-Caveat Lector- Very thought provoking. Since the police are more constrained by the purse strings of federal administrators they more and more become the handmaidens of the federal authorities and have no leeway to act. The more there is a war mentality, of the us against them mindset which permeates this country (the war against drugs in particular) the more this will escalate until there comes a day when we have Generals in command of our local sheriff's office. Unfortunately the article is scary in that it implies that nothing can be done to stem the tide. Is that true? On Thu, 21 June 2001, Nessie wrote: > > -Caveat Lector- > > J.A.I.L. News Journal > ____________________________________________________ > Los Angeles, California June > 20, > 2001 > > > The Rising Police State > > > Former Cop - "Law Enforcement Is The Police State's Servant" > >From J.D. Tuccille c. 2001 About.com 6-15-1 > > Several months ago, I penned a column called "Cops who say 'no'" that > turned out to be one of the more thoroughly hashed-over pieces that I've > churned out. As happens when I have lots of white space to fill, I waxed > philosophic and evoked my inner literary self even quoting Ralph Waldo > Emerson on the way to making a simple point. I suggested that in an age > of > proliferating laws that micromanage our lives and that involve > ever-scarier > law-enforcement powers, police officers have an obligation to consider > the > morality of the laws they enforce, and to refuse to enforce laws that > have > no business on the books. > > It's nice to be noticed, and my e-mail soon demonstrated that people > have been paying attention. Messages pro and con streamed in, with a > preponderance of readers saying that they agreed with the point I was > making. > > Dissenters tended to use stronger language, leaving me only one possible > response: My mother is not! - or not so that you can prove, anyway. > > Among the more interesting messages was a note from a retired police > officer (I've checked his credentials) who served with a major > urban-area > law-enforcement agency, and so has more first-hand familiarity with > modern policing than I hope to ever have. This former officer, who asked > me > not to use his name so that he gets no more grief at reunion picnics > than > necessary, suggested that my heart might be in the right place, but I > just > don't understand the depths of the problem. > > Rather than paraphrase what the one-time police officer said so well, I > reproduce his note below... ___ > > I was a police officer for many years and am now retired. It is apparent > to me that you suffer a few misunderstandings of the police officer's > job. > However, that is not to say that you aren't right. There are many laws > that are stupid, wrong, unconstitutional, feel-good (hate crimes come to > mind) and silly. > > Each police officer is given discretionary decision-making power. That > means that barring the commission of six particular crimes (Burglary, > Arson, > Rape, Robbery, Murder and Mayhem) a police officer may decide for him or > herself whether to arrest, report, release in the field, or simply to do > nothing. > > For decades, I nullified bad laws (e.g., concealed carry of a weapon by > honest citizens, gambling and prostitution) and so did many other > officers. > We did it because we had the power to and it was the right thing to do. > > Before you suggest how to correct modern day law enforcement, I suggest > you > first review the reason modern local law enforcement is becoming the > police > state's handmaiden. > > It is simple: Federal influence. Since the Nixon / Mitchell > Administration, > federal funds, training, hiring standards and procedures have penetrated > into local law enforcement in an insidious manner. > > Training is of the siege mentality type, fear is inculcated in training, > and > the belief that no one needs a firearm but the police is encouraged and > fostered. > > Waco was made possible by a perjured affidavit swearing that a drug lab > was on the premises. They lied and got the army to help under Titles 26 > and > 32, USC. These are the same people who have been training local law > enforcement for decades. Until we can remove the federal influence in > local > law enforcement, it will just get worse. Hell, it may not even be > reversible. > > I respect your intentions, but there is a hell of a lot you don't know > about > how bad it has gotten in local law enforcement. Many of these kids have > never read the Constitution, nor have they been required to. They also > have > a natural antipathy towards armed citizens as a result of brainwashing > in > primary and secondary school. Many are also unrestrained and unfamiliar > with > self-discipline. This can be fatal if not harmful to an innocent who is > doing nothing more than lawfully owning a firearm. > > The job is one of the safest there is statistically, and I am sick of > police administrators, in their effort to build empire, lying about > being > "outgunned." They pander to federal anti-constitutionalists by crying > for more gun laws, but no mention of severe treatment for violent > criminals. > > No one is in law enforcement by way of impressment or the draft. They > are > all volunteers and if anyone is in fear of armed citizens and not armed > criminals, they should get another job, perhaps a milk route. I wouldn't > recommend the U.S. Postal Service, though. > > Local police are in danger of ceasing to be responsible at all to their > local community and taxpayers. ___ > > The note is disturbing because it reflects concerns that I've heard > before, > but says that the problem is much more advanced than I've suspected. Two > years ago, The Cato Institute came out with a report that made a splash > at > the time, then as is the way with such things, sank without a trace. In > "Warrior Cops: The Ominous Growth of Paramilitarism In American Police > Departments," Diane Cecilia Weber started off saying: > > Over the past 20 years Congress has encouraged the U.S. military to > supply intelligence, equipment, and training to civilian police. That > encouragement has spawned a culture of paramilitarism in American law > enforcement... State and local police departments are increasingly > accepting > the military as a model for their behavior and outlook. The sharing of > training and technology is producing a shared mindset. The problem is > that > the mindset of the soldier is simply not appropriate for the civilian > police > officer. Police officers confront not an "enemy" but individuals who are > protected by the Bill of Rights. Confusing the police function with the > military function can lead to dangerous and unintended consequences - > such > as unnecessary shootings and killings. > > She then documented her point to an extent that provoked many right > thinking opinion pieces recognizing the concerns she raised, but without > any > noticeable impact on the federalization and militarization of law > enforcement. > > The note that I received from the retired police officer says that not > only was Ms. Weber correct - but that the problem is so advanced that > it's > now difficult to find police officers who haven't been trained in that > paramilitary culture. Since "Cops who say 'no'" was necessarily directed > to police officers who are willing and able to make moral judgments > about > the law, and who identify with civilians rather than the state, my > column > becomes moot if my correspondent is correct. > > What's the source of this problem ? Well, there's plenty to share > around, > and both the former police officer and Ms. Weber suggest that the rot > starts > in D.C. > > But there's finger-pointing to be shared. Police have become soldiers > because people let them accumulate power and training and toys - even > encouraged it to happen. It was all in the name of "safety," the "war on > drugs" and (of course) it was done for "the children" - those little > yard > apes who are evoked to justify every lousy idea in the modern age. > > And so we got, in the words of my correspondent, "modern local law > enforcement [that] is becoming the police state's handmaiden." > > Fixing the problem is another matter. > > Sent by Ronald Jerome, Webber [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > ---- > ---- > > I have said many times that a police state can only come about when the > judiciary of a country fails. Can anyone site an instance when the > judiciary > of the country forbade such police state, yet despite the opposition of > all > its judges, the police state advanced undaunted? > > Every police state in history is either the result, at best, of the > judiciary turning a blind eye, or at worst, and the more likely, > engineering > the police state. Now think for a minute and tell me, are the police > carrying out the decisions made by the U.S. Supreme Court, or are they > revolting against those decisions and these justices? You be the judge! > > Again, I, Ronald Branson, say, every police state is engineered by its > judicial system through its endorsement and edicts, and no police state > can > abide where the judges are made accountable to the People. When We the > People arise to hold the judges accountable, we also automatically hold > the > police state in check! The can be no other conclusion! > > I Am > Ronald Branson > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > J.A.I.L. is an acronym for Judicial Accountability Initiative Law > JAIL's very informative website is found at www.jail4judges.org > JAIL proposes a unique new addition to our form of government. > JAIL is powerful! JAIL is dynamic! JAIL is America's ONLY hope! > JAIL is spreading across America like a fast moving wildfire! > JAIL is making inroads into Congress for federal accountability! > JAIL may be supported at P.O. Box 207, N. Hollywood, CA 91603 > To subscribe or be removed: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > E-Groups may sign on at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jail4judges/join > Open forum to make your voice heard [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > "..it does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, > tireless > minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.." - Samuel Adams > > "There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is > striking at the root." -- Henry David Thoreau > <>< > > <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> > DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER > ========== > CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic > screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are > sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- > directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with > major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. > That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and > always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no > credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. > > Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. > ======================================================================== > Archives Available at: > http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html > <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of > [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> > > http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ > <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> > ======================================================================== > To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: > SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: > SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Om "Welcome to the desert of the real." Morpheus, in The Matrix "My God it's full of stars!" Dave Bowman, in 2001: A Space Odyssey Find the best deals on the web at AltaVista Shopping! http://www.shopping.altavista.com <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
