That picture above shows the chief to the left (on the phone) and a few others. Apparently, the deadly “by-stander syndrome” had gripped a few of the officers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde:
- “There’s someone else in charge, and we need to choose our battles and be prudent and live to fight another day. So what if there’s ongoing sporadic gunfire.”
BORTAC arrives, negatively assesses that “rationale”, goes in and instantly neutralizes the threat of the shooter as was possible to all 376 responding officers.
There is no choosing such battles. Each one must be fought, first time, every time, regardless of any stand-down orders. The guy who doesn’t fight every single battle like the one in Uvalde will never fight in any battle unless he radically converts.
Analogy for the priesthood. You have heard that it was said:
- “There’s an epic battle with hell going on right now with bishops everywhere attacking faith and morals and the spiritual life and reverent liturgy, and, we’re gripped by the deadly “by-stander syndrome.” We priests have to stand by each other and say that someone else is in charge, and because of that we’re going to say that we’re forced to stand by idly all day and do nothing, we’re being forced to go along to get along, forced to live and fight another day, because you gotta choose your battles, you know, you gotta be prudent, you know. We’re the clever ones, the sophisticated ones, the one’s who have the power of being aloof, with power to have the largess to tolerate even hell, watching everyone go to hell. That’s on them, but we’re good to go. We’re heroes. We’ve seen it all. We can accompany even Satan himself. We’re the ones. We’re the only ones. Learn from us who are prideful and arrogant of heart.”
Meanwhile, the church and the world run as fast as possible into hell. The guy who doesn’t fight today will never fight tomorrow unless he radically converts. Every battle for doctrine, morals, the spiritual life, reverent liturgy must be fought. We have to be ready to die on any hill during any fight, and then go to heaven bringing many others to heaven with that example, with that intercession of one’s very life for the salvation of souls.
ARISE! LET US BE GOING! 