Now that Black Lives Matter has declared war on American law enforcement, and major cities are fighting to see who can disband or defund police operations the quickest, police are being neutered, much to the delight of many.
In the wake of this drama, what questions should rational thinking people, who prefer public safety over anarchy, be asking?
- If inciting riots are the answer, what message does that send to anyone with a grievance in the future?
- What level of property damage and physical injury is acceptable?
- If police are discouraged from maintaining order, what kind of harm comes to people and businesses?
- Is theft still a crime?
- Will crime rates increase or decrease if police get pulled from the streets?
- Why does the press refer to obviously violent protests as “peaceful”?
- If police resources are cut, what will be the unintended consequences?
- Have property crimes essentially been decriminalized by politicians and courts that have ruled the safety and voice of protesters/rioters has greater public value than business and commerce?
- Will one of our major cities set a new homicide record, perhaps exceeding 1,000 in a given year, as police are forced to withdraw?
- What will this mean to inner-cities, which are already ravaged by violent crime?
- Why do Democrat controlled blue cities, counties, and states have a long history of anti-law and order policies? Moreover, what are the results? Where is the accountability?
- If police fear criminal prosecution every time they are required to use force, who will confront violent criminals? For that matter, who will confront non-violent criminals?
- When police fear prosecutors and media scorn more than criminal offenders, what kind of power does that give suspects who’ve made a living out of violating the law?
- Who will corral the crazed person creating havoc in the shopping center?
- Who will tackle or Taser the drug induced individual running naked through the park since the chance of an “excited delirium” death happens everyday in the U.S.?
- Who will stand between criminal bullies and good citizens?
- Who will replace officers leaving the profession because they understand that using force might appear to be a criminal act in the eyes of armchair quarterbacks?
- Should police officers sit in their station houses and respond to violent crime upon request?
- Who will respond to the “quality of life” issues in your community (excluding San Francisco since their city leadership no longer cares) if the police are devalued or defunded?
These are just a handful of questions that popped into mind as I published other news stories today. No doubt, there are hundreds more.
Although some people might think the questions are far-fetched, men and women wearing the uniform feel like they are being placed in front of a firing squad, and very few people are openly objecting.
Tragically, some businesses are acting like police officers have leprosy. Legos and Fuji Bikes are the latest to abandon ship.
Sadly, most citizens do not understand the value and dedication of their local law enforcement officers. However, there will be a noticeable difference when reasonable police professionals eventually conclude the cost of doing business is too high. Therefore, they’ll back off, or worse yet, resign, as we’re now seeing in Minneapolis.
When police duck for cover due to incoming ordnance in the form of political and organizational blasts, citizens suffer. We saw it after riots in Ferguson and Baltimore, and we’re sure to see it in the aftermath of Minneapolis.
America needs to do some soul searching; not just in the way we treat one another—race relations—but in the way we appreciate the men and women who stand between peace and anarchy.
Right now, too many people in power are allowing lawlessness to prevail in our misguided belief that it’s facilitating justice for George Floyd and the black race. It is not. We’re simply producing more victim’s. Ask the families of David Dorn and Dave Patrick Underwood. They will never be household names, but each man is dead because of the Floyd homicide.
At this pace, the Minneapolis nightmare is an ongoing horror story, and America should be ashamed. This is no way to “have a conversation.”
– Jim McNeff
