For many years, I was a Law Enforcement Officer (LEO), having worked for a sheriff's office and a police department. I worked in Patrol, as a Patrol Supervisor, a Detective, and a Detective Sergeant. I was fortunate enough to work most every aspect of law enforcement, including 4 years in Narcotics.
While I was far from perfect, and made my share of mistakes, I truly wanted to be a Good Cop, and serve my communities well. In doing so, I executed Arrest Warrants, Search Warrants, Warrantless Searches on Probable Cause and Search Incident to Arrests, etc. I've broke up fights, drew down on armed or suspected of being armed, suspects, and was in just one Officer Involved Shooting.
Every good LEO will work their hardest to get "the job done". In the course of doing that, split second decisions are made every day. It could be the taking of a life. Most often, it concerns the "rights" of individuals, on one side or the other. And in courts of law, maybe months or years later, lawyers and juries will have all the time in the world to decide the fate of those involved, criminally or civilly.
A LEO has to decide, in a split second or over many hours, the legality of his/her actions. LEOs depend on their knowledge, training, and experience to guide them through. They also FOLLOW ORDERS of those above them. I have been on both side of the ordering business.
Long way to the barn, and I apologize. - But all this leads me to an important question and dilemma in today's world. In MY humble opinion, I see our communities and nation, being more and more lead by people who will stretch, if not outright break our civilian laws, and knowingly violate our Civil Rights. I have know LEOs who would "just follow orders" and not question the actions they should know are illegal by violating the civil rights of people.
For this writing, I will address the 2nd amendment in particular, and a citizens RIGHT to bear arms. I know of some LEO command types, who believe that only the military and police should have guns. They think that a call to 9-1-1 is all a citizen should do, and the Police will take care of it. Got news for those idiots ... That 9-1-1 call is usually AFTER there is a crime committed, and a victim has been harmed!
In todays world of Obama-types, they believe in gun control. At the very least, they believe in banning all weapons THEY deem as inappropriate for "citizens" to own. It is MY fear, that at the pace this president is going in bypassing Congress and thumbing his nose at the constitution, we could actually see some form of gun "confiscation". Such "confiscation" would be against the constitution, but I expect they will justify it as taking away ONLY those firearms THEY believe are dangerous in the hands of citizens.
But to do that, they will need one or both of two things. They will need an obedient Law Enforcement, and/or an obedient Military, to do the street work of going house to house and "ask" for any of the listed firearms to be "turned over". While I know many would think this is a stretch, I don't think it is. I think its worth the discussion, and to guard against. I believe it is more than a possibility, and is headed toward a probability. We have just such power hungry types in DC already.
But my question is this - Where does a Cop stop, when asked to do something that should be expected as being against citizens "rights"? Germans, during the WWII war crimes trials, claimed to have "just followed orders". I can't help from wonder, how gradual was that transition, before they were well outside the scope of proper human and even military conduct? Look at the Jews of those times, they were slowly moved into smaller and smaller areas, corralled as it were, until lead to the slaughter!
As the old tale goes, put a frog into a pan of cool water and it won't jump out. Then slowly turn up the heat, and the frog won't know its in trouble until its too late. The everyday German soldier was the frog, as were the Jews.
Are WE the frog in the pan? Are we already in hot water and don't know it? Our challenge, is to stay out of that pan. The challenge to Cops and Military, is to KNOW what is right, and what is NOT, and conduct business accordingly. Their "oath" is to protect the Constitution, from enemies foreign AND domestic. It could be a tough business, should the Obama types extend more control "over the people", more than what this government has already been doing for decades.
I am and have always been a "law and order" type person. But I don't believe I would follow orders that I know were wrong. But as a citizen, I do NOT intend to sit by, until the heat is too much. I WILL resist anyone who should come to my door, and violate MY rights. That isn't a threat. That's an American, who will not surrender my Rights, and am prepared to stand for those Rights we have.
