A World We Never Want to See

I recently spent the better part of a day observing a memorial service for four murdered Police Officers from the city of Lakewood, Washington. A few days after that ceremony, two more officers were shot just a few miles away from the first ambush, and one died of his wounds. Only a few weeks before these events, two Seattle officers were ambushed, and one killed, at a stop light.

Perhaps it's because of my background in the history of totalitarian states that I see the attacks on these eight officers as just the beginning of a conflict that may soon confront our entire law enforcement community.

In the 1920's and 1930's Germany was a constitutional republic, like the US, struggling through economic hard times. Like the US today, the German people were divided into a conservative camp...who wished to make their constitution work and to weather the economic storm...and those on the left, who wished to bring about a radical new form of government with little or no resemblance to the old order. They slathered at the idea of "redistributive justice" much as similar types do today.

Though they only received some 30% plus of the national vote, The Socialist Workers Party (the N.A.Z.I.) managed to manipulate their candidate, Adolf Hitler, into the number one seat in the administration. From that position, he was able to eradicate democratic institutions and eventually take total control of the government.

One of the stories of that struggle, largely untold, was that of German police officers and what happened to them.

Like our law enforcement community today, those officers were protectors of their constitution, generally conservative and law-abiding, and sworn to uphold the constitutionally elected government. This created a problem for Herr Hitler and his minions as much of what they needed to do was unconstitutional and even entailed a good deal of violence and murder.

A struggle ensued between these forces...the conservatives in the citizenry, protected largely by the police forces, and those wanting revolution and pushing for the totalitarian control which they felt would empower them personally. That group was in opposition to constitutional law enforcement.

Hitler's followers were the displaced, the less fortunate, criminals of all stripes, malcontents, sadists, and psycopaths. Politicians who use the tactics of class conflict have always taken advantage of such people to create anarchy, to put together street organizations, and to carry out the dirty, but necessary, acts of violence and sedition necessary to create a crisis situation. Such a crisis would give the government the needed excuse to declare martial law, or create new and more powerful law enforcement agencies manned by their lackeys, or even to cancel or suspend elections.

But first, they would have to deal with the old law enforcement community...made up of loyal citizens who would, in the end, refuse to do things like search homes for firearms, or kidnap political targets, or sack and burn blocks of stores and businesses. In fact, these police professionals would try and stop such activities, and in the end they tried to stand firm despite orders from above.

Hitler knew he had to deal with the law enforcement community in Germany...and he did so. He used them against the German people as long as he could, but when officers finally rebelled he had to bring out the thugs. First, of course, he set the stage by denigrating police officers with insults and snide insinuations (recall Obama's remarks about police officers "being stupid"). He appointed staff members with criminal backgrounds, or radicals who shared a dislike for law enforcement personnel.

Knowing what happened then...seeing how today there are groups hailing killers of police officers as heroes while attempting to protect and hide them...when coupled with current political winds makes me wonder about what is to come.

A shocking number of appointees who make up the new administration in WA DC come from criminal backgrounds, even having served prison terms, or "academic" backgrounds where they openly celebrated their hatred of law enforcement personnel. The criminal community has taken notice...and they appear to be emboldened. Many of them, when arrested, smirkingly announce they will not be in prison for long. They threaten the arresting officers, prosecutors, judges, and jury members. They act arrogantly and state confidently that "the tables are turning" and soon they will be in charge and that people in the community will pay.

I recall a photo montage I saw, during the last election cycle, of one hundred mug shots of recently arrested criminals in Chicago...each wearing an Obama t-shirt. A weird coincidence...just like the weird coincidence that recently bills were introduced in Congress giving prison inmates the right to vote? Just like the 9th circuit court in San Francisco overturning state laws barring felons from voting?

The 9th circuit opinion will likely be overturned...a large percentage of that whackey trio's opinions are...but the fact such a off the wall case was even heard at that level is disturbing to citizens and energizing to criminals.

Officers I know well tell me there is a new attitude on the street...a dangerous attitude. And they tell me of rumors of layoffs in their departments, as well as actual salary reductions and increased micro-management by political hacks. A number of states are preparing to start early release programs from prisons, for budgetary reasons of course, and bills are in committee which would give amnesty to all illegal immigrants along with immediate voting rights...and a shocking percentage of those folks are gang or cartel members.

All of this may sound pretty alarmist, after all this is the United States of America, where the vast majority of citizens are solidly behind our law enforcement personnel and for the constitution. But those same conditions existed in Germany in the 1920's!

Law abiding citizens are being bypassed on a number of issues...being ignored on health care and cap and trade...and the millions of phone calls and emails don't seem to slow down the more demagogic members of congress. Will they eventually take the same "ignore the will of the people" stance on maintaining our police departments, or keeping felons in prison, or the issues of giving the vote to illegals and criminals? And will these actions by the most corrupt congress in a century be the gateway to an assault on law enforcement personnel?

To get to us...tyrants have to first get through the "thin blue line" of police officers who protect and serve their communities. I don't believe tyrants can do it. For one thing, our officers don't stand alone. If the time comes I truly believe the American people will rise up and back-up their police. The officers I talk to believe that as well...and they actually represent us more truly than many of our elected officials. If the time comes...I believe it will be the politicos who will back down and leave the field. For that matter...I don't think many of them will be in office after the 2010 elections to make the attempt.

I'm all for easing them all into retirement...before we lose any more of our gallant officers and any more of our constitution.

The Professor