July 2024. Blues Vol 40 No.7

DARYL LOTT daryl’s

DARYL LOTT daryl’s deliberations Appearances & Honor Americans, it appears, no longer care what something looks like. I remember when the actual truth on the ground took a back seat to what any action I took looked like. In other words, my decision as a police lieutenant had to consider the optics of the situation. Did my decision make it look like I was playing favorites? Did it make it look like I favored one race or gender over another? Did my decision look like I was placing my fingers on the scales of justice? After all, I represented all the citizens of Houston and I had the duty to support not only the facts on the ground, but to consider the citizens’ perceptions of my actions. The Houston Police Rules Manual dictated that I must use “sound judgment.” In recent years, issues arose in our country that affected perceptions and notions of fair play and objectivity. Of course, this is not limited to one ideology or politi- 164 The Blues - July ‘24 cal party. It gives rise to reactionary politics. Reactionary politics dictate that when one side does X, the other side must do Y as a reaction. Reactionary politics make no accommodation for compromise. I give a few examples of what concerns me. When the pandemic struck the world, some people used the term “Chinese Covid” as the name of the disease. The mainstream DARYL LOTT media in America derided the term as it made China look like the culprit in the whole episode. It’s nothing new to tack the origin of a virus on the name of the sickness. For example, “German Measles”, “Russian Flu”, “Spanish Flu”, etc. As the mainstream media dug in their heels over this, they did not care if it looked like they were pawns of the Chinese Communist Party. They manufactured the angle that if anyone called it “Chinese Covid”, they were racists against Asian people. Why not just report the facts? As the pandemic took its toll around the world, Democrats in the U.S. decided to change voting laws so no one would be “disenfranchised” because of the quarantines. Anything more than someone driving by and casting a vote without identification confirmation was

“Jim Crow.” Democrats wailed about Voter ID being discriminatory, yet they gave no evidence of anything to that effect. Meanwhile, Republicans (and most Democrats) believed the only reason one would not want Voter ID is to cheat. That really is the only logical conclusion. During the pandemic many irregularities occurred. I’m not saying the election was stolen. I am saying that if the Democrats wanted to make it appear the election was stolen, they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Republicans took to the streets of Washington DC on January 6th. I assume they believed the election was stolen because it appeared that way. The same appearance situation occurred in reverse. If a group of people wanted to make it look like they were trying to overthrow the government of the United States, they hit the mark. Read the room, people! It seems like neither side asks what their actions will look like to the other side or objective people around the world. Honor requires such a consideration. Democrat prosecutors have gone after President Trump with a vengeance. They have no complainants and the obscure laws they pull up have never been prosecuted like this before. It’s no wonder that Trump’s poll numbers have gone up. It looks like Democrats have manufactured some really flawed legal proceedings to prosecute their political opposites. Apparently, most Americans believe the worst about Democrat motivations for prosecution. The old adage “Perception is Reality” has never been truer than today. Americans have respected the other side’s perceptions throughout our history, and now reactionary politics rule the day. Above all, there is no honor. The first president elected in a two-party system was Andrew Jackson. He sincerely believed his first run for the office was stolen in the House of Representatives in what history called “The Corrupt Bargain.” He was probably correct, but he congratulated the victor and honored his country. He told his supporters they would have to get more votes the next time so the election wouldn’t be thrown to the House. They got more votes, and he won convincingly the next time. Jackson said, “Every good citizen makes his country’s honor his own and cherishes it not only as precious but as sacred. He is willing to risk his life in its defense and is conscious that he gains protection while he gives it.” The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Thessalonica and admonished them to “Abstain from the appearance of evil.” The same apostle wrote to the Romans, “Outdo one another in showing honor.” What we’re doing now can’t be good for us. Just sayin’. The Blues - July ‘24 165