And teach us post-Boomer cynics not to be too quick to judge everything else. Just a few days back, some Catholics used the story of a woman tased in a shopping mall as proof that our police force is made up of jack-booted thugs who are willing servants of the growing American Police State. Some pointed out the story was vague, and gave only one real side to what happened. Not so, several good Catholic commenters said; we know their kind, and as enlightened Catholics, it's good to suspect any of those blue-suited types, and assume the worst.
Well, it's egg on face time, as we see just what these thugs are capable of. It was enough that the mall story was posted only a day or so before the terror of Newtown, when we saw the pits of hell open on a small Connecticut town. It enough to know what those first responders were going through as they shared the pain and screams of the loved ones confronted with life's most horrible tragedy. Now, we see those boys and girls in blue doing a wonderful thing, and banding together from around the state and working on Christmas day to let those officers who experienced the trauma of Newtown have a day off with their loved ones. Simply beautiful.
Does this mean I don't think America is on the wrong track? Does it mean I'm unaware of the fact that the official arms of our government could be turned against us if we're dumb enough to let it happen? Does it mean I don't think we're dumb enough to let it happen? All it means is, I realize the dangers, but I also believe that losing perspective could be one of the biggest factors in our country emerging as a police state. So read and enjoy, and prepare to wipe away a tear or two.
Speaking of losing perspective...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/23/no-tears-nancy-lanza-newtown-mother
But as someone that has worked with cops (and has had family work with them), I am frustrated by a frequent confusion between the disease and symptoms. I often sum it up as:
X crime or misfortune happens, resulting in death.
Result: More demands for police to do something.
Police make mistake, resulting in civilian death.
Result: More restrictions on police actions.
Eventually, Y crime or misfortune happens...
Repeat indefinitely. What no one seems to notice is that the fault lies in two places: 1) those who make the rules and 2) human nature (nobody's perfect).
The "boots on the ground" as you might say, are just like any other person. They are in no hurry to arrest people as any other individual (it's more work for them after all) or kill anyone.
That's why I've never liked "police state". I prefer "totalitarian [state]". Because if the people in charge try anything like that, then the best hope for the citizens is to not only fight back, but to win the hearts of the police & soldiers to side with them (which isn't hard, they aren't fond of higher ups either). But if you insist on framing everything as 'us vs them', then why should we be surprised that the police & soldiers see "us" as "them".
I agree. Far be it from me to say we aren't heading in a direction where people are growing tired of everyone else's rights. But part of the problem seems to be that we've been crying about that wolf for decades. I can't help but wonder if it's a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts. I've been hearing Big Brother my whole life. Now, after a lifetime of hearing it, we're closer than ever. Maybe backing off and not looking for Orwell under every rock could actually help us avoid going where everyone seems to think we're going.
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