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| Copyright © 2006 - 2013 - Barry M. Baker - CareerPoliceOfficer.com |
| Disclaimer |
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Paul Craig Roberts wrote the Kemp-Roth bill and was Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He was
Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal editorial page and
Contributing Editor of National Review. He is author or coauthor of
eight books, including The Supply-Side Revolution (Harvard
University Press). He has held numerous academic appointments,
including the William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy, Center for
Strategic and International Studies, Georgetown University and
Senior Research Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He
has contributed to numerous scholarly journals and testified before
Congress on 30 occasions. He has been awarded the U.S.
Treasury's Meritorious Service Award and the French Legion of
Honor. He was a reviewer for the Journal of Political Economy under
editor Robert Mundell. He is the co-author of The Tyranny of Good
Intentions. He is also coauthor with Karen Araujo of Chile: Dos
Visiones – La Era Allende-Pinochet (Santiago: Universidad Andres
Bello, 2000).
Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He was
Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal editorial page and
Contributing Editor of National Review. He is author or coauthor of
eight books, including The Supply-Side Revolution (Harvard
University Press). He has held numerous academic appointments,
including the William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy, Center for
Strategic and International Studies, Georgetown University and
Senior Research Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He
has contributed to numerous scholarly journals and testified before
Congress on 30 occasions. He has been awarded the U.S.
Treasury's Meritorious Service Award and the French Legion of
Honor. He was a reviewer for the Journal of Political Economy under
editor Robert Mundell. He is the co-author of The Tyranny of Good
Intentions. He is also coauthor with Karen Araujo of Chile: Dos
Visiones – La Era Allende-Pinochet (Santiago: Universidad Andres
Bello, 2000).
"The only terrorist most Americans will ever encounter is a
policeman with a badge, nightstick, mace and Taser."
policeman with a badge, nightstick, mace and Taser."
| by Paul Craig Roberts |
“To begin with, our perception of the world is deformed,
incomplete. Then our memory is selective. Finally,
writing transforms.”
incomplete. Then our memory is selective. Finally,
writing transforms.”
"They threw him to the floor and tasered him right in front of Senator
Kerry and the large student audience, who captured on video the
unquestionable act of police brutality. Meyer was carted off and
jailed on a phony charge of "disrupting a public event."
Kerry and the large student audience, who captured on video the
unquestionable act of police brutality. Meyer was carted off and
jailed on a phony charge of "disrupting a public event."
| by Paul Craig Roberts |
Wow! Some mini-resume. Dr. Roberts certainly has a lot of
accomplishments to his credit. I urge you to read the two articles by Dr.
Roberts which I've linked above.
accomplishments to his credit. I urge you to read the two articles by Dr.
Roberts which I've linked above.
| "Don't Tase me, Bro!" |
I can't help but wonder why a person with Paul Craig Robert's intellectual
accomplishments would use the ridiculous performance of "wanna be
famous" Andrew Meyer as an example of police brutality.
Here's a perfect lesson for you on the subject of perception. Dr. Roberts
watched the video of Meyer's act, and he saw an "unquestionable act of
police brutality." I watched the same tape, and I saw a perfect textbook
example of resisting arrest.
When it comes to the accusation of brutality...that's just simply laughable.
When it comes to the use of the Taser, I'm sure you've seen videos where
you've questioned its use...particularly at the point when it's used.
I know I have; however, in Meyer's case, there's no question that use of
the Taser was justified. Sure...there were four police officers. They could
have twisted Meyer into knots; until, they got both wrists close enough
together to affix handcuffs.
Let's say the officers had passed on the Taser, and they used physical force
to handcuff Meyer. First, the event would have lasted longer, and Meyer
would have been screaming, as though in severe pain, the entire time.
Second, Meyer's continuing resistance could have -- hopefully from the
critics' perspective -- resulted in physical injury to Meyer. Had Meyer
sustained...say...a dislocated shoulder or a fractured wrist or finger(s), the
critics, including Dr. Roberts, would have been ecstatic. Of course, any
physical injury sustained by one of the police officers would have been
unimportant and a mere distraction from this "unquestionable act of
police brutality."
But...let's not forget that the officers, according to Dr. Roberts, unlawfully
arrested Meyer for a "phony charge of disrupting a public event." When
the loud and obviously disruptive Meyer surged forward toward Senator
John Kerry, I suppose Dr. Roberts believes the police officers should have
stood by and done nothing. After all, there are plenty of videos out there
showing university police officers doing just that when loud and disruptive
students charge after speakers in these so called "academic settings."
Personally, I'd like to have seen Senator Kerry handle Meyer on his own.
After all, Senator Kerry is a self avowed hero, and he's perfectly capable of
protecting himself. Okay, I'm being sarcastic. I would have blocked
Meyer's advance exactly as those police officers did.
Knowing what we now know about Andrew Meyer, I doubt that he would
have posed any actual physical danger to the Senator. However, Meyer is
a big guy, and there's no doubt in my mind that, left to his advances, he
would have physically dominated and humiliated the Senator. While I,
personally, would have found Meyer's domination and humiliation of
Senator Kerry entertaining, I, as a police officer, would have never given
Meyer the opportunity to do so.
Make no mistake...these university police officers acted properly and with
restraint. However, that didn't stop the University of Florida from
suspending two of the police officers pending an investigation. What
investigation? Their suspension was simply an act of contrition at the
alter of political correctness. The officers were subsequently reinstated
after a sufficient period of homage.
When you become a police officer, you're going to run into a lot of
dangerous people, but your most dangerous enemies will be those people
who think they know everything about everything. When it comes to the
actions you take as a police officer, you can be attacked by these types at
any time.
You're beginning your police career at a time unique to any other. Never
before have the "cop haters" had so many ways to dispense their pseudo
expertise. The Internet, newspapers, and 24 hour news have brought
information sharing to a level never before realized. The Internet allows
views to be voiced on anything by anybody...even competent and informed
views by those actually possessing real expertise on a subject. You could
say that the Internet is the only truly democratic institution in existence.
When it comes to newspapers and television news, the truth and accuracy
about anything is always going to be presented only after it goes through
the sieve of political correctness. While one would think that video of an
actual event would serve to accurately depict that event, it's not so with
those police videos labeled as police brutality.
Remember this...any use of force by a police officer, no matter how minor
or justified, can be labeled as police brutality. The University of Florida
video is proof that there's a serious shortage of videos depicting real police
brutality.
Webster's Dictionary defines brutality as a "savage, cruel, and inhuman
act."
Let's make this simple with a clear example of police brutality:
You've just arrested a man, and he's lying on his stomach with his hands
cuffed behind his back. He's shouting insults and just being generally
obnoxious, but he's not making any movement. Tired of listening to his
insults, you walk over to him and kick him once in the head.
I know...it's a no brainer. The act you just committed is clearly, savage,
cruel, and inhuman.
Here's what you have to remember. You're entering a profession where
you will, from time to time, be required to employ violence to resist and
subdue violence. As long as the violence you employ is not gratuitous and
unnecessary, you'll never commit an act of brutality.
Police brutality has become such an overused term that the smarter cop
haters have toned down their shrill condemnations by using the more
benign and vague term, "excessive force." This transformation hasn't
done anything to help their perceptions, but it has given them wider
latitude in explaining their more ridiculous observations.
The worst critics you'll encounter will be those who have absolutely no
personal experience at physically subduing another human being who
doesn't want to be subdued. Sadly, many of the critics will be intelligent,
highly educated, and verifiable experts in their own professions.
It's all just about power and politics. The police officer is a highly visible
symbol of authority and indispensable for social order. You'll find that
your most vociferous critics will be individuals with power in their own
right, but they don't individually possess the power of physical force over
others that you do. This is the thing they despise most about you. Just
the thought that they might be subject to the commands of a police officer
is anathema to them. You should also notice that these critics are most
vocal when their own political and social agendas are not being
implemented whether those agendas be on a local or national level.
Because you are such a visible symbol of power, you'll always be at risk of
becoming a pond for those who want to change the political order of things.
The only thing you can do to protect yourself from the know nothing
experts is to perform your duties as professionally as possible. When it
comes to using force, use the amount you must, and only that amount.
Being right won't protect you from criticism, but being right will, in most
instances, prevent the cop haters from destroying you.
accomplishments would use the ridiculous performance of "wanna be
famous" Andrew Meyer as an example of police brutality.
Here's a perfect lesson for you on the subject of perception. Dr. Roberts
watched the video of Meyer's act, and he saw an "unquestionable act of
police brutality." I watched the same tape, and I saw a perfect textbook
example of resisting arrest.
When it comes to the accusation of brutality...that's just simply laughable.
When it comes to the use of the Taser, I'm sure you've seen videos where
you've questioned its use...particularly at the point when it's used.
I know I have; however, in Meyer's case, there's no question that use of
the Taser was justified. Sure...there were four police officers. They could
have twisted Meyer into knots; until, they got both wrists close enough
together to affix handcuffs.
Let's say the officers had passed on the Taser, and they used physical force
to handcuff Meyer. First, the event would have lasted longer, and Meyer
would have been screaming, as though in severe pain, the entire time.
Second, Meyer's continuing resistance could have -- hopefully from the
critics' perspective -- resulted in physical injury to Meyer. Had Meyer
sustained...say...a dislocated shoulder or a fractured wrist or finger(s), the
critics, including Dr. Roberts, would have been ecstatic. Of course, any
physical injury sustained by one of the police officers would have been
unimportant and a mere distraction from this "unquestionable act of
police brutality."
But...let's not forget that the officers, according to Dr. Roberts, unlawfully
arrested Meyer for a "phony charge of disrupting a public event." When
the loud and obviously disruptive Meyer surged forward toward Senator
John Kerry, I suppose Dr. Roberts believes the police officers should have
stood by and done nothing. After all, there are plenty of videos out there
showing university police officers doing just that when loud and disruptive
students charge after speakers in these so called "academic settings."
Personally, I'd like to have seen Senator Kerry handle Meyer on his own.
After all, Senator Kerry is a self avowed hero, and he's perfectly capable of
protecting himself. Okay, I'm being sarcastic. I would have blocked
Meyer's advance exactly as those police officers did.
Knowing what we now know about Andrew Meyer, I doubt that he would
have posed any actual physical danger to the Senator. However, Meyer is
a big guy, and there's no doubt in my mind that, left to his advances, he
would have physically dominated and humiliated the Senator. While I,
personally, would have found Meyer's domination and humiliation of
Senator Kerry entertaining, I, as a police officer, would have never given
Meyer the opportunity to do so.
Make no mistake...these university police officers acted properly and with
restraint. However, that didn't stop the University of Florida from
suspending two of the police officers pending an investigation. What
investigation? Their suspension was simply an act of contrition at the
alter of political correctness. The officers were subsequently reinstated
after a sufficient period of homage.
When you become a police officer, you're going to run into a lot of
dangerous people, but your most dangerous enemies will be those people
who think they know everything about everything. When it comes to the
actions you take as a police officer, you can be attacked by these types at
any time.
You're beginning your police career at a time unique to any other. Never
before have the "cop haters" had so many ways to dispense their pseudo
expertise. The Internet, newspapers, and 24 hour news have brought
information sharing to a level never before realized. The Internet allows
views to be voiced on anything by anybody...even competent and informed
views by those actually possessing real expertise on a subject. You could
say that the Internet is the only truly democratic institution in existence.
When it comes to newspapers and television news, the truth and accuracy
about anything is always going to be presented only after it goes through
the sieve of political correctness. While one would think that video of an
actual event would serve to accurately depict that event, it's not so with
those police videos labeled as police brutality.
Remember this...any use of force by a police officer, no matter how minor
or justified, can be labeled as police brutality. The University of Florida
video is proof that there's a serious shortage of videos depicting real police
brutality.
Webster's Dictionary defines brutality as a "savage, cruel, and inhuman
act."
Let's make this simple with a clear example of police brutality:
You've just arrested a man, and he's lying on his stomach with his hands
cuffed behind his back. He's shouting insults and just being generally
obnoxious, but he's not making any movement. Tired of listening to his
insults, you walk over to him and kick him once in the head.
I know...it's a no brainer. The act you just committed is clearly, savage,
cruel, and inhuman.
Here's what you have to remember. You're entering a profession where
you will, from time to time, be required to employ violence to resist and
subdue violence. As long as the violence you employ is not gratuitous and
unnecessary, you'll never commit an act of brutality.
Police brutality has become such an overused term that the smarter cop
haters have toned down their shrill condemnations by using the more
benign and vague term, "excessive force." This transformation hasn't
done anything to help their perceptions, but it has given them wider
latitude in explaining their more ridiculous observations.
The worst critics you'll encounter will be those who have absolutely no
personal experience at physically subduing another human being who
doesn't want to be subdued. Sadly, many of the critics will be intelligent,
highly educated, and verifiable experts in their own professions.
It's all just about power and politics. The police officer is a highly visible
symbol of authority and indispensable for social order. You'll find that
your most vociferous critics will be individuals with power in their own
right, but they don't individually possess the power of physical force over
others that you do. This is the thing they despise most about you. Just
the thought that they might be subject to the commands of a police officer
is anathema to them. You should also notice that these critics are most
vocal when their own political and social agendas are not being
implemented whether those agendas be on a local or national level.
Because you are such a visible symbol of power, you'll always be at risk of
becoming a pond for those who want to change the political order of things.
The only thing you can do to protect yourself from the know nothing
experts is to perform your duties as professionally as possible. When it
comes to using force, use the amount you must, and only that amount.
Being right won't protect you from criticism, but being right will, in most
instances, prevent the cop haters from destroying you.
| John Kerry speech September 17, Constitution Day, University of Florida, Gainesville |
“Monarchy degenerates into tyranny, aristocracy into
oligarchy, and democracy into savage violence and
chaos” ~ Polybius
(Polybius was a Greek statesman and historian, c.203-122 BCE)
oligarchy, and democracy into savage violence and
chaos” ~ Polybius
(Polybius was a Greek statesman and historian, c.203-122 BCE)
(10 October 1913 – 6 July 2005) Claude Simon was a French novelist and the 1985
Nobel Laureate in Literature
Nobel Laureate in Literature
| your most dangerous enemies... |
| Pop Quiz |
Which of the following statements best describes most critics'
objections to the use of a Taser to subdue an individual?
objections to the use of a Taser to subdue an individual?
A. Use of the Taser will cause pain to the person being subdued.
B. A police officer could be accidentally tased during the arrest.
C. Use of the Taser will not produce bruises; contusions; lacerations;
bleeding and broken bones which could better support an allegation of
police brutality.
D. Use of the Taser is not a politically correct application of force.
B. A police officer could be accidentally tased during the arrest.
C. Use of the Taser will not produce bruises; contusions; lacerations;
bleeding and broken bones which could better support an allegation of
police brutality.
D. Use of the Taser is not a politically correct application of force.
Your critics will always present themselves as protectors of
democracy, but are they really...
democracy, but are they really...
| Read Police Author Marshall Frank's article on this site: Going After the Cops |
Thirty years of law enforcement in Miami, Florida,
including sixteen years working homicide, gives
Marshall Frank a huge reservoir from which to draw
insights into the problems facing America today.
After retiring from the Miami-Dade P.D. in 1990,
Frank went on to become a writer, now with eight
published books, five fiction and three non-fiction. His
book "Militant Islam In America" was published after
an exhaustive research study about the inroads that
radicals are making within the borders of the U.S. He
is currently working on a non-fiction book about the
including sixteen years working homicide, gives
Marshall Frank a huge reservoir from which to draw
insights into the problems facing America today.
After retiring from the Miami-Dade P.D. in 1990,
Frank went on to become a writer, now with eight
published books, five fiction and three non-fiction. His
book "Militant Islam In America" was published after
an exhaustive research study about the inroads that
radicals are making within the borders of the U.S. He
is currently working on a non-fiction book about the
abominable criminal justice system. Book listings, prices and availability can
be accessed at his web site: www.marshallfrank.com
You can contact Marshall Frank at: mlf283@aol.com
be accessed at his web site: www.marshallfrank.com
You can contact Marshall Frank at: mlf283@aol.com
~ Claude Simon