Monday, November 29, 2021

The Necessity of Law & Order: And When It Defaults

The Path to Freedom
Integrity and Public Good Will

Law & Order is a good thing when its applied wisely it ensures a peaceful environment where beneficial open dialogue leads to national solutions.  Where corruption goes unchecked it begins to eat at the foundations of trust that erodes the concept of "authority". This is why I detest corruption in policing as much as I detest violence in protests. Where extremism and hate (of any kind whether pro or anti police) is left unchecked the foundations of democracy begins to erode.  No one has the right to destroy institutional foundations for self gain or to please the distorted views of their social and/or political networks.  

For those who have been reading my blog they may be aware that I take issues of corruption very seriously based on the experienced actions of a few "bad apples" and the harm they have caused to their community. Acts of intimidation, improper investigations, following targets, spreading  rumors to gain support for what appears to be ethnic oriented pressure are inappropriate in the U.S. 

When the innocent are being put in harm's way a red line must be drawn. Before making an assumption it should be noted that I have supported  police many times in my lifetime and continue  while still being opposed to rogue elements that violate our American  principles and in turn our agreed upon social contracts as codified in our national Constitution. 

Like I support honorable law enforcement personnel I also support peaceful protests to help ensure a feedback loop for positive change. That does not include anarchists and street militias of either ideological bent. We must find a safer path through the fog where compromise and good judgement makes sense so as to deradicalize the fringes within our society (civilian, law enforcement, politicians, youth, etc...).

For those of us who maintain loyalty to certain core American principles and values we must persevere them to ensure a free nation for generations to come. Our efforts turn the tide against those treading down the dark paths of either ultra or anti nationalism.  There are certain values our ancestors, veterans, leaders and the general population agree up and have fought for through generational sacrifices. No party, side, or group has the right to circumvent the public's will outside of legislative channels.

That is why the best way to protect our institutions is to maintain the highest standards of integrity and transparency in all of our law enforcement endeavors.  The "Shield" is of value only as long as it continues to represent our collective values of protecting and serving its people. Rogue or corrupt elements detract from that honor and I encourage good officers to break the "blue code" to report illegal behaviors so as to remove corrupted elements in fulfillment of their sacred oaths (Not to mention it is also within their best interest for the profession, culture, and opportunities.).

We are one nation, free nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. They are not dead words and are still supported by most policing activities and other national institutions. I have helped officers on a number of occasions within my lifetime sometimes at great personal risks. I have made my peace with my maker a long time ago (multiple times like a cat) and will stand tall in the face of hate. Federal oversight becomes increasingly clear when embedded networks can't be rooted out effectively within compromised departments.

If the strategy of " ethnic cleansing" those who are different didn't work out how about we change our strategy and "clean house" of rogue elements within our departments? 🤷 We must only ask ourselves, "Which strategy will likely lead to the greatest benefit for everyone involved?" Trust is fundamental to Law & Order and it is incumbent on department leadership to ensure every officer serves with integrity and "bad apples" are investigated and removed promptly. 

I hope and pray that these events act as a lesson in which we can learn about how to create the most effective police departments we can. Wiggle room to solve problems "internally" may snap taunt as the hour glass sifts over the opportunities to make choices over the charting of ones own course. Failure to uphold the law is a failure of protecting our officers and the populace through mutual and shared values and goals. National development requires a collective commitment to higher order values and living.

“The police must obey the law while enforcing the law.”
– Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren

“Justice may be blind, but she has very sophisticated listening devices.”
– Edgar Argo


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