by Robert M. Traxler
The “Ferguson effect” be damned; who cares if unreported crime skyrockets as the police are afraid of mob action and an overzealous command and control system? Better to turn a blind eye to crime than to be questioned and be persecuted.
Remember those police officers involved in Ferguson in 2014 were exonerated, but only after their lives, department and futures were destroyed.
On June 11, WOOD-TV had a woman on complaining of police brutality; she said that after George Floyd and Michael Brown she is afraid of the police. Michael Brown? The officers involved did not shoot him in the back with his hands up and him begging for them not to shoot, but the media is still reporting they did. The witnesses recanted, the autopsy proved it did not happen; truth, facts, why they ruin a good story? Michael Brown was a criminal going for a police officer’s weapon.
People have said a police officer accused of misconduct must not be suspended with pay and benefits any longer; any police officer who dares apprehend a criminal will be accused of misconduct as a matter of course, so again better to just sit in the station or vehicle and do nothing, better to turn a blind eye to crime than be suspended without pay for months or years.
The term “systemic racism” is tossed out liberally, so I went on a hunt for policies, laws, rules, anything that we would be able to point to as “relating to a system, especially as opposed to a particular part,” the definition of systemic. I found many things, such as one group does not make the same amount of income as another, which is a fact, but what system, what law, rule, makes that happen?
What problem do we as a nation need to fix to enable all to have a fair shot? White Americans do not make as much money as Asian Americans, 20% less, so what is wrong with the system? Hispanic Americans make more than African Americans, 31% more, so how do we fix the broken system? Asian Americans are discriminated against in college admissions at our major colleges because they are too smart or work too hard; systemic racism? Yes.
Systemic racism is a prophylactic term tossed out often, but examples of tangible, specific, laws, rules, anything that can be changed in the system are nonexistent. OK, some groups are in jail, in poverty, addicted more than others, I see that, but how do we as a nation fix that, besides tossing money at the self-proclaimed leaders of a group? Time for the folks to put up or shut up, to give us a clear detailed list of parts of a system we can make equal. When they do it the people will gladly change the rules, systems, laws that are unfair in our free and fair system.
We had “Jim Crow” laws, we had laws banning Asians from certain areas and professions, we had poll taxes, literacy tests, laws mandating segregation, like making interracial marriages illegal and others, hundreds of them. Hundreds of “systemic” laws and practices that are no more; so with the latest protests, marches, even riots, what do we do? Time for specific, tangible actions to change a system that many say does not allow equal opportunity.
We have had six decades, two generations worth of policies and rules and trillions of dollars spent, all designed to even the opportunity field. It is time to ask, what happened? Why have they all failed? At least in the eyes of many Americans, they are a dismal failure, as some will tell us racism is worse today than ever in our history even during slavery. The first step in problem solving is defining the problem; what systems, what rules, regulations, policies? Will the media ask? Not a chance in hell. Will the left ask? Not a chance in hell. Better to scream systemic racism.
Defunding the police according to the new socialist definition means “to redirect the funds to social justice agencies;” not to take funds away from the police? Only our friends on the left can believe that, and let’s hope the voters will see the difference. Ask the left what will happen when the police are defunded or disbanded. People on the left tell us they do not know what defund and disband really means. Folks, you can’t make this stuff up; are we truly that gullible?
In the Autonomous Zone in Seattle, Raz Simone, a local rapper and celebrity, while armed with a Kalashnikov rifle (AK-47) or a “machine gun” in leftist language, shouted into a megaphone “This is war!” while people with the dreaded AR-15 and scary high-capacity magazines were manning the road blocks. Both photos and reports were quickly removed from the free and fair internet. Reporters who are deemed unfriendly are removed from the Zone; such is freedom of speech in a socialist nation.
Oh, and Antifa, which we are told is nonexistent or unorganized, is all over the Autonomous Zone organized, armed and in force.
AB,
Well done Sir! You certainly won’t find these facts on CNN, and that’s a fact!
Cheers!!
Mr. Wilkens,
John,
Thanks for the comment. Indeed CNN is still reporting, as of June 4th, Mr. Brown was an innocent person.
An additional point, the first thing the new nation of “The Autonomous Zone” did was built walls around the nation’s boarders? Aren’t border walls racist?
“The first step in problem solving is defining the problem; what systems, what rules, regulations, policies? Will the media ask? Not a chance in hell. Will the left ask? Not a chance in hell. Better to scream systemic racism.”
You got the first part partially correct with the systems, rules, regulations, policies. You forgot the undefinable attitudes of society, the biases we all have to one degree or another, which forge a societal “aura,” if you will, that surrounds our daily existence.
Will the media ask? It’s not their job to ask. It’s their job to report. (Whether or not there is bias in reporting is another argument. There is bias.) It’s the job of columnists to opine about causes and solutions.
Will the left ask? The left has been asking for decades, and trying all manner of interventions through legislation and social programs to level the playing field. Some have been successes, some failures.
You did not ask “will the right ask?” I guess we’re still waiting for that.
And now the time HAS come to scream systemic racism from the top of our lungs, because nothing else has worked so far, yet black men are still being gunned down in the streets, or knelt upon in gutters and on sidewalks. And all you can do is cite Michael Brown as the one instance you know of where facts don’t prevail over what has become urban legend. Shame on you for harping on that point rather than focusing on the issue of police brutality that has gone on for far too long.
Ms. Mandaville,
Thank you for the comment.
Per your comment, “Shame on you for harping on that point rather than focusing on the issue of police brutality that has gone on for far too long.” I am guilty as charged, however google Police Officers wrongfully charged with violence and get page of page of officers charged with violence many falsely charged, but that fact is not printed. Forgive me for daring to offer a different view than most all of the media .
The majority of “police brutality” allegations are proven unfounded, the officers did no wrong. Please allow one or two voices of the nine who contribute to this paper to have a different view.
As a former Provost Marshal or Police Chief in the Army and an Army CID unit commander who investigated MP abuse and a college instructor in law enforcement courses, experience tells me many misconduct allegations were false. I must ask you why different opinions are not allowed with out being shamed? Facts are pesky things as they get in the way of liberal predigest and politically correct but many times unproven beliefs.
Thank you for the comment.
As someone who taught law enforcement classes and such, I am sure you are well versed in the history of law enforcement in this country. What concerns me is the data from the US when compared to other ‘developed’ countries, where police brutality, death by police, even violence against police is close to, and in a few cases equal to, zero. What might explain the rather huge disparities?
When did the philosophy of police as guardians of their communities transform into police as guards? Where the role was to serve and protect rather than search and destroy.
Ms. Johnston,
Thank you for the comment.
With an excess of 36,500,000 encounters between the police and public per year odd are a few will be handled incorrectly. Please be fair and name us an organization that interacts with 36,500,000 people, in mostly high stress situations per year and has a record better than American Law enforcement. With 686,655 full time officers and thousands more part time officers the odds dictate some will be just be bad people, and some will make mistakes. A police officer has a fraction of a second or less than two seconds to decide on use of force, the justice system and media will take days or years to decide if the officer was correct or not.
Please tell me when the police in your area conducted “search and destroy” missions? If they are going to do it again let me know as I would like to see it. Having seen firsthand law enforcement in Europe, Asia and Central and South America I know of no developed countries with near zero cases of as you say police brutality. Please be so kind as to let us know what “developed nations” you are referring to, thanks.
Thanks for the comment. Again, please remember to let me know when the police conduct” search and destroy” missions in our area, I would like to see it.
My, my. Search and destroy? Were you a protester in GR or Kazoo? Maybe looting a store or two? Or burning a patrol car?
Most people who hate police have either never had a confrontation with police or have a record of resisting arrest.
Those that resist arrest, like the man drunk in Atlanta, start resisting and it ratchets up from there. I doubt many of us would put up with one tenth of what an officer experiences on a typical shift.
The mass exodus of police personnel leaving is growing. Who you gonna call in the middle of the night? It sure ain’t Ghostbusters!
This country better shape up or we won’t have a country to save. The more leaders let this crap go on, the worse it will get… and it won’t be the summer of love!
Mr. Traxler,
It was not your right to express your opinion that prompted me to shame you, and you know that to be true. I shamed you for diverting the focus from police brutality by bringing up, yet again, the Michael Brown incident.
You have admitted that you are guilty as charged of doing so.
Rather than let it go at that, without an apology to readers, is fine. But you felt the need to go on and present yet another red herring in the form of unreported instances of police brutality claims being dismissed.
Your point of view is yours to express, and it is equally my right to call you out for distracting others from the real issue.
Ms. Mandaville,
I admit again to being guilty as charged of not convicting on allegations without due process and fully knowing what happened. Guilty until proven innocent is not what we do in the United States of America even if they are police officers. As Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stated, sometimes guilt or innocence does not matter what is important is the seriousness of the charges, are we moving to that? apparently we are.
The Micheal Brown case was an example, good liberal people called for the officers death based on allegations and prevarications, he was proven innocent by the facts but even today the anti-police crowd is convinced the officer is guilty. In the Michael Brown case the facts were known on day two but the people refused to believe the politically incorrect truth, like it or not
that is just plane old fashion wrong, not a red herring but a travesty of justice.
When Liberals are faced with facts and logic, they attack the author. They cannot, will not, fathom another viewpoint except what they “feel” is correct.
The divide in this country is widening and this fall election will bring it to a head. Will the election be the new beginning or explode the liberal minds more than 2016?
If Trump wins will the attacks begin anew? Or will the country come together for the good or will it tear itself apart remains to be seen.
Mr.DTOM
Thank you for the comment.
The left was shocked President Regan, whom they did not like, won a second term, lets hope history repeats.