The past few days have been scary. We have seen chaos in the streets, and we have seen some people do things that weaken our country.
The catalyst that started all of the chaos was the murder of George Floyd, an African-American man, by a white police officer. After watching the film of the incident, I have no sympathy for the officer at all. No one I have talked with has any sympathy for the officer. This is a clear cut case of murder, and I hope they throw the book at the officer. Why he did what he did with cameras rolling and other policemen looking on, I cannot understand. Why his fellow officers didn’t step in and stop him immediately, I do not understand.
There was righteous indignation throughout the country, and soon, in many locations, there were peaceful protests beginning to form. Americans were upset, and they want to let their political representatives know how upset they were.
Peaceful assembly is a guaranteed right under the U. S. Constitution.
Soon, however, the protests took an ugly turn, and rioting began. Places of business, many of them owned by minority businessmen and women, were looted and burned. Policemen were shot. Several have been killed. In several states, the rioting continues. Americans who have worked all of their lives to build a business are now pennyless and have no means of supporting themselves.
In the meantime, we have people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling for the abolition of the police force. “Just get rid of all police forces and close the prisons.” is the advice she is giving.
What would happen if her advice was followed? Do you remember the old axiom, “Leadership abhors a vacuum”? In other words, a leader will arise absent recognized leadership. If there were no police force, you and I would not be free. Vigilantes would roam the streets enforcing their laws. Most of us would be afraid to leave our homes, and what if the vigilantes came to your home? Who would you call? How would you protect yourself and family? Without a well-trained police force, criminals would roam the streets robbing and looting as they went.
Like many organizations, the police force finds that they have a person on board that should not be a law enforcement officer. Thankfully, the police (law enforcement) have ways of weeding most of these people out, but as in the case of George Floyd, one slipped through the cracks.
The average citizen never thinks of the police until they are needed, and this should change. Police have a difficult job, and none of us realize what they encounter on an 8-hour shift. These are brave men and women who take the risk of not coming home at night to keep the peace. It disturbs me to see bricks and bottles and even more deadly objects being thrown at police. All of us have the right to peacefully protest; none of us have the right to do bodily harm to a man or woman who is sworn to uphold the law.
Should AOC and a host of radical lawmakers in Washington get their way and do away with the police, the wild west will look like a Sunday School picnic in about a week. To even think of such a possibility is insanity at a level that I do not understand.
I hope that none of my kinfolk are ever stopped by the police, but if they are, my advice is simple. Be respectful. Do as the officer directs. Watch your mouth! Remember, you are probably the 10th offender he or she has seen today. If you have done something that requires he take you to jail, go peacefully. You have the right to work this out in the courtroom. That’s why they make lawyers.
Being a law enforcement official is tough business. All of us need to show our respect not only to the individual but to the job these individuals perform daily. The fact is simple and straightforward: our society cannot survive without them.
