Posted on 08/18/2014 4:45:30 AM PDT by Servant of the Cross
One of the fascinating layers of the Ferguson riot story is how this tragedy has exposed what is a rapidly changing attitudinal climate towards law enforcement officers (LEOs). What was for years a stable predicate -- conservatives being reflexively ‘law and order’ and inherently giving cops the benefit of the doubt -- while liberals with the built in ACLU type disdain for cops tending to always assume the worst of those in power – is now a vortex of confusion, cross currents,and contradictions.
It’s not a total flip-flop of the convention, but it’s moving in that direction. After all, we’ve seen Rand Paul and Eric Holder agree on this in the past week. Did I mention confusing and contradictory?
Consider: many young liberals have of course discovered a love for big government, and take to Twitter and Facebook to support cops harassing Tea Party types and Nevada ranchers just as they cheer the IRS and Lois Lerner persecuting conservative business people and political groups. Meanwhile, liberal voters in Boston cheered their ‘Boston Strong’ reaction to the Marathon bombers, which to me looked a lot like an entire city cowering from a wounded young teen -- while LEOs with Seal Team Six fantasies trampled on every liberty they could for 48 hours -- brandishing Kevlar, automatic weapons, neo-Nazi style helmets and riding around neighborhoods in hummers and kicking down doors.
The media, long willing to challenge the cops and take the victim's point of view, have been silent, or even dismissive, of recent fears by the right of militarized police departments and massive ammo buys by the Feds. Worship of Obama and support for public sector unions has trumped their former concerns apparently.
The old model of “neighborhood cops” -- who walk a beat in their blues ....
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
“I no longer feel protected, and certainly not served — by anyone and anything having to do with government. I suspect many conservatives, though not all, agree.”””
I agree. And, for that I’m called a cop hater on FR.
Military equipment used by police was a fine idea, when the intention was for it to be used against conservative, Tea Party Folk. When the equipment was rolled out for Holder’s People, the idea pretty quickly became evil and racist...
Yeah, but those throwing around the absurd “cop hater” label were really just a few making a lot of postings.
I support good cops. I just realize that now there are so many bad cops, and they are now an arm of an out of control government state. To deny that is to be living under delusion.
I’m sure they’ll be by on this thread shortly……..
I knew things were going a little overboard on this militarization about 12 years ago when a neighbor of mine who is an accountant for the post office was issued a sidearm. Knowing that I owned lots of guns he was so excited to show me (his first time using any firearm) and talk about it. I smiled and shook my head yes in all the right places, but deep down I’m thinking to myself, why the hell does an accountant at the post office need to be armed?
In defense of the police in Boston hunting down the marathon bombers, I do believe that was somewhat justified. Where they screwed up is that they should have announced martial law was in effect until the bomber could be found. I don’t believe that was done. To me, there should be a process such as the government announcing martial law and there has to be a valid reason to do so. It has to be extroidanary circumstances that have to do with the public being in extreme danger. Only elected executives such as mayors, governors etc... should be allowed to call for martial law.
Thank you for your service Marine!
At supposedly conservative National Review, the views of the NR staff and those of the commenters are very different, with the NR staff blaming the police more and the commenters blaming the rioters.
Like Jim Robinson said last night Paul is no conservative and nearly every cop is.
You can tell what a man is by the company he keeps.
Those who hate cops hate them because they want their drugs etc legal and hate it if they are stopped.
We had a robbery and an attack on the cop, the thug is dead and the scumbags are looting while liberals make excuses for them.
Plain and simple
because those at National review are more liberaltarian or liberal who agree mostly with the left while those leaving comments are conservatives for the most part.
The title of “cop-hater” is only reserved for those esteemed (closet) liberaltarians whom chomp at the bit to label all US police as “stormtroopers” & “gestapo” etc.
So far there seems to be quite a few liberaltarians on Freerepublic now.
I think the notion that nearly every cop is conservative is about 20 years past its sell by date……certainly that’s not true at all nationwide (maybe it is in Texas).
you noticed that too.
I can have more of a decent debate with a liberal than a liberltarian, hell liberaltarians are more to the left than liberals on social issues
There has been a handful moaning about cops and using this incident to spew their cop hatred. Guess they must have been stopped for taking their drugs illegally or stopped for speeding because they think no laws is a good thing.
After all we have many today who think the world evolves around them and they should do anything they want.
If you think that there exists a segment of government employees that receive great pay, retire early, receive generous lifetime pensions, abuse disability regularly, pay very little for lifetime healthcare, and is also overwhelmingly conservative, then you are very, very, naive.
Well I’ll go by what I know from up north to down here and in between with all the cops I know or have talked to.
Infact down here there has not been a cop which is not conservative and I;ve met nearly all the sheriffs dept and police force.
I can certainly understand why liberals, socialists and communists , as well as liberaltarians don’t like cops, After all cops enforce the law and those kooks hate laws and think they should do what ever they want.
Now the National Guard is in Ferguson. The way they are armed is not what you want in a civilized country. I think the article points out that more and more regular police forces have elements that look exactly like the National Guard and suggests that that is not a good thing.
Why what profession did you do or do you do?
Well allow me to speak from my experience. Close to where I live there is a neighborhood with a lot of retired NY cops and firefighters. There are a lot of current NC Wildlife and state troopers in the same area. They are NOT conservative over all. They do NOT look at their jobs as one of serving and protecting. They make fun of that notion. I don’t think they’re ever even taught that any more.
They do not appear to be overly concerned about danger - or under paid.
The cops I grew up respecting….are not the cops of today in too many cases.
I own a business in construction, the dreaded private sector. I do not work for the government and feed at the public trough.
Do you talk and know them, do you ask them if they are, and if so then maybe you must live in a minority place of liberal cops.
I can only tell you on who I personally know and all are conservative.
there you two go, having to distort what is being said to make your point. No one, NO ONE, said anything about ALL cops being this or that.
If you want to debate like civilized adults, stick to what is actually being discussed. I’m certain there are some radical libertarians who are exactly as you described, but they are not who has been on FR this weekend and they have zip zero nada to do with the point of this article.
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