The ultimate right of force belongs not to government, but, rather, to the people that enact a government to assist in protecting them. It has been said that only government has the authority to use deadly force. That is not true. Government may only use that which its' citizens may themselves apply. Acting on behalf of the citizens; law enforcement is authorized to use the same force the citizens themselves use for self protection. As with any citizen; law enforcement must protect themselves from harm. However, in the case of duly authorized law enforcement personnel they have the additional duty of protecting others from harm when possible. Law enforcement voluntarily put themselves in harms way. The military, likewise, have no more right to self defense than the citizens of this country. As with any citizen; people in the armed forces of the United States or any country may only exercise the same rights that the citizens themselves possess. Who are the police? They are the FBI, the sheriff, the sailor, and the soldier. They are you and I, our brothers and sisters, our mothers and fathers, our cousins. They grew up in the same house, on the same farm, in the same apartment. They went to public school, private school or maybe they were home schooled just as were those in the next city or town. They saw themselves as the white knight or the men in blue or the last soldier standing in a major battle to protect their loved ones and their way of life. They are indeed our front line. We have asked them to put themselves between us and them. But, they are not the last line. We are. Many of us have been there and done that. We know some of what they face. That's why we authorize them to protect themselves and us with deadly force. We know, however, that they do not always win the day or are not in the right place at the right time. Sometimes they become the threat. We know that ultimately it is up to us to protect ourselves. I, you, we maintain the Ultimate Right of Force. We must be ready to exercise that right.
The Ultimate Right of Force
ReplyDeleteThe ultimate right of force belongs not to government, but, rather, to the people that enact a government to assist in protecting them.
It has been said that only government has the authority to use deadly force. That is not true. Government may only use that which its' citizens may themselves apply. Acting on behalf of the citizens; law enforcement is authorized to use the same force the citizens themselves use for self protection. As with any citizen; law enforcement must protect themselves from harm. However, in the case of duly authorized law enforcement personnel they have the additional duty of protecting others from harm when possible. Law enforcement voluntarily put themselves in harms way.
The military, likewise, have no more right to self defense than the citizens of this country. As with any citizen; people in the armed forces of the United States or any country may only exercise the same rights that the citizens themselves possess.
Who are the police? They are the FBI, the sheriff, the sailor, and the soldier. They are you and I, our brothers and sisters, our mothers and fathers, our cousins. They grew up in the same house, on the same farm, in the same apartment. They went to public school, private school or maybe they were home schooled just as were those in the next city or town. They saw themselves as the white knight or the men in blue or the last soldier standing in a major battle to protect their loved ones and their way of life. They are indeed our front line. We have asked them to put themselves between us and them. But, they are not the last line. We are.
Many of us have been there and done that. We know some of what they face. That's why we authorize them to protect themselves and us with deadly force. We know, however, that they do not always win the day or are not in the right place at the right time. Sometimes they become the threat. We know that ultimately it is up to us to protect ourselves.
I, you, we maintain the Ultimate Right of Force.
We must be ready to exercise that right.