Police

I can't think of a more dangerous and difficult job in today's culture than being a policeman or woman. Not only violence in the culture makes the job so difficult but our present fashion of victimization, where no one takes responsibility and it's always someone else's fault, including the police's.

This said, the police in this city have done some regrettable things. There was a period when I was beginning to think they were trigger-happy. Everyone time I turned around, it seemed, a policeman had shot someone. Now I have no qualms about a policeman shooting at someone who shoots at him or her first. But this was not always the case. Police, as difficult as their job is, must be held to high civilian standards.

The latest and current controversy has a policeman relieved of duty for shooting a 12-year-old girl in the leg with a bean bag. Why? Because she was resisting arrest and punching out a fellow policeman. Well, moms and dads, in this instance I side with the police. A bean bag is not a bullet. And if you don't want your kid shot with a bean bag to get her under control, then teach the angel not to try and punch out her arresting officer. Teach her some manners and respect for law and order.

Of course, not many lefties like myself take this stance since this is yet another knee-jerk issue where liberals go one way and conservatives another. But sometimes the police actually are right. And in this case, I think they are.

One movement among police has them turning in the bean bags and going back to bullets. Funny, in a dark humor Kafka sort of way.