They’re not all liars. They don’t all cheat, and they’re not all ill-trained thugs or thieves. Some of them are, though – enough to make any encounter with them frightening even if you haven’t done anything wrong. And even though the majority aren’t corrupt bullies, almost every single one of them will unquestioningly side with and support his or her fellow police officers over anyone else.
A ‘good German’ was a World War II-era German who chose to ignore the horrors that Hitler and the Nazis were perpetrating. ‘Good’ Germans turned blind eyes to the misdeeds and atrocities of their leaders and willfully refused to see the Holocaustoccurring before their eyes. They didn’t actively participate, so they could pretend that they were not to blame for allowing Hitler to persecute the Jews and others, There are a lot of terrifying police in the country, but the vast majority of modern American police officers aren’t actively evil. They’re just good Germans who ignore the crimes and abuses that some of their fellow officers commit and help to cover up their brothers’ ‘mistakes’ and ‘indiscretions.’
That breaks my heart, because I’m old enough to remember when law enforcement was part of the community and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the citizenry. It frightens me because modern police forces use equipment and tactics straight out of a dystopian totalitarian regime. It’s time to stand up and demand accountability from public servants.
Vote and write your elected officials with your concerns. Be polite, and be careful, and call me if the boys in blue left you or a loved one black and blue because they were seeing red.