Law Enforcement Today unwittingly demonstrated everything wrong with American policing in a single post on March 19, 2017. The post featured a photo of a masked militarized officer with the caption “I’ll never explain myself to a person who sleeps under the blanket of protection that we provide then questions the manner in which we provide it.”
The caption is a plagiarized version of a line from A Few Good Men, which reads “I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it!”
So who is Law Enforcement Today idolizing and paying homage to? The character in the movie ordered an assault on an innocent person. That assault turned into a murder. He then attempted to cover up his crime, and acted as if he was above question while leaving his underlings twisting in the wind for his crimes. That does sound a lot like modern policing in the United States.
The assault was definitely an over-utilization of force, which has become common practice in a law enforcement community who continually seem to believe they are above the law. That over-utilization of force turned into the murder of an unarmed man, again commonplace in the US today where about 1 out of 10 of those killed by cops are unarmed. A cover-up takes place, which is what the thin blue line is all about. Law enforcement certainly believes they are beyond reproach, as is demonstrated by this post. The only part of the story that doesn’t parallel American policing is the moment when Colonel Jessep admits his wrongdoing. Cops in the US today haven proven themselves far too cowardly to take responsibility for their actions.
The photo chosen to accompany the statement couldn’t be more fitting. It features a masked thug wearing a militarized uniform turning his back on the audience, the American people, while holding a military-style rifle. It’s very symbolic and very fitting of today’s law enforcement community, which has all but abandoned any pretense of actually serving the American people.
What may be even more telling is the rewrite of the quote. Notice the word “protection” was substituted in place of the word “freedom”. It is refreshing to see that at least the poster knows today’s law enforcement does not protect freedom, they take freedom. Criminals protect freedom. Today’s law enforcement is far too busy harassing children with lemonade stands, arresting people for feeding the homeless, tasing children in schools, shooting unarmed people, blowing up children with grenades, raping women at traffic stops, and “just following orders” to be concerned with your freedom.
So now that the American people have realized the tired trope of cops protecting their freedoms is a lie, the police propaganda machine has moved to saying they offer “protection” or safety. Well, those who would trade freedom for safety deserve neither and will lose both.
As the crimes of law enforcement pile up and are slowly but surely being prosecuted, it’s time for law enforcement to drop the rhetoric portraying themselves as pillars of the community who cannot be questioned about the manner in which they conduct themselves. As unwarranted violent behavior and criminal enterprises continue to be traced back to law enforcement, rest assured Mr. Officer, you will be questioned. Law Enforcement Today is correct about one thing, though. If the officers who subscribe choose to “never explain” their actions, they can do so. They have the right to remain silent.
© The Fifth Column