Friday, April 29, 2011

Yow, Mas is not feeling the love!

In a recent BHM column, well-known gun writer and never-lets-us-forget-it former cop Massad Ayoob opined on last year's dramatic uptick in police deaths:
It is a horrible year for police line of duty deaths. This past weekend alone, at least three cops in different parts of the US were murdered in the line of duty. Much of the emphasis of this year’s training was on Officer Safety and Survival.

The general consensus of police, military, and national intelligence is that it’s only a matter of time before this nation experiences an incident reminiscent of Beslan or Mumbai: armed, trained, committed terrorists massacring the innocent with automatic weapons and explosives.
Trouble is, while fatal cop shootings were up considerably last year, by far the greatest increase was in traffic related deaths. I dunno what that's got to do with Mumbai.

But that wouldn't have been so bad. Then Mas went on to stick his foot in his mouth - and judging from the reaction, a mighty tender part of other people's anatomies as well:
At a time when we need more, better-trained and -equipped cops than ever, we’re seeing police layoffs, hiring freezes, and budget cuts.

For the private citizen, what all this is saying is to be prepared for disaster. Remember Hurricane Katrina, just six short years ago. In a nation where there are only about 800,000 cops to serve an estimated 320,000,000 citizens, it’s absolutely true that when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
Yo, shouldn't have brought up Katrina there, dude. Among gun owners, Katrina is remembered not so much for the hurricane itself, or for how helpful the cops were to the good folks of New Orleans. Commenters left him in no doubt about that.
When I read, “Remember Hurricane Katrina, just six short years ago” memories flashed through my head of an old American woman being brutally disarmed by a California Highway Patrol officer who volunteered his services for the storm. The illegal confiscation of hundred personal firearms by the National Guardsmen and local LEO’s from American citizens that even today have not all been all accounted for. The murders of the American people on the bridge by police officers, who just last month they were finally convicted of.

No, Mr. Ayoob, I am not proud of the police officers we have today. I am fearful of them which is not the way we should live in America. They are armed to max like SWAT teams and almost totally militarized in appearance and mannerisms. Law enforcement needs a total overhaul starting with the BATFE and the TSA.
This went on for some time. At last Mas put us all in our places...
My goodness, the cop-haters seem to be out in force this week…
Aaaand that didn't have the quieting effect he may have imagined that it would.
And *why* do you think people hate cops? Or do you even care what the “little people” think?

Cops think what they’re doing to innocent citizens is *right*. They think the laws they unquestioningly enforce are legitimate. They think anyone they ever meet, under any circumstances, who is not a “brother in blue”, *must* be guilty of *something* if they can just find it.

And if they can’t find it, they plant it, to excuse their actions.

I’m far more afraid of police than of whatever they’re supposed to be “protecting” me from.

Cops still think they’re the *good* guys. But we’re the ones who are “nuts”?
Things went downhill from there. A wonderful time was had by all.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

My job involves training a wide range of LEOs as 1st Responders, CPR etc.
I train still in school wannabe LEOs to officers with many, many years of service.
I have met, talked with many and the most common thing is "them" and "us".
Pisses me off and I make sure they know what I think..

Seems to me they are following the same vein as so many other "public" employees whom have developed an entitlement attitude and that the public "owes" them something.
We don't "owe" them a damn thing.
Our flippin tax dollars are already paying for them and their benefits and their pensions....
But I do enjoy teaching them....cause so many hate 1st Aid. Until I ask them...what if it is you and your partner slept or skipped training?
Hmmm???
Makes them stop and think!

Jeffersonian said...

I started it! ;)

Matt said...

I enjoy reading Mr. Ayoob and often what he has to say makes sense. He does have a seriuous problem with blinders towards police/civilian interaction though. He shows a stunning lack of curiosity as to why many people don't care for law enforcement officers. For some of us it started with the damn hall monitor in elementary school.

Guffaw in AZ said...

What Matt said.
Mr. Ayoob is quite well informed in many areas.
But, he does seem to aspire to the 'us v. them' mindset.

MamaLiberty said...

Matt, please note:

The police _ARE_ "CIVILIANS" too! The fact that they now closely resemble every military occupation force in history doesn't change that fact. sigh

Matt said...

MamaLiberty, I agree with you 100% with the fact that police are civilians. I was just using their terminology to make the point.

This rift between police and the people they are supposed to serve has played out before in history. Some days it reminds me of all the police that were co-opted by the Germans invading east or Russians invading west that actively worked with the invaders and against their own peoples.