{"id":35461,"date":"2024-02-01T21:19:32","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T05:19:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=35461"},"modified":"2024-02-01T21:19:32","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T05:19:32","slug":"a-white-officer-and-a-black-woman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/a-white-officer-and-a-black-woman\/","title":{"rendered":"A white officer and a black woman…"},"content":{"rendered":"

January 30, 2024, began the trial of a West Caln Police Officer. It\u2019s a trial many of us who live in West Caln have been nervously waiting for. November 10, 2021, a black lady, Takeisha Landry made a left turn while stopped at a red light. Sergeant Tony Sparano approached her car after she stopped, and he saw her recording the conversation. He snatched the phone from her, and she sped away. He then shot at her car, shattering the back window as the bullet missed her head by less than 2 inches. Once she stopped, according to Landry, an argument pursued with cursing, and she claimed he physically abused her trying to get her out of the car.1 <\/sup><\/p>\n

When I first heard the details, my heart sank for Landry and Sparano. I have a very close relationship with the officers in West Caln. As a youngster Sergeant Sparano gave me a job as a security officer and spent many hours talking to me about police work. Four years ago, I was driving down the road and I received a text message from a West Caln Police Officer. Here\u2019s the thread:<\/p>\n

Lieutenant Fries: Hey Todd, I\u2019m driving behind you and I noticed your left taillight out. Are you going to take care of it, or do you want me to pull you over?<\/p>\n

Me: Hey Chris! It\u2019s always good hearing from you. I will take care of it tomorrow!<\/p>\n

Lieutenant Fries: Thank you.<\/p>\n

Me: You\u2019re welcome, sir.<\/p>\n

Lieutenant Fries: And remember, no texting and driving.<\/p>\n

Me: LOL. Copy that!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s my relationship and history with the West Caln Police Department that caused me deep pain. But I am a black person and I understand the fear that can accompany being pulled over by a white police officer. Therefore, my heart goes out to Ms. Landry. The moment she saw those lights, I\u2019m sure her nervous system and body became very dysregulated and most likely did not return to normal for at least a month. Now that\u2019s trauma. I will come back to a humble attempt at a solution to the Landry and Saprano saga.<\/p>\n

I thought about all of the above as I read Matthew Petrusek\u2019s book, Evangelization and Ideology. <\/em>In fact, I was reminded of what was said between Landry and Saprano when I read, \u201cthe disagreeing parties will simply be talking (or more likely, shouting) past each other. Knowing where and why you disagree with your interlocutors is the condition for the possibility of ever reaching an agreement.\u201d2 <\/sup>It is most likely true that Landry and Saprano talked and shouted past each other and neither one knew where and why they disagreed with one another. Thus, they were not going to come to an agreement. Thus, this is why the people of West Caln struggle to come to an agreement. For the past two years the conversation has been the same from its residents:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t she just stop?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would he shoot at an unarmed woman?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t she just comply?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere we go again, taking advantage of a black woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen will we ever get this right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe should not have driven through a red light.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen are we ever going to get some black officers on this police force?\u201d<\/p>\n

In regard to the above quotes, Petrusek wrote, \u201cMost political conflicts have little to do with politics. They are rooted in more fundamental disputes about moral values, moral knowledge, the definition of the human being, and even metaphysics.\u201d3 <\/sup>According to Petrusek our hyper-politicized society offers us an opportunity for evangelism instead of fighting or trying to prove our point of view. He does a phenomenal job proving why it is important to understand our political culture in order to respond to it. He offers an antidote to four foundational secular ideologies of our day. Those ideologies are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Utilitarianism \u2013 \u201cThe greatest good for the greatest number\u201d4<\/sup><\/li>\n
  2. Classical liberalism\/libertarianism5<\/sup> \u2013 Free market and laissez-faire economics and civil liberties under the rule of law, with special emphasis on individual autonomy.<\/li>\n
  3. Progressiveism\/wokeism6<\/sup> \u2013 A sensitivity to systemic injustices.<\/li>\n
  4. Non-theistic conservatism7<\/sup> \u2013 God\/religion does not belong in politics.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    While genuinely respecting these four worldviews, Petrusek offers an alternative. Now back to Landry and Saprano. I will use four of his alternatives to get involved in our community in order to evangelize by building bridges.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Try to avoid attacking \u201cbad people\u201d and focus on attacking bad ideas instead.8<\/sup> This Sunday after church, I will talk with Lieutenant Fries and remind him of that trauma seminar we talked about. I will explain to him the \u201cbad people ideas\u201d that are coming out of the Landry Saprano case:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n