We hear time and time again “defund” the Police. I believe this is one of the most moronic ideas ever which has arisen from the so-called Race Riots of 2020. While the riots started as a protest of unequal treatment of young black men at the hands of the police, national statistics and data tends to discredit this view. However, this is a real sentiment even among the few black Americans that I personally know. It is prevalent in communities of color and it is not made up as many would contend. It comes from black communities’ experience and I will not denigrate the belief.
I postulate in this post that the riots are an expression well beyond the mistreatment of black Americans at the hands of the police and systemic racism as many shallow thinkers contend night after night on the news channels. Look at the number of young privileged white people and people color that are not black participating in these riots and demonstrations. I believe that the unrest and anger directed toward the police is really underlain by deep seated issues that most Americans regardless of race have experienced but, the average elite doesn’t understand. Many Americans empathize with the defund police movement due to the broader issues of:
- Corruption of our Elected Leaders who are protected and unaccountable;
- Corruption of our Courts who are protected and unaccountable;
- Unequal treatment within our justice system of those who are protected and unaccountable;
- Arbitrary shutting down our work and taking our jobs by people who are protected and unaccountable;
- Suspension of our Constitutional Rights by a Supreme Court who is protected and unaccountable; and
- Suppression by the elite of an average people’s rights for free speech without accountability.
Notice the common thread with each of the above items. The people treading upon our lives and freedoms are elitist that have actually placed themselves above the law yet, they tell the rest of America that no one is above the law. I believe that most Americans see this hypocrisy and has seen the two tiered justice system that the elites are oblivious to (i.e., they just don’t get it). Why? because the elites, in general, are protected and unaccountable for their actions using the laws they demand to be upheld.
So why is the people’s angry directed toward the police (another group that is general protected and unaccountable). Before I answer that question I will state that I support the Police almost 100 percent of the time. While we hear on certain news channels pundits saying 99 percent of the police are patriotic and are good and honest people. My experience is that 99.99 percent are good, well meaning, patriotic individuals interested in keeping both us and our property safe not 99 percent.
However, I also serve as a Chaplain at my local county jail and see the systemic injustice which preys on the poorest and weakest section of our population. This is perpetuated by Judges, Legislators, Governor and the Police all of whom are generally protected and unaccountable for their actions by the same law they take an oath to enforce.
With that said I will express my opinion. The anger of Americans directed towards police is because many American believes we are becoming a police state, not a beacon of freedom. Their rights and liberties are being trampled by the Press, Congress, Governors, Bureaucrats, large Corporations, Mayors, Police, ….. etc. all which appear to be above law. What most Americans see is there is no sense of equal justice under the law a founding principle of the American justice system.
For example, what are Americans suppose to think when a beauty shop operator trying to make a living to feed her family is arrested and thrown into jail by a corrupt Judge enforcing the unconstitutional orders of a Governor trampling upon her rights citing public health concerns. The last time I read the Constitution there was no exceptions for Public Health concerns in the bill of rights. Likewise, when an out of control police officer unjustly kills a person, most of time is not accountable they write it off as an honest mistake. Try using that defense if you kill your neighbor.
Typically, the government tells Americans tough sh** because of the immunity granted to police officers. Americans are angry that no one is ever held accountable for most miscarriages of justice or out-of-control Bureaucrats. These people cost lives, money, confiscate property or suppress our freedoms with no accountability and there minimal recourse for one if they are wrong. Most American cannot afford either the time or money to challenge the authorities and if they try, the authorities will end up ruining us financially and socially. If we do prevail, again, the most we get a “never mind” after spending a lot or money and years of our life in the courts and/or prison system.
If the problem is much larger than the police, why is there so much anger at the police? Well the police are the armed employees or army commissioned by the Courts, Governors, Mayors, Congress to ensure their will (right or wrong) is imposed upon the American public. Its not the Governor of NJ that goes and arrests the lone person sitting on a deserted beach, it is the police. It is not the mayor of Los Angles or the Governor of California that issues a $5000 fine for being on a beach or sitting and praying in a mostly empty church, it is the local police. Unfortunately, despite their personal feelings, it is their job to enforce the orders from their state and local jurisdictions. The elites do not understand that many Americans see many irresponsible act of government as forcefully imposing the will of the state or extracting money at gun point. the government sees it as a necessary action to maintain public safety and, if we don’t like we can spend years and millions of dollars in the courts.
In short, it is the policeman which has little or no accountability for violating constitutional rights or civil liberties when they are obeying a court order or an order by a mayor or governor that support the tyranny of the elites. The police is the public face of the system trampling out the hopes and dreams of millions of Americans hence, they are blamed for the totalitarianism and they are given guns, bullets, pepper spray and batons to enforce it with physical force. Police training instills into an officer that in a confrontation they have absolute authority and the American public MUST OBEY.
The police are also trained that it is not their job to interpret a statute but to arrest or cite a person. That person can then challenge the arrest of unjust law or actions in court. Yea, right. However, as a Chaplain at the local county jail I have seen first hand how well challenging an arrest (usually more charges are piled on because in the officer’s opinion you did not obey his commands thus resisting his authority even when such resistance is only verbal or requesting clarification for the officer’s action). Challenging a court ruling is impossible for the average American as it requires lots of money that the average hard working American does not have thus, we are forced to submit to the tyranny of the system to prevent financial ruination. Many believe that we have a justice and legal system which is rigged for the elite (money). Most Americans that I know do not believe that there is currently equal justice under the law in the United States regardless of race and that justice is really a function of wealth.
