guru.  In fact, the concepts I (think I) understand in the business context are very basic at best.  Most importantly, I question, how does this fundamental model of capitalism reflect in western society’s lifestyle?  Is it good?  Is it bad?  How has it affected our psyche?  

The business model of capitalism is “more, more, more... never-ending more,” and the psychological model matches that exactly.  This capitalistic train of thought has infected our minds, producing a very negative affect on our psyche.  More clothes, more technology, more money, plainly stated… more STUFF.   I see so many people who always want more “things” and, quite frankly, that’s where the main focus of their life resides.  Can one ever be TRULY happy if he/she always wants more?  I would answer no, absolutely not.  Happiness via materials/resources is only a very superficial and shallow form of happiness.  I say that because in order for a person to be truly happy, there needs to be some level of complacency.  All caps and bold letters may help get one message across that should be taken from this not-so-well-organized rant:  IF YOU ALWAYS WANT MORE, YOU’LL CONTINUE TO WANT MORE UNTIL YOUR LAST BREATH.  Is that how you picture happiness to be?  Wanting more never yields true happiness.

 As materialism and the capitalistic mindset thrive, depression rates are also at an all-time high.  Nearly 10% of the American adult population has been diagnosed with clinical depression.  Now, I see a lot of luxury vehicles and an abundance of people that have a considerable amount of “things.” The fact that 1 out of every 10 adults has been diagnosed with depression (not to mention an X amount of adults who haven’t pursued professional help) shows me that “more, more, more” isn’t the real pursuit of happiness.   Also, one of the main causes of depression is stress and nearly 75% of adults who report experiencing extreme stress say it is due to financial woes and worries.  Do you see the correlation here?  I’d argue that to genuinely achieve happiness, one must redirect his/her VALUES away from VALUABLES.

 

Simply put, appreciate the small things or, as I’ve blogged previously, the little miracles.  Love, family, friends, food, water, this wonderful day, the very breath you take, and the simple necessities the Lord has given us to survive.  Be grateful for the many things you often take for granted.  Then, my friends, you’ll find true happiness and an honorably profitable state of mind. 

Until next time…

Check me out on twitter:  @PrallyD

Intricately Designed

A popular question I'm sure many of you have contemplated for yourself is "chance or design?"  Are we here by random chance or was our planet/universe designed by a creator?  Both sides of this argument, at their core, boil down to theory.  There isn't any "evidence" that exists which points to an answer about our creation.  It simply comes down to one's preference of science or faith.

For me, that choice seems fairly easy.  As I look at the world around me, I see a world full of things that have been designed.  An engine, watch, cell phone, computer, television, houses, works of art... the list could go on forever.  Each of these named things have been carefully designed and given a purpose by a designer; man.  I use that same form of logic when I look around at the world and how it works.  Our planet is like a carefully designed machine: different parts of all sizes working together with specific purposes in order to keep the whole part running.  To me, that doesn't seem to be something that is likely to happen merely by chance, but only by our Creator's hand.   Let's look at a few examples of how our world operates together to enhance our chance of survival (I am no scientist, these are VERY basic examples):

Honeybees:  the honey bee is very under-appreciated by us.  Honeybees pollinate 80 percent of our flowering crops (1/3 of everything we eat).  Without these bees, our diet would be very limited at best.  Not only are crops such as soybeans, broccoli, celery, nuts, and many fruits dependent on bees, but they also pollinate the majority of alfalfa, which is crucial to our cattle's diet.  The honeybee is one of the most important factors in our food supply.  What would we do without them?  Probably eat grains and drink water.

Marine Algae:  many of us have been brought to believe that rainforests are the main producer of the oxygen we desperately need to survive, but that isn't the case (although they are important, producing roughly 1/3 of the oxygen).  Marine algae, yes that nasty looking green stuff, produces 70 percent of the oxygen we breathe daily.  The plants produce the gas as a byproduct photosynthesis.  We literally would not survive without single celled, photosynthetic algae.  Crazy thought, huh?

Termites and Cockroaches:  as I read those bold letters, my first thought is, "ew."  Not so much when you realize what these little critters do for us though.  Termites recycle tons of cellulose-containing materials (such as dead trees and plants), returning them to the soil as nutrient-rich mulch.  For those of you who have been doing your landscaping this spring, you understand the importance of good mulch.  Cockroaches are even more important to humans than termites.  These roaches, like termites, also break down dead plant and animal material.  Without the existence of the cockroach through time (about 250 million years), scientists suggest that our rainforests would be smothered in decaying material.

It seems to me that our world is analogous to an intricately designed machine;  gears turning, notch in notch, helping the next one turn respectively.  Earth's ecosystem is full of checks and balances that work together to keep it operating efficiently.  Is this all by chance?  Sure, it could be, but that's not what I choose to believe and choice is exactly what answers this question for each of us.

 (A precursor to my next blog:  People with a Purpose)  Behind everything designed, there's a purpose.  Even things we don't fully understand (yet) have purpose.  I'll leave you with one hypothetical situation:

Imagine something so tiny that we can only view it through a microscope.  We don't understand its purpose, but we notice the even smaller parts of it kind of bouncing back and forth in interaction with one another.  Do you think it could have purpose?  If you answered "no," do you also think we have no purpose?  To put it into perspective, that's exactly what we are.  In the scale of the universe, we are merely a microscopic spec of dust... if that.



Until next time...

Check me out on twitter:  @PrallyD

The Key to a Happier Society

Utopia.  If you’re not exactly sure what that is, I’ll sum it up for you.  It’s an impractical and imaginary ideal of a perfect society.  It’s something that will never be accomplished because every person has contrasting views on what “perfection” is.  Plus, in my opinion, perfection is something that is impossible to accomplish in our individual lives, let alone on the broader scale of an entire society.  Yet, we are all entitled to dream of our personal utopia, rational or not.  Perfection is impossible; a utopia will never exist for any man or woman.  So, what isn’t impossible? A happier society.  

You see, there have been studies showing that approximately 1 in 10 Americans, 18 or older, suffer from either occasional depression or major depression disorder.  At a time in my life, I could account for being part of that statistic.  I believe that many other issues stem from depression.  A depressed person does not always think with a rational mind and can negatively affect many people around his or her life which could potentially start a snowball effect and lead to more serious issues.  

What is done about this alarming rate of depression?  Well, many people and doctors choose the route of medication.  Antidepressants are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S. Upwards to more than 10 percent of Americans are on some type of antidepressant medication.  These medications pose very serious physical side effects, like shortness of breath, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, nervousness, sleeping issues, and many more.  Not only that, but they can also trigger worsened depression, causing suicidal thoughts and manic behavior.  Why are we so quick to medicate these fairly natural issues with pills and unnatural solutions?  Ones that hold the potential to make the given problem even worse (possibly pharmaceutical company profit gains, but that's another topic).  I understand that some people need these medication(s) to battle depression, but I believe more should try other avenues first.  So, you might ask, “How can I fight depression without prescription medication(s)?”  

Different things work for different people, but what worked for me as a great alternative to antidepressants was giving back and helping others.  Helping and giving to others is shown in many studies to correlate with a higher level of happiness.  Doing so gives us a sense of purpose and worthiness within our lives, as I stated in my previous blog post.  Not only did it help treat my depression without the use of drugs, but, more importantly, it left a positive impact on the people around me as well.

Imagine a society where everybody woke up to the very thought of, “I’m going to help somebody today in some way, shape, or form.  Large scale, small scale, or something in between."  Theoretically speaking, everybody would help and be helped.  Donating to charity, lending a helping hand to someone in need, hosting a charity event, welcoming strangers with a smile... I could go on forever.  Imagine a place where people waited patiently and opened doors for you regularly.  A society where people accepted you for who you were so you would never have to act any differently from what was in your heart.  Imagine living on a sphere full of “pleases,” “thank yous” and “you’re welcomes.”  How much happier would it make you to help somebody on a daily basis?  How happy would it make you to know that somebody would be there to help you throughout your struggles?  The latter question is especially something many of us look for in our lives.  Having somebody to talk to or that we can depend on to help us through life's trials and tribulations is something almost all of us long for.  Imagine a world where anybody and EVERYBODY were willing to help one another.  Would that make you more comfortable?  Would that make you happier?

I firmly believe that if more people were willing to help each other, we would face far less societal issues (violence, divorce rates, racism, drug abuse, bullying, etc...).

Other self-help methods that can be used to combat depression include, but are not limited to, lifestyle changes such as:  a healthy diet, regular exercise, and setting short term goals to accomplish in any facet of life.  

This is really just a rant on my part.  To end it, I’ll leave you with a challenge.  Help somebody today.  A friend, a foe, a family member, a stranger… anybody.  Just lend out your hand with help on your mind.  Good day, all.

"If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change."  -Mahatma Gandhi

Until next time…

Check me out on twitter:  @PrallyD

10 Lessons I've Learned in (Slightly Over) a Quarter-Century

I was reflecting a bit the other night and I just wanted to share the things that came to my mind.  Here we go, some lessons that I have learned so far during my short stay on this planet...

1. Santa Claus isn’t real: I don’t care what anybody says, the physics ARE NOT possible. No man of that weight, with that large of a beard, could possibly travel at a speed sufficient enough to cover the entire world in one night. Plus, Second Amendment advocates would probably shoot a large man wearing a funny outfit if he entered their home without invite. Okay… now that’s out of the way, I can move onto actual lessons haha.

2. Differences are GOOD: A negative connotation often comes with the idea that people may be different than oneself. Dress differently, worship differently (or not at all), speak differently, have contrasting interests, etc… Many people are simply scared of differences because they are so comfortable with their own beliefs and ways. To me, life is all about progress. I don’t see a conceivable way for myself to progress as an individual nor any way we could progress as a species without having contrasting views and beliefs. Embrace the differences, open your mind to new concepts if only to hear them out, and be unique!

3. Our lives can be completely changed in just an instant: The phone call that you’ve lost somebody you love dearly, the message notifying you that you’ve received your dream job or been accepted into the college you’ve ALWAYS wanted to attend, the very moment you realize you’ve accomplished a dream of yours, seeing the “positive” on a pregnancy test, etc… There are many examples, positive and negative, but when it all comes down to it, there are many things that can change our lives quickly and forever.

4. Giving to others yields happiness: Studies everywhere indicate this principle. When giving to others, we find happiness, worthiness, and purpose within our own lives. Three things every human being has a right to feel and if anybody tells you that you deserve differently, you shouldn’t involve them in your life. I believe that depression and anxiety are so abundant in our society because we live in an individualistic world. Many people worry about themselves before others. Those material things that I always see people showing off aren’t the cause of real happiness, but only momentary happiness. Real happiness doesn’t fade. So, give and keep giving.

5. Time is relentless: It never stops. And, if it does, you better fix your damn clock. The longer we wait, the more opportunity we miss out on. Procrastination never leads us to anything good. It only leads to more stress in the future. If you’ve got a dream, go chase it. If your health is lacking due to no discipline in your diet or exercise, start making that change now before it’s too late. If you love somebody, tell them. If your grades are low because you always wait until the last second, STOP waiting. I could go on forever, but I’m sure you all get the general idea.

6. Christianity is a lifestyle: I believe that many people identify as a Christian… and that’s it. Maybe they’ll go to church from time to time or something to that effect, but they’ll leave it at that. In my eyes, it’s about much more than only identifying and attending church. To be a Christian, in my opinion, is a lifestyle and a very challenging one because, first, we must admit that we are only human and we do make mistakes. The lifestyle extends much further outside of the doors of the church and we must involve our faith in decisions we make in every facet of life. Many nonreligious people often tell me that being a Christian is “for the confused,” or “an easy way out.” Well, quite honestly, there’s a large bit of responsibility and vulnerability that comes with living a Christian lifestyle and this faith has challenged me more than anything else I’ve faced in my lifetime.

7. History only repeats because we refuse to learn from our mistakes:  That’s pretty self-explanatory.  I’m not going to dig too deep into any specifics because I’m sure we can all see these things in our personal lives, locally, and globally.  It seems like we, as individuals and a whole, make the same mistakes over and over again.

8. Failure is the key ingredient to success:  Don’t live in fear of failure, it’s an indicator you’re on the track to success.  You need to learn from those failures (as suggested in lesson 7) and apply whatever it is that you learned.  There are few people, if any, that don’t experience failure on the road to success.  Failure should be a lesson and a motivator, not a discouragement.  

9. Compromise:  One of the most important factors to sustain a healthy relationship of any type is compromise.   Give a little, get a little.  Do things with your loved one that you may not enjoy but he or she does.  Then, although you may not like the specific activity, just be appreciative that you can experience it with him or her.  Love is about more than only yourself, it’s about a partnership.

10. I’ve still got a lot to learn:  And so do we all.  If I know one thing, it’s that I really don’t know a thing at all.  Life is abundant with lessons for us to learn every single day.   I look forward to the new lessons of tomorrow and to reflect on the ones yesterday.


Until next time....




Check me out on Twitter:  @PrallyD