Police Work

Watch this video first and then see my remarks below.

First:  I'm not a fan of Maher, but I appreciate him because most of the time he's blunt, logical and objective which is rare in this age.

Second, what he says about the "police culture" I completely agree with.  I only take exception with his emphasis on black people (it seems), and would say more accurately that it's across all races and communities.  I've been wanting to say a few of these things like that on this blog for awhile.

So, here goes.  I want to make two points about all things police.  One, the police culture, AND undeputized citizens as well, need to have a reform in the understanding of who the police are and what their primary job is.
   Second, we must stand against the federalization (or centralization) of the local police force.

Starting then with the reform in understanding the police.  In my view, there are only two kinds of men that desire to become policemen (or now, women, which is absolutely bat-crap crazy and wicked). Either they voluntarily join because they want to serve the general, undeputized public (an that is the majority I believe) OR they join because they desire a position of power.  And the ones that join for power are becoming more and more numerous.  They are flooding in from stints, or careers, in the military, and trickling in from our ungodly cultural in general.  This is one big reason we are seeing more and more violence from our police.  Sure, our culture is adding to that, but our officers are to be SLOW to shoot and QUICK to sacrifice themselves, not the other way around, and it should go without saying but I'll say it:  military training is NOT that and we're loading up our police with these individuals just because they know how to handle weapons.  Not wise.

      Let's be clear, the police are merely deputized, locally funded citizens that are hired to do what every-day citizens can do Idaho Statute 19-604 (<<< check link and see printed down below article) and COULD do, but most of us don't want to spend our time worrying about that so we pay men to handle the full-time enforcing of our local laws.  And that's cool, but policemen need to stay in that place; and that place is that they serve us.  They don't "lead" us -- as I'm reading on the outside of the newer police cars -- and they aren't our handlers.
       They serve us by standing in for us and enforcing our laws.  They aren't a higher citizen, or more special, and they're not in an authority position over us whatsoever.  The ONLY time they are is when you or I have broken one of our laws, and as the link above shows, you or I could be in authority over THEM if they broke a law by making a citizen arrest.  You can be in authority over me, and I you, if one of us were being lawless.  The police are merely normal men paid to deal with the continuous, ongoing, 24/7 monitoring and enforcing our agreed upon LOCAL laws.

      In other words, they are just the same Joe Citizen as you and I.  Joe LOCAL citizen.  They work/serve for us because we pay them money and have delegated them as our agents to deal with the bad guys, not to lord their position over those of us obeying the law.  I believe that more of the general public, and those who are in police positions, need to come to this understanding and not have the "us" and "them" divide and mentality.    

       Bottom line: they aren't special, and they don't have it somehow "worse" than all the rest of us. They volunteer for the job!!  They know what they were getting into! It IS a difficult job, but we pay them really well now, and when they retire (usually earlier than the rest of us!).  And, let's not forget, most of them are not whining about any part of the job, but rather really enjoy the work!  That's because most of them have a gift, propensity, or skill that "fits" with the nature of the work.  So let's stop treating them as if they're martyrs and somehow have it so rough.  They are compensated very well and most love the work anyway.

And second point:  Standing against the nationalization of our police force.  We must do this because the police were, and are, a local, unique group and not a "wing" in a bureaucracy to be centrally managed.  They -- our locally supported police -- are akin to why we keep weapons in our homes and on our person because that keeps tyranny in check, wary and restrained (that's having an honest, accurate view of human depravity).
      So, in the same way because every county and town in every State has a force that is personally "theirs" this keeps power hungry tyrants at bay, and is one central reason -- by the grace of Christ -- that we are still relatively governed by righteous laws (i.e. "free").  

Now, if none of this above is resonating with you and you just think we should continue to put the police on a pedestal and never question an officer, and the Federal government should have control to make it "easier" for all of us let me strongly encourage you to read the short essay "Localism and Police Power"  (scroll down a bit to page 6 where it starts).
      I believe it is VERY important to understand these ideas in the next few coming years in order to keep our sovereign local communities free (again, governed by Biblical/Righteous/Godly laws) and safe.  The police are OUR local, trained, and supported defenders of our local ways and laws and we must not allow them to be bought and controlled by Washington D.C.!   

Finally, I'd also recommend getting ahold of the book A Government of Wolves: The Emerging Police State by John Whitehead the director of the Rutherford Institute and a hard-core follower of the King.  This book will blow your mind concerning the move to militarize our police and to how they hold themselves above the law so often. 

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Idaho Statute
Title 19
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
CHAPTER 6
ARREST, BY WHOM AND HOW MADE
19-604.  WHEN PRIVATE PERSON MAY ARREST.
A private person may arrest another:
1.  For a public offense committed or attempted in his presence.
2.  When the person arrested has committed a felony, although not in his presence.
3.  When a felony has been in fact committed, and he has reasonable cause for
      believing the person arrested to have committed it.