Police Work, A Risky Career | Eastern North Carolina Now

By:  Hood Richardson

I remember when students were taught by both their families and the education system, to respect all who worked in law enforcement.  We were told they were there to protect us as individuals, and society in general, from the bad guys.  In those days the “bad guys’ were almost always men.  We were taught that the law was necessary for us to have a happy, productive, civilized life, and we need to respect those who took the risk of working in law enforcement.  I still believe all of this and I believe very strongly that it is the duty of the schools to continue to teach these values.

In those days it was relatively easy to tell the bad guys from the good guys.  It still is to this day.  The good guys usually held a job, dressed neatly and appropriately, did not have body odor, spoke in moderate tones without the use of foul language and had reasonably good and respectful manners. Not much has changed in terms of those values, but it sure has changed in terms of those who do not follow them.

In the old days law enforcement officers did their job and were respected for it. Few ever questioned what law enforcement was there to do or their right to do it.  Rarely was a law enforcement officer sent to jail for his official behavior. 

What changed?  The answer:  A lot has changed.  One powerful change is illegal drug use.  For all practical purposes this did not exist 60 years ago. Both legal and illegal drugs have warped and destroyed the minds of more than half of today’s population.  Drugs are ever present in modern society.  There is a lot of money in it.  Think of what the opium trade did to China.   Write down the names of 20 people, friends, relatives, and acquaintances.  How many have used drugs, that have greatly diminished their careers? The sad thing is the drug users cannot admit the impact drugs have on their lives.  What this means is that half the population would not stand up against solving the drug problem.  This is how we are getting legal marijuana.

Drug damaged brains lead to a lot of bad judgments.  Law enforcement has to deal with the behavior of these people.   It used to be that most people seriously mentally ill were in institutions.  Today, they are likely to be in that car the officer is pulling over.

Feeding off the bad thinking of those who have drug damaged brains is a class of people who are avowed socialists and communists.   These are the manipulators who want to drive our country into a socialist communist dictatorship.  They believe government can provide them with a living.  They want to abolish the police.  The reason is that they know without law enforcement they can themselves become the enforcers. 

In order for the socialists and communists to form their dictatorship they must destroy the fabric of the nation.  They have already destroyed a lot with the crippling of the church and with permissive drugs.  One of the strongest remaining pillars of Western Civilization is law enforcement.  I am referring to the part of law enforcement that directly serves our communities.  The officers who keep the peace on our block, try to control drugs, serve warrants, patrol traffic, etc.  Law enforcement is the gatekeeper for a civil society. 

Any person going into law enforcement today is at great risk of a failed career, if they actually do their job.  Firing guns, today, carries a great risk of ending law enforcement careers.   That is precisely what the socialists and communists want.   This is one de facto way of neutralizing the use of guns.

Certainly, one could complete a career in law enforcement without ever firing a shot (other than on the firing range).  Many veteran law enforcement officers have never drawn their gun, much less fired it.  But those days are changing fast.  One could make the decision at the beginning of their career to never fire their weapon in the line of duty and probably make that decision work throughout their career.  I have an idea a lot of law enforcement is beginning to think this way.

I am sympathetic toward those in law enforcement, who during an arrest, have inflicted serious harm, whether deliberately or accidentally and are criticized in any way. Law enforcement officers deserve the benefit of the doubt. 

I still believe what my father taught me.  He said “If you are violating the law and even if you are innocent and you are resisting arrest, you are bought and paid for”.  He taught that all of the burden for any criminal activity belonged to the criminal, not law enforcement.  This idea presumes that law enforcement is always lawful.  What do you have to lose by not cooperating? 

The liberals, communists and socialists have achieved a major victory in the George Floyd case.  They jury tampered when the 27 million dollar award was made to the Floyd family the week before the jury selection in the criminal case.  This was likely planned to influence jurors.  Another victory came when the jury voted for their own peace and safety because of threats of violence all over the United States.

Then there are the resignations and firings of law enforcement officers after any event involving guns and race.  These actions of various officials all over this country are the pinnacle of disrespect for law enforcement officers.  Officials participating in these dishonest firings and resignations are sacrificing their law enforcement employees to save themselves and to make themselves comfortable in the face of a small vocal minority.  These radical behaviors defeat the public’s confidence in the law enforcement system.

Law enforcement officers deserve the respect of being kept on the payroll until the entire issue is resolved whether by their superiors or the courts.  Everyone should be afforded due process and presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Why would anyone want to devote the time to training to become law enforcement officer and then be treated like a criminal for trying to deal with real criminals?  There has to be a lot more respect given than law enforcement officers are now getting.

It is true that in law enforcement, as in any profession, there are a few bad apples.  They abuse their power under color of law.  But they are, I sincerely believe, few and far between.  The entire profession should not be judged by a few bad apples.

We need law enforcement, more of it.  We could say we need smarter criminals.  But, if they were smart they would not be criminals.  The bad boys are winning.

May the Lord bless and keep our law enforcement officers and their families.


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