As we mourn the lose of two New York police officers it is becoming pretty clear we are spiraling out of control. The regard for human life continues to fall and many are not aware nor do they understand the unintended consequences.
The blue line
I think many of us are tired of the crap leveled at police and first responders these days. If you have not worn the uniform I would urge caution with your words. Until you have had to work in such inhospitable environments you might want to save your judgement or better yet, just say thank you. I have had the great fortune of working with so many from so many different parts of this great country and it is not an easy job. I listen to both the good and bad, how they are an integral part of a community to how they work in a war zone in some cases. Despite the work environment, they represent some of the very best we as a country have to offer.
Double standards
What I absolutely cannot stand is when an organization such as the NAACP, is quick to come out with such a transparent statement. It should come as no surprise these days, take a look at any scandal and what do you see? You see a meaningless statement or apology, then you see the same action committed by others followed with more meaningless statements or apologies. You do not get to grab airtime with a statement such as the one made in response to the targeted murder of two police officers. No, that should not be acceptable nor should it be condoned. You do not get to turn their deaths into an “anti-gun” sermon nor do you get to try and side step the issue this act was a retaliatory act. Acts such as this, a meaningless statement should be taken for what they are, which is an agenda driven opportunity to espouse their own ideas. Nothing more. One thing I will say because I just can’t not say anything about the subject is how the NAACP believes this is a result of poor gun control laws. I would simply like to point out this crime was committed in one of the strictest gun control cities in the country. It should send a very clear message that criminals will continue to break the law. It should remind people that these laws have little affect at deterring crime, but they are huge infringements on your civil rights. How can an organization that was created to champion civil rights be so against them.
The truth will set you free
Yes, we need to wait for more facts to surface and an official report to be released and my sincere hope is for it to be made public. I think many would like to know more about how these two officers, family men, assassinated while in the performance of their duties. I am going to reserve my thoughts about the facts of the murder until they come out, but here is what we know so far. The suspect, approached possibly undetected the two officers and murdered them. Then fled the scene being pursued by other uniformed officers. He took his own life on a subway platform. Ok, that seems pretty cut and dry. The key is going to be determining the motive and that is going to be a touchy subject. Again, my sincere hope is a motive is discovered and the truth released to the public.
Nobody is going to win here, what we can only hope for is the truth. The truth is the key, when we can see the truth we can then make up our own minds. I’m thinking the truth is going to point to the heart of the problem, which is an epidemic of sorts, one where the regard for human life just doesn’t have the same impact in our society it once did.
"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts." Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States.
Murder is wrong, whether committed by civilians or police. For far too long, the “law enforcement community” has been turned into a defacto modern day equivalent of the Nazi brown-shirts by the politicians, charged NOT with keeping the peace (we called cops “peace officers” when I grew up – I’m 54), but with “enforcing the law”, and that difference is significant. Laws used to be intended to protect society from the actions of others. Far too many laws today seek to protect the individual from himself – and that’s where the problem begins. Seat belt laws, inane tax laws, “regulatory procedures” all enforced by police officers. “We just enforce the law” they tell us. Well, perhaps so, but those laws are used by the politicians to train society to be compliant to whatever dictate government decides to issue – and cops are routinely granted passes by DA’s that rely on police testimony to make their cases. Garner died as a result of a prohibited choke hold – no charges filed. The public anger over these killings is understandable, and growing. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, government has increased the police presence and the power they have to “enforce the law”, ostensibly designed to keep us safe. Not all of us want the police state, which is defined as where police suppress activities the government doesn’t approve of. Society needs the police. Those police, however, must never be viewed as above the law or treated as superior to those they police. When that happens, and it is now, acts of violence will increase. Criticism of police is not an attack, and every facet of government should be reigned in when it begins to act in ways contrary to the purpose they were created for. Politicians can stop this by only creating new laws that protect society from the acts of others – but don’t hold your breath.
Thank you for your thoughts
Merry Christmas, Jeff! Keep leading onward. Thanks for the wisdom!
Thanks Craig, same to your family as well.