Op-Ed: Backing The Blue – An Open letter to Law Enforcement

We have a small but vociferous section of the population demanding that we give up our constitutionally protected freedoms and usher in communism – all for the greater good and because (according to them) capitalism is the root of all evil.  These people are aided by their allies in the mainstream media and, in some cases, local and state government.

Their targets are not only capitalism and our Constitution, but also those institutions whose members have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and to protect it from all enemies, foreign and domestic. These institutions include local law enforcement – the police, sheriff’s offices and the courts.

While it could be argued that the courts have capitulated to the Leftist political agenda a long time ago, our police and sheriffs offices have remained relatively independent and have taken their job of upholding their oath of office seriously.

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That is, until COVID.

Renegade local and state governments across the country have now begun violating their oath of office by enacting draconian, so-called “emergency measures” in a gross overreaction to the COVID epidemic.  These include quarantining healthy people through so-called “stay-at-home orders,” mask mandates, lock-downs and business closures, none of which is constitutional, even if this were a real medical emergency.

These renegade local government agencies, operating under a false pretense, are now putting you, our highly respected local peace officers, in a very dangerous position.

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Consider your position as peace officers in these unprecedented times.  On one hand, you have Black Lives Matter, ANTIFA and their sympathizers in the media and some local governments like the Seattle, Portland, Boise and Minneapolis city councils.  This alliance of radical Leftist ideologues not only wants you defunded, but in some cases they want you dead as well.  Some of these people have threatened to end your livelihood and even assassinate you if you show up to prevent them from rioting, looting and otherwise destroying our cities.

On the other hand, you have peace-loving, freedom-loving Americans who want nothing more than to be left alone to live our lives as we see fit, free from tyrannical government and the threat of violence from Leftist mobs.  We have trusted you to intervene on our behalf and protect us from both of these evils.  Unfortunately, it seems that you are not protecting us from either one.

You stood down under orders from Leftist politicians and allowed the destruction of our communities.  You stood by and watched as historic monuments have been destroyed one by one by lawless Leftist vandals.  You looked the other way in Portland, Seattle and elsewhere when rioters openly burned those cities, terrorized peaceful citizens and looted private businesses.

Now Leftist politicians are attempting to use you as tools of oppression under the guise of public health.  You are entering private property without warrants.  You are violating the First Amendment that protects our right to peacefully assemble under the pretext of not wearing a facemask.  You are arresting peaceful church attendees and pastors for holding church services.  You are arresting business owners trying to feed their families.  You have set up snitch hot lines so that busy-bodies can report their neighbors for having family over for the holidays.  You have arrested peaceful psalm singers at a legal outdoor assembly.  You have prevented citizens from attending public meetings of their representatives in spite of open-meeting laws.  The list of violations of the public trust goes on.

To the more vigilant and historically astute among us, the list of your inconsistencies is beginning to look familiar.  Will door-to-door gun confiscation in the name of public health be next?  Will you be arresting dissidents in the middle of the night for politically incorrect memes or statements on Facebook and Twitter?

This is not why we entrusted you with your badge and gun.  We entrusted you to protect us from the very evils you now seem to be serving.

Many peace and freedom loving Americans have openly “Backed the Blue.”  We stood by you when you needed us.   Many of us have openly stated that we would come to the defense of a peace officer in danger – even using deadly force if necessary to defend your life.  Some of us have worn the badge as volunteer peace officer reservists, not only to give back to our communities and help protect our communities but to watch your back in the process.

Your superiors are placing you in an untenable situation.  In front of you are your sworn enemies, BLM, ANTIFA and other Leftist/anarchist groups who have openly threatened your lives.  Behind you is a heavily armed population of freedom loving Americans – once your friends, neighbors and allies, whom you are now wrongly arresting under false pretenses and unlawful orders.

Your ability to function safely and successfully as peace officers depends on the consent and support of the peace and freedom loving people who have entrusted you with a badge.  Abuse of your authority, regardless of who is issuing the orders, is going to cost you the love and support of your communities.  You cannot long survive a situation in which everyone is your enemy.

Many of us will not go gently into that good night.  We may eventually be forced to defend our freedom, lives and property by whatever means are necessary, with or without your help, and regardless of what your orders are, or from whom your orders came.

At some point you will be forced to choose which side you will be on.  Will you be on the side of those who value freedom and our constitutional form of government or will you be just another tool of oppression in the hands of power-hungry bureaucrats and petty unelected despots claiming that our abuse is for our own good?  Remember that the Nuremberg Trials forever did away with the excuse that you were only following orders.

Don’t make enemies of the very people that have supported and defended you and stood by your side.  Choose wisely, while you still have friends.