Demanding justice is not an attack on all police officers

I find the actions of the NYPD toward Mayor De Blasio, turning their backs on him and booing him, very unnerving. After a number of cops from departments across the country have literally gotten away with murder in recent months, instead of responding with humility and a promise to better train their officers, police have acted with outrage that anybody would call them to account for their actions. Their attitude seems to be that they are above the law, and no one has the right to even try and tell them what to do.

Conservative politicians have responded in typical knee-jerk reaction, vowing their undying love and loyalty to any person who wears a gun and a uniform. Criticism of our soldiers or cops is tantamount to treason or aiding and comforting the bad guys, as if the uniform magically imbues people with divine powers of justice and fairness. I served in the United States Army, and while I met some fine individuals, I also met violent, unstable people who I wouldn’t entrust to watch my pet let alone my life in a combat situation.

And, of course, conservatives can’t see the distinction between justifiable criticism of certain police practices and attitudes and an out and out attack on every peace officer in the country. They do black and white and that’s about the extent of their color spectrum. We need the police, but we need police who are well–trained and psychologically fit to do their job. And we need police who understand the necessity of oversight and that breaking the law, whether you’re wearing gang colors or a blue uniform, is still breaking the law, and cannot be tolerated in a civilized, democratic society.