ERIK GARCÉS: The root problem few are addressing is that unchecked authority always, and I mean 100% of the time, always, leads to the corruption of human failing. This is natural, to be expected and commonly known as human nature. Without consequences for wrong doing, youre going to get more wrongs. Period - end of story. There is just no way of explaining that away. Its an undeniable truth. Cops are people. Albeit mostly well meaning, but human with all the attendant failings that each of us has. No individual ought be entrusted with such power. Moreover, actions for which would be illegal and immoral if you do them do not somehow become moral and acceptable when committed by someone with a badge. The uniform doesnt grant superior rights. The way these things are, today, is NOT the criminal justice system that the Founding Fathers left us. Almost all of the carefully placed checks and balances have been whittled away to the point where weve given the average street cop the ability to use violence at whim without consequence. The most commonly cited reason: I was in fear for my life. If as Lord Acton said: Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely and the corruptible tend to seek power, then it is entirely reasonable to expect that such powers given to individuals would unavoidably lead to abuses. In the current media driven environment, the well earned reputation of the street officer has generated such fear and loathing that many people will now resist out of a genuine fear for their lives. If youre going to get the shit beat out of you or even killed, who the hell wouldnt resist arrest? There is no arguing facts. The police have been undeniably violent in recent years. People are deeply fearful of the police. Regardless of their interactions with the average beat cop, be it simple directions or facing arrest. If were to restore balance we must preserve the citizens ability to obtain justice from anyone who wrongs them. And this means from those who enforce the law as well. If the law doesnt apply equally to everyone then we dont have rule of law. We have rule of man. See the above when that happens. Currently there is no effective means for the average person to be made whole when assaulted or their property is destroyed by the police. The police have become beyond the law, beyond the reach of the average person. To paraphrase JFK, when we make legal justice impossible, we make violent justice inevitable. Weve already seen violent street clashes and ambush attacks. People on opposite ends of the racial and political spectrum who have sought out confrontations with cops. The anger out there against the police is boiling over with dead cops now following dead civilians. The police are few and vulnerable yet provide a vital service to a civil society. If we hope to stop the violence and preserve justice then everyone must be subject to the law. Continuing as we are now, with the power structure adamantly refusing to even see there is a problem, let alone address it, then we face a lot more dead cops on top of the already dying civilians. The politicians and the media keep the populace distracted and divided with endless debate over symptoms. Until the root causes get addressed, the violence can only get worse. We must stop allowing the political class to polarize society and placate the angry with band aid fixes of symptoms that change nothing (and help maintain the power structure) and start looking at root causes. Otherwise more people are going to die. Cops and citizens alike. I pray this doesnt happen. Help me, help yourself, help us all by making the discussion of root causes the topic of your current events conversations. Dont allow symptoms or distractions over what technique, who saw what, or cameras would have.... NO. These are all distractions. The root of this is, everyone needs to face consequences for bad behavior and right now, the cops are above the law. - Erik Garcés
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 05:24:53 +0000