But frankly, I’m nostalgic for the days when the pursued feared the judicial system if for nothing but the inevitable ass-kicking and street justice. [More]Not the "guilty," the "pursued."
Not "justice," but "street justice."
Nothing like a good kick to the head for that.
Dean Scoville, you represent everything about the "Only Ones" that makes a response in kind inevitable.
In lieu of that, for today anyway, perhaps we can kick up a stink of our own:
Click to enlargewebemail@lasd.org
[Via Chris Horton]
UPDATE: Just to make sure the Sheriff's Dept. doesn't drop the ball, I thought I'd make it the County Board of Supervisors' problem, too.
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Mine:
ReplyDeleteDean Scoville's recent bout of nostalgia for administering "street justice" of the good ole bygone days is the impetus for this comment and a cautionary.
Due to my chosen profession in an earlier life I often found myself in not so nice venues at many odd hours, often I was just passing through on the way to another job. More often than not, I had out of state plates on my vehicle. This seemed to attract police scrutiny. When stopped and quesitoned I was always as polite and respectful as the officer would let me be. However, I never tolerated abuse from them, not even verbal abuse and I have been known to berate them for "attitude" when they trespassed my dignity.
Fortunately, most of them believed that I would not be somebody they wanted to take a swipe at adjusting his attitude. I will tell you up front, I am one of those who won't let it go, and I do not hire lawyers in the hopes of monetary gain. Should I be assaulted while innocent of any wrongdoing, it isn't over until I say it is over. No one gets to count coup and then walk away free from consequences. A smart man might just understand what I am saying. Scoville doesn't seem to fit that category. But happily, most of those overbearing officers I encountered did. They weren't the majority, but because the majority condone them I have developed, over the years, a distrust of all of them. As of late, I am seeing many more ordinary citizens sharing that opinion.
One particular night about 37 years ago it became necessary for me to disarm one of these badge heavy morons. I had a very difficult time talking myself out of shooting him with his own service revolver, but I managed to rein in my anger and let his abuse of me go with just the embarrassment of not returning his piece to him but rather to another officer later with the advice to get rid of the thug. I don't know what, if anything, happened to him officially, but I know he had to have been the butt of many jokes amongst his fellow officers. At that time that seemed sufficient to satisfy me.
But today, with the high incidence of officers just like him, and the special protections their unions have managed to get for them regardless of how unlawful their actions, I would not be able to discern any value in not shooting him.
Perhaps Scoville should consider that if the police are seen to be nothing more than just another criminal gang, they may find themselves the targets of fed up citizens. The law is for everybody, including cops. When it is not, then there are no rules and all the "special paper protections and enhanced punishments" will fail to keep them safe. Which is as it should be. I do not hate cops, but I hate criminals, I hate criminal cops with even more fervor. And lately, more and more people are joining in that hatred of the criminal cop. Most of the populace no longer see the policeman as a friend and neighbor and a cut above morally. That is due entirely to cops like Scoville.
Charles H. Sawders
They can't say they haven't been warned.
ReplyDeleteDone! Thanks, David.
ReplyDelete