This past winter, I bought a new black Stetson cowboy hat and wore it to church a few times. When the weather warmed up, I wore my straw. The day I wore the straw, I was greeted by an older gentleman with, “I’m glad you’re wearing your white hat, the one good guys wear!” I chuckled, knowing exactly to what he referred. In the early years of western films, the good guys wore white hats, and the bad guys wore black hats. Over the years the line between good guys and bad guys began to blur. Perhaps, Clint Eastwood’s Spaghetti Westerns were the catalyst that encouraged the audience to cheer for the bad guy. Being raised on TV’s Gunsmoke and John Wayne movies, I’ve always been a fan of western films. But I recall going to see Young Guns in the late 1980s in which the infamous outlaw Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty) was portrayed as a hero and Sheriff Pat Garret as the antagonist. But let’s consider reality.
On Monday, April 1, 1878, Sheriff William Brady and four of his deputies walked down the street in front of the county courthouse in Lincoln, New Mexico. Billy the Kid, along with five members of his gang hid behind an adobe wall across the street. The unsuspecting lawmen were ambushed by the coward outlaws. Sheriff Brady and Deputy George Hindman were shot and killed in the exchange of gunfire.
This was not the first time Billy and his gang attacked lawmen. The gang was also responsible for the murders of several other law enforcement officers over the course of several years. But it was for the murder of Brady that Billy the Kid was convicted by a territorial court in April 1881 and sentenced to death. Shortly after being convicted, he escaped from the Lincoln County jail and was subsequently found and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett when he refused to be taken into custody.
Sheriff Brady, 48, served as Lincoln County Sheriff for five years. He also served with the U.S. Army for 15 years including time with the 1st New Mexico Cavalry. He and Deputy Hindman were buried on private property on what was Sheriff Brady’s ranch east of Lincoln.[1] We have no record of Deputy Hindman’s family, but Sheriff Brady left behind a wife and six children.
Contrary to how Hollywood chooses to portray these men, there is no gray area. Billy the Kid and his gang were coldblooded murderers, the lawmen, who were by no means perfect, were on the side of right—they were the good guys (No matter what color hat they wore!). Recently, we’ve seen law officers portrayed by some in the media and even in Congress as evil, while touting criminals as victims. The Bible warns against such labeling, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20a). When a society loses the distinction between good and evil it won’t be around long.
Bringing Hope to Law Enforcement
The Strong Blue Line Foundation—at no cost to officers or their agencies—brings hope to LEOs with training seminars that help them navigate a myriad of issues they deal with. One way we do this is by training chaplains. In the “Winning is More than Surviving” seminar and book, chaplains learn how to serve and minister to law enforcement officers by helping them understand the issues they deal with, their responses, and where they can find real hope. Please partner with us to make strong officers with strong relationships by giving them real hope for complete victory! To help, click the “Donate” button.
On the Road
Our next road trip is scheduled for July when we’ll head to Spokane, WA for the International Conference of Police Chaplain’s annual training seminar. I was invited to present three training sessions for chaplains who come from across the United States and other countries. Pray for your police.
[1] odmp.org/officer/2168-sheriff-william-brady
