Being Realistic About Supporting the Police
Real solutions can only begin when you accept the truth
Yesterday’s post may have come across as a bit defeatist. Working towards meaningful solutions requires honest assessment - and it can sow self-doubt.
In case we haven’t yet met, you should know that I’m a stubborn INTJ. I’ll fight for my convictions until every legal and ethical avenue has been exhausted. Even it means standing alone, subjecting myself to negativity, and losing some battles along the way. This is not the way to win popularity contests, but that’s ok - because being true to one’s self is more important.
Fighting for one’s ideals despite setbacks, is noble; yet it’s also essential to re-evaluate strategy to prevent forging ahead haphazardly. Especially when you’ve been blindsided by a high profile police-involved incident that threatens to undo the strides that have been made.
Raw emotion trumps reason, especially when those emotions are being reinforced by provocateurs, members of the media, and social media venues that run on outrage.
We can all agree that what happened to that young man in Memphis (and other victims of real police brutality) is horrific and should never occur in a free nation. People not dominated by raw emotion can recognize that though reprehensible, a few bad cops don’t represent an entire profession.
For those with a fixed All cops are barbarians mindset, however, that video footage confirms their bias. They won’t be moved by statistics demonstrating the rarity of police brutality. They don’t get that the continued demoralization of law enforcement drives good cops and qualified candidates away, and only serves to ensure more of what we witnessed in Memphis. Or that because suspects have become more emboldened, the risk of police encounters will likely increase.
Instead, they’ll use that unchecked emotion as an excuse to indict an entire profession. Universal police reforms will get rushed through the legislatures without much thought to their actual efficacy. Ambushes and attacks on cops will continue, as will politically-motivated prosecutions.
If this phenomenon described just a few outliers, our fight would be more manageable. These people not only have the ear of decision makers; they have increasingly become the decision makers.
And it’s not just that the strident cop critics are vocal and unafraid. They’re organized and they show up in big numbers. Advocacy on our side, meanwhile, is anemic. People who say they support the police are in abundance. Those proclamations only work though, if coupled with real advocacy, whether via lobbying legislators or writing editorials.
Perhaps one of the toughest (and unsettling) challenges in this fight for me has originated from the very same people I’m trying to support. How do you work to get a meaningful bill passed when police chiefs publicly apologize for their entire profession or won’t push back against false narratives?
Despite all of this, yes, I will be calling the Wisconsin senator next week to discuss the pro-police bill. Though I feel defeated, there’s still fight left in me.
You should know though, that for now, the people who want to instill chaos and sow division between us, are winning. It’s all unraveling, in part, because the values that have allowed our nation to press forward and progress during challenging times are becoming obsolete. That, and because not enough of the citizenry wants to participate in meaningful advocacy.
We’re a nation in deep crisis, and solutions aren’t forthcoming. This may not be a feel-good message, but it’s an honest one.
This is my perspective. Yours may differ. If it does (or even if it doesn’t) let’s talk.
For the Blue is a solutions-based initiative. I’m just an American patriot asking questions. I don’t work with any political party and I answer to nobody. For me, the health of the nation, due process (including for police officers), the rule of law, and respect for individual liberties, will always transcend party affiliation. I welcome your thoughts, even if you disagree; though personal attacks will be ignored. You can reach me at fortheblue@substack.com.
Well said