Sheriff Mark Lamb

With freedom comes the good and the bad.

There must be opposition in all things if you want freedom.

You can't take the good and not expect the bad to come.

The way I look at bad things in this world is I actually take it, and to me, I give God even more credit that he has the ability to sit and watch us F it all up and treat each other horribly and to hurt one another and to do these things.

But the principle of freedom is so great that he has to step back and say, I have to let these things happen.

And I'm okay with it.

I lost a son and a granddaughter and a daughter-in-law, but I'm okay with it because the alternative is to have no freedom, for everything to be crafted in a way where none of us get hurt.

And to me, that's not what freedom is.

If you want freedom, there is pain.

That's where the growth is, but freedom comes with risk and pain.

And I think more than anything, we shouldn't be angry with God.

We should be happy that God is willing to stand aside and let us exercise our freedom and make the decisions for ourselves, good or bad.

So in this life, I don't blame God for bad things happening.

I look at it and say, somebody used their freedom and made a bad decision.

It took something from me, but I get it because I exercise my freedom in different ways, and I don't want anything to jeopardize my freedom.

That same passion is what drives me to fight for my country.

And yes, do bad things happen that I have to sit by and watch happen?

Do I have to listen to people that I don't agree with when I want to protect the First Amendment?

Yes, I do.

I hate what they say, but I'll fight anybody for their right to do it.