I'm not much in the way of one who ventures outside
of the realm of human issues, but then I stop and think about Mr. Smith, my 4lb
Yorkshire Terrier, and I begin to realize that this one isn't as far outside of
that norm as I had originally assumed. My dog is my best friend. He is human to me, and in some ways more so than any human being ever could be. This thought was in my mind as I read a Facebook post yesterday
evening, about an incident that occurred a few days ago during which an innocent family pet was shot in the leg by two police officers poking their noses around
private property. Apparently -- and rather conveniently -- the officers found themselves on the property in response to a noise
complaint. Upon the officers approach, Pepper -- the loyal friend and canine victim of this mess -- did as any loyal, faithful companion would and positioned herself between the officers and her owner who was outside smoking a cigarette after a long nights work -- as he had done hundreds of nights before that.
Guns drawn and shouting at
Peppers owner to silence the dog -- who was obviously inclined, as anyone would
be who was not privy to the ways of human law enforcement, to bark as a result of this disgusting display that was taking place at the hands of, what were to her,
combative, threatening and argumentative predators in dark clothing -- these fine officers of the law decided against
taking a rational approach to deescalate the situation, and proceeded instead
to fire a round into Peppers left front leg. Apparently, it would seem, for no
reason other than to prove a point. (As cops are inclined to do when abusing
power.) The bullet shattered Peppers left front leg joint at the
"elbow," causing what I am sure was excruciating pain to the poor girl.
Pepper was taken immediately to a
veterinary center where the poor thing waited hours before finally receiving
some sort of anesthetic and was eventually sedated. Could you imagine the
outcry, had this been a human being? Pepper underwent surgery to amputate her
leg to the shoulder, during which time it was found that she still had the
lead bullet logged in her joint. The operation was a success, but sadly Pepper
passed away shortly after the surgery due to "severe lead poisoning."
This, of course, is just a very brief synopsis and does not due justice to the pain and suffering that has gripped Peppers family and friends. To that end, I urge you to make your way over to the website that was erected for Pepper. There is much more to read, including official documentation of the incident,
eye witness testimony and ongoing updates, which can be found here,
and you can contribute your support to help see that this injustice is not gone
unheard, by signing the petition found here; again, I urge you to do so.
This story leads me to my thought for today. This scenario unfolded much
in the way that I personally feel far to may stories involving law enforcement
are these days. During the course of what would otherwise be a normal day, any
one of us can find ourselves staring down a barrel belonging to an untrained,
uneducated "officer of the law." I only have so many hands available to
me, to count the stories that have come out of such situations, whose end
result sees some innocent bystander shot and killed at the hands of a half witted common
Joe with a pistol and badge. I read storied of physical abuse and cover ups
conducted by these so called brothers of the shield whereby innocent
individuals are beaten senselessly by out of control vigilante officers who
fear no recourse from their actions. I have been victim to these situations myself. One would not see it as a shock then, that I begin to ask myself, when is enough,
enough? One of the truths that I am coming to terms with, is that I honestly no longer fear being mugged more
than I fear being grazed by an officers bullet. Sincerely. I find myself fearing more, the potential onslaught of random abuses by officers who, with the power of a badge to protect and conceal, conduct any
and all varieties of senseless acts against the innocent citizens of this
country on a regular basis.
Where has our leadership gone? Have we truly become a police state to
this extent? It is no secret that police officers no longer hold the prestige and respect they once did,
and it is with good reason. I know that I will personally only ever truly feel
comfortable, when I live in a world -- or a state at very least -- which does
not hand over supreme authority to an average Joe or Jane Blow who push-upped his or her way
through the "Police Academy" at the local community college. The fact is quite simple to recognize, that we are empowering these individuals with the the enormous responsibility to
give, take and destroy lives. Should it not be the requirement then, that these individuals who are held in such high regard, who possess such unrelenting power, be
fully psychologically capable of handling such power? And to be frank, I don't mean the
standard governmental BS sanity test. I'm talking about full aptitude of the inner
workings of the brain and it's functions, how it responds to stimuli, and how to manage difficult interactions. Should officers not possess the ability
to understand what it is they are feeling as they point a weapon at a mentally
ill man and begin to fire? Could they possibly understand what it is that
triggers them to beat arrested individuals or subject innocent people to their power
trips? Is it to much to ask of our nation that I not hold a higher degree than
the individuals who monitor and suppress me with such unyielding force in such
overbearing ways?
I understand fully that this scenario does not in any way apply to each and every officer in the United States. There is and will always be that select few who fulfill their duties successfully and without incident. This said though, there are far to many situations, such as the story told above, which are to the contrary. I put it to those responsible for enacting the standards,
which must be met on the way to the badge, to think about the realities of the
types and depths of power you place in the hands of these individuals. Are they truly
capable? Mentally capable? Can they handle pressure and power? Is there a measure in place which allows us as citizens to
not fear the mechanism that is the brotherhood of the shield? For the truth is, what recourse
do we have? I fear the day when the citizens of this country realize by how
fine a thread their lives do hang. For it is when this realization takes hold
that we may have seen ourselves come along to far for such peaceful
resolutions. These things are not to much to ask, and I feel it is the duty of
the regulators of these individuals to ensure that they are fully and rationally
capable of preforming the duties they are given, and can manage their emotions
and the emotions of others in the ways that such an empowering position would require. I am sorry to say, one does not obtain this type of enlightenment and true understanding from a GED and
community college boot camp.
About Me: I am a Computer Scientist, more specifically a Database Administrator, a business man (Holding a Bachelors in Business with a focus in Enterprise Administration from Fordham University, Magna Cum Laude), a writer, a blogger, as well as a philosopher, a philanthropist (as much as one with limited finances can be..) a veteran, and in general, an all around thinker and do'er. My purpose is to point out that there is a reason for everything and an opinion for every reason. I am designed to interpret what I see and dictate what I've interpreted. My hope is that my words will not be seen as harsh, rather as liberating, and at very least, thought provoking. I enjoy everything from technology, to race relations, biology, genetics and economics.. for a start..
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