Dedicated to all of our law enforcement personal; by J. Allen Wilson
Last edited: Sunday, November 8, 2015
Posted: Sunday, November 8, 2015
Dusting Off the Cigar Box
By J. Allen Wilson
It saddens my heart when I watch the news on television of all the negative reporting that is done concerning our finest in blue. These brave men and women have chosen to serve and protect in one of the most tumultuous decades of my life.
In my opinion, in today’s world it is a hard time to be a cop. For the last several decades children have been taught by some to not respect and obey authority. This I think is the root of the issue not to mention that they have also taken any mention of God out of schools.
Call me old fashioned, call me what you like. However the way I was raised there are consequences for every action. If you did well you were rewarded, if you did badly then you paid the price. Due to the teachings of the extreme left and some psychologists that if we discipline our children we are damaging their self-esteem…I personally think this is bunk.
For example, you look at Ferguson, Baltimore and even locally here in South Carolina. Whatever an action an officer must take if you do not comply and I emphasis COMPLY does not warrant looting and burning by thugs.
A recent study pointed out the reason for the number of crimes across our nation as being a result of our finest being cautious about interceding. I apologize for such, but in my opinion this may come across as a negative response; but I personally find it offensive of those who serve our community of Belton and across our nation how they are being targeted after all the dedication they have put into their jobs.
The rules are simple; comply and all is well. If you are in the wrong, still comply and man up in a court of law to be decided by a jury of your peers.
I personally have the utmost respect for our officials. Granted, there are a few bad seeds everywhere in life, yet we MUST not judge all by a few bad apples.
Respect for authority tends to work. My encounters with authority always came out well because I gave them their due.
However, having been profiled and pulled over on the road at least five times while driving or riding with color, and the differing attitude of the officers involved regarding questions and probing, I find that abuse of authority in this regard is quite rampant.
While referring to the "good old days," I remember when a childhood friend was working as an investigator for my small hometown of about 15,000. He uncovered a burglary ring involving about half the police force, including the chief, who were routinely staging and reporting burglaries to local businesses on Main Street over several years and pocketing the proceeds.
Police departments everywhere are filled with two kinds of people. Good people who want to serve the public and pathological people, criminals who are attracted to police work because they can become authority figures and abuse that authority. I will agree that the second kind of person is a smaller percentage, but it is a much higher percentage than in the general population.
I monitored and did studies on our University Police Department over a 30 year period. There were many bad actors on the force over those years. I recently posted an article about a friend (acquaintance) who was an investigator and recently was charged with two counts of sexual assault.
good points, respect for authority is not given much shrift today. each society has rules for those in the society to live by, I expect that if I do not obey the rules I will face problem and I don't blame the police, or bad upbringing or anything else other than the fact that I have chosen to not do what our society deems should be done.
However, having been profiled and pulled over on the road at least five times while driving or riding with color, and the differing attitude of the officers involved regarding questions and probing, I find that abuse of authority in this regard is quite rampant.
While referring to the "good old days," I remember when a childhood friend was working as an investigator for my small hometown of about 15,000. He uncovered a burglary ring involving about half the police force, including the chief, who were routinely staging and reporting burglaries to local businesses on Main Street over several years and pocketing the proceeds.
Police departments everywhere are filled with two kinds of people. Good people who want to serve the public and pathological people, criminals who are attracted to police work because they can become authority figures and abuse that authority. I will agree that the second kind of person is a smaller percentage, but it is a much higher percentage than in the general population.
I monitored and did studies on our University Police Department over a 30 year period. There were many bad actors on the force over those years. I recently posted an article about a friend (acquaintance) who was an investigator and recently was charged with two counts of sexual assault.
Ron
good points, respect for authority is not given much shrift today. each society has rules for those in the society to live by, I expect that if I do not obey the rules I will face problem and I don't blame the police, or bad upbringing or anything else other than the fact that I have chosen to not do what our society deems should be done.
sadly this is a dangerous time for us all