The public, on the other hand, must recognise that to lose confidence in the police and dismiss their efforts outright in favour of their own ‘security’ methods and even vigilante justice, is to put the entire country in a vicious circle of criminality from which there may be no return. [More]So the only solution is to abdicate all personal responsibility and trust your life and freedom to the mercy of the "Only Ones"--and those directing them...
That's what it's all about, you know...
[Via Sam W]
The cops are just another criminal gang, masquerading as good guys. The only difference between them and non-uniformed criminals being is that they have sanction.
ReplyDeleteSomeone shot a burglar to death -- a previous offender who was supposed to have been monitored by police -- using a gun for which he had a license. People have a problem with that, even in a banana republic?
ReplyDeleteIf someone is robbing your house and you are IN there, it's good to assume that they're willing to go to extremes to take what you have. Whatever they get, they have coming.
Burglaries ought to be down for a while. Word gets around.
They will review my comment shortly. Let's see if they approve. In the meantime, here's what I said:
ReplyDelete"Your own safety and security is no one elses responsibility but your own. You can't hand that over even if you want to anymore than you can pretend someone else is responsible for your eating or breathing. Your safety is NOT the RCIPS' job, it is yours alone."
I guess I'm lucky because I live in a place where they don't send a SWAT team to take out an "illegal" lemonade stand.
ReplyDeleteI also reject the label of "vigilante", because I have no interest in doing the following:
* Supplanting the entire court system with on-the-spot judgements against people currently not committing a crime
* Performing criminal investigations
* Hauling to court people with outstanding warrants
* Restraining or jailing suspects after the fact
* Transporting convicted prisoners
* Conducting parole hearings
* Handing out tickets for parking and moving violations
If I wanted to be a police officer, I would've graduated from police academy. What I state, however, is that I have a right to defend my life in the manner of my choosing, at the time of my choosing, which includes a duty to make sure that no harm comes to innocent bystanders as a result of my actions. I also have a moral responsibility, as a member of a civilized society, to arrest any crime against persons or property that is in progress, in any area where I may be. That includes distracting the perpetrator, alerting police, or interposing on behalf of the victim for the purposes of thwarting the crime. The perpetrator will escalate the situation at his own peril.