Op-Ed: This time, blue got it wrong
Back the badge?
In regard to the recent arrests of singing church members peacefully assembling outside City Hall in Moscow, Idaho.
As the son of a law enforcement officer and someone who has unashamedly been pro police for most of my life, it pains me to no end to write these words.
And no, I’m not writing on the subject of racism amongst the ranks of law enforcement. It’s obvious to anyone who isn’t observing that controversy through the lens of their own emotion, the statistics are not on the side of the people crying the loudest for “justice.”
I’m writing about the recent (and isolated) events conducted by some in the law enforcement community which have been beyond anything but constitutional. Arresting people for exercising their freedom of assembly while in other parts of the country your fellow officers are turning a blind eye to the rioters, is absolutely staggering. If being an officer of the law is nothing more to you then simply (and blindly) following arbitrary orders, then you are no better than the German henchmen from World War II.
The oath you swore was not a mere ritual. It was a binding covenant, that is far greater than the agenda being pushed by your superiors. It was an acknowledgment that our great country stands unique and alone, meaning it is surrounded by antagonists. This is the very reason you (and members of the military) swear such an oath to support and defend the Constitution, because we as a nation have a way of life constantly under attack and in need of people like you to hold the line.
We’re told “cops lives matter,” and we agree! We are told “back the badge,” and we have! We are told “bleed blue,” and we have bled tears of anguish right alongside the families of our beloved fallen in the line of duty.
But, for the sake of “following orders” (forgetting the covenant you made), you demand our trust yet betray the very oath you swore to uphold. And for what?!? A paycheck?!? “You’re just doing your job?!?”
Just in case you fail to see the writing on the wall here, there is a day coming very soon when you will have to choose which side of this fight you truly are on. So here is a pro tip … those giving you your orders, writing policy, and signing your paychecks will not be standing next to you when you are sent into harm’s way to strip more of your fellow Americans of their freedoms. These people don’t care at all for you or your families. They care only for furthering their precious agendas at your expense. The tragedy here is, it will be those whose rights you’re ordered to strip that were your greatest supporters.
It seems as of late, law enforcement (like money, firearms and the internet) can be leveraged for either good or evil. But unlike the before mentioned examples, law enforcement officers have a soul and a conscience and must weigh each and every situation for themselves. This is not the time for mindless robots who follow orders blindly, but for brave men and women to count the cost and choose wisely. Our world isn’t the black and white world I grew up in where it was simply “the good guys vs. the bad guys.” At this point in history there seems to be a thin blue line which separates the cops from brown shirts.
I’m writing this out of respect, for your safety, please don’t make your jobs even more dangerous by turning on the very people who have pledged their support to you from the beginning! Think critically! Disregard orders that are unconstitutional! When you continue to fail the people you swore an oath to defend, you become the very tool of tyranny that our constitution was supposed to insulate us against, leaving us little choice but to defend ourselves.
For the vast majority of the rest of you who can think critically … police your own and do it quickly! And know that these words of rebuke are not meant for you. We all can’t imagine the impossibility of your jobs especially in this current political climate and truly appreciate each and every sacrifice you make on our behalf.
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Jarod Coon is a Hayden resident.