New Civilian Police Oversight Bill, Women + Second Amendment
And a simple way to make your voice heard
Though the world is on fire, there is still reason to be hopeful. Meaningful change won’t happen organically, though. The inconvenient truth is that more of us need to find a way to contribute. This can no longer be a spectator sport.
Don’t mistake this statement for a fake platitude.
I’ve witnessed the seemingly impossible happen when good people take the time to speak out when and where it counts. When I was involved in local police advocacy, for example, we lobbied successfully for additional funding for our police department; and in fact, there were only two no votes. We accomplished this in spite of the given composition of local government. Few thought it could be done.
One of the catalysts for our success was a letter writing campaign we had launched. Do you realize that in a city of about 250 thousand, it took fewer than 150 letters to compel the city council to vote in support of the funding? Several of the council members had even mentioned the letters as an impetus for them to change their vote.
This experience is not an outlier, either.
The truth is, when you and I speak out in greater numbers, positive change begins to happen. Even contributions that seem small, count.
One way I’m working to create positive change for police officers is via advocating for legislation. Read on about a promising new Florida state bill.
Florida Legislature Seeks to Nix Civilian Police Oversight Boards
Last month, Florida State Rep. Wyman Duggan introduced a bill that would give the State jurisdiction in processing complaints against police officers. It’s called Complaints Against Law Enforcement and Correctional Officers (H0 601).
If enacted, local government units would be prohibited from creating civilian oversight committees. While Florida’s civilian police oversight boards are unable to legally impose penalties on police officers, they can offer policy recommendations and conduct procedural investigations.
One issue is that the appointees making these recommendations and conducting these investigations, typically have an anti-police bias and little-to-no understanding of the complexities of police work. This is comparable to putting civilians without medical knowledge -and who have a bias against the medical profession- in charge of judging how surgeons should perform their work.
Additionally, since Florida’s 21 boards lack cohesion in their adjudication, police officers are subject to arbitrary treatment. Opponents of this bill will argue that without civilian boards, officers won’t be held accountable. Quite the contrary.
In Florida (as in most states), there are multiple levels of governmental oversight agencies that process these complaints in a way that provides transparency and holds law enforcement officers accountable for any malfeasance. Uniformity in applying laws also means that police officers are afforded their Constitutional right to due process of law. As it should be.
I’m in the midst of creating detailed, written testimony for submission to the subcommittee debating this bill. Once it goes public, I’ll share it with you. In the meantime, this presser for National Police Association provides some information about the bill.
When You Weaken the Thin Blue Line + Appease Criminals
A growing number of American women are taking personal safety into their own hands. A recent report found that female gun ownership has skyrocketed. And with good reason.
A severely tattered blue line coupled with the refusal of select district attorneys to prosecute crimes has put a lot of us on high alert. Per the article:
"I feel like every single day, there's another woman who thought she would never pick up a gun… and they understand what type of world we live in right now." Robin Evans, the founder and owner of self-defense training company called Chicks with Triggers, told Fox News Digital in a phone interview. "And, unfortunately, it gets more dangerous every single day. And so I think more women are starting to really come around to the fact that, ‘Hey, I never thought I would be here, but this is where the world is, so I gotta get prepared.’"
Create an unsafe, chaotic landscape and the citizenry will take lawful (and rightful) steps to protect themselves. It’s not a difficult concept, yet there are those who seem unable or unwilling to make the connection between the break down of law & order and the growing number of citizens interested in exercising their Second Amendment rights. {Sigh}
Speak Out Against Barbarism
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine Americans (most of them college students) would so freely call for violent intifadas, celebrate the brutality against the people of Israel, and praise Hitler. And our tax dollars are funding this??
Though I’m not Jewish, my relatives, along with an estimated two million Christian Poles, were brutalized by the Nazis. When I was 15, I met my grandmother’s sister on her family’s farm in Poland. The SS had whipped her so hard that decades later, a two-inch deep scar remained on her back.
We also toured the Auschwitz Memorial & Museum, a trip that will be forever etched in my memory. It’s one of the first experiences in which I came to realize that there is true evil on this planet.
As Israeli women have been assaulted in the most heinous of ways, most women’s rights groups have remained silent. For all their #metooing and grandstanding in the past (which seems to be dependent on who the accused was), most women’s organizations have been stunningly, appallingly, and hypocritically silent on this issue.
One exception is Independent Women, an organization I’m proud to be an investing and active member of. Would you please take a moment and add your name to a petition calling out these atrocities?
While I weep for all innocent victims & casualties regardless of their background, I stand firmly with Israel. They’re not the ones who initiated this, who are torturing innocents, and wishing an entire country to be exterminated.
Parting thought . . .
There’s nothing on this planet -no career, amount of wealth, or status- worth selling your soul for. When you choose to be true to your conscience and your values, things will work themselves out -and you’ll be able to live with yourself. That’s what brings joy and contentment and strengthens us.
I always welcome your thoughts even if you disagree. Wish you the best. : )
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.