🍼 Throwing the Baby Out with the Bathwater

I saw a story yesterday that the National Guard is being brought in to police Washington D.C. For years, I’ve thought maybe military personnel should replace the police. Not because I’m anti-police, but because the military is better equipped, more disciplined in high-pressure situations, and often trained with a stronger sense of accountability when it comes to civilian lives.

But in the same article, I saw something else — lawmakers considering trying kids as young as 14 years old as adults. And that’s where I have a problem. To me, that’s throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

For as long as I can remember, laws have been changed to make penalties harsher and harsher. Yet the problems remain. Why? Because what they call a “deterrent” isn’t really one. Speaking from my own experience and my community’s reality — when your life already feels worthless, risking a life sentence is just part of the cost.

Instead of always tightening penalties, why don’t we ever stop and say:
“Hey, something’s wrong in these communities. Let’s fix the root problem.”

The Bible says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Let’s start there. I’m big on cognitive restructuring — challenging people to think differently, to gain new perspectives, to gather evidence that a better life is possible. Jesus began His ministry with the words, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). That word “repent” means to change your mind — to think differently. This is the heart of transformation: change your thinking, and you change your life.

When Jesus stood up in His own community and read from Isaiah 61, He declared good news for the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, freedom for the captives and prisoners, comfort for those who mourn, joy for the heavy-hearted, and dignity for the ashamed. He proclaimed “the acceptable year of the LORD.”

Notice — He didn’t come to condemn them. Yet in our system, condemnation is often the default. We punish people for how they deal with their poverty, heartbreak, captivity, and shame. We punish them for their coping mechanisms instead of addressing their pain.

I believe it would be cheaper for taxpayers to deal with the root issues than to lock people away. And not just cheaper — it would be far richer for the soul of our nation. Because when you invest in the brokenhearted, you eventually grow what Isaiah called “oaks of righteousness.”

It reminds me of another story in scripture — the decree that anyone who refused to worship the king’s golden statue would be thrown into a fiery furnace. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah refused to bow, and were condemned to die. But here’s the part people overlook: the men who were supposed to throw them into the furnace died because the punishment system burned too hot.

That’s what happens when our “justice” burns without wisdom — it doesn’t just destroy the accused, it destroys the ones enforcing it, and it weakens the whole community.

Maybe instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, it’s time to drain the dirty water, wrap the baby in a warm towel, and figure out how we got it dirty in the first place.

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Your Turn
If you believe our justice system should focus on restoration instead of just condemnation, speak up. Share this message. Start a conversation in your home, your church, your workplace, and your community. Change begins when enough people decide that fixing the root problem matters more than punishing the symptom.