Our Supposed Role Models Are Failing Us

There can be no valid campaign against bullying

in America until the ultimate, empowered bullies in 

law enforcement are held accountable for their crimes 

and stopped from causing further harm.

No child will ever listen to a call to 'act more humanely'

or 'take responsibility' if the community members they

are told to honor and emulate are out of control and

beyond reproach.

***

Power Corrupts

Giving the absolute authority

of a badge and a gun

to a human being

reveals parts of their soul

perhaps unknown even to them.

Without sufficient instruction

and regulation, there is nothing

keeping that sleeping giant 

from fully awakening.

***

To 'serve and protect' whom?

Every day across this nation and

around the world, police forces are

targeting regular citizens with excessive

force, dismissiveness, unwarranted brutality,

and unregulated anger.

These are not isolated incidents, but

rather the new norm. We know more and 

more about the regularity of this

criminal behavior by those sworn to serve and 

protect, but only because of social media.

Journalism has become a discarded

artifact. Even among those agencies

still doing some good work, law enforcement is 

off limits (except when it comes to puff 

pieces about rescuing kittens, or indoctrination

messages to keep up the notion of

'dutiful, stand-up civil servants who

are beyond reproach.')

That's what happens when all your outlets 

are owned by the same folks whose

special interests are being protected

by the men and women behind the badges.

***

Anger Management

If there is neither a 'carrot' or a 'stick'

being used to motivate change, there

will be no change.

Human beings will generally try to

get away with whatever they are

able to, so when here are no real

repercussions for bad behavior, the

stigma against such behavior 

ceases to exist.

***