I have two separate issues I would like to discuss here. Several of my previous diaries have dealt with issues of police and public perceptions. But the situation is about MORE than police. It is about a systemic problem in which Law Enforcement deals with Citizens in general. Today I am going to further discuss exactly why people have become disillusioned with police and Law Enforcement in general. And why there is a silent, widespread mistrust and dislike for police and authority in this country.
Continued beneath the fold:
Item 1: I live about a mile from the town police station. The station is on a main road and I pass by it probably 6 to 8 times a day. On Friday July 3rd the police set up a police drunk driving checkpoint in front of the station at about 4:00 pm. I manage properties, manage a family, and usually reserve my Friday afternoons to go grocery shopping and tend top other chores. This means that I was forced to drive through this checkpoint about 5 times during the course of several hours. The first time I was forced to speak to a cop I was told that they were just seeing if drivers were drunk. Even though I despise being treated like a suspect I was cordial and went on my way. But as the night grew later the police attitude got less and less friendly. The cops started asking questions like "Where are you going?" And "Where are you coming from?", "Are you under the influence of narcotics or other drugs?" Now look. I have nothing to hide but you know what??? In a FREE country it is ABSOLUTELY no business of the cops to know where I am going or coming from! And how DARE a public servant, whom I pay their salary, presume that I am under the influence of narcotics!?!?! I don't think my integrity could have been more insulted. I resent this form of interrogation. As a matter of fact I HATE it. It makes me feel afraid to be quite honest. And if anyone else was doing that, it would be a crime. But what does one do? If I assert my Civil Rights I fear being targeted by police for harassment at a later date. I finally just asked the cop "Am I being detained?" he let me go on my way with a look of disdain as if I had spit on him. While I did boldly assert my Rights, in reality I WAS AFRAID! And NO citizen should have to live in fear of their government or police. And it was in this moment that this 53 year old white guy realized how every black person must feel when they are stopped and frisked, or pulled over for driving while black. For a few minutes I not only feared, but hated police and my government for allowing this personal abuse to take place.
Connecticut is a nice place to live. It is a beautiful state. The scenery is wonderful and the rural areas are majestic. But unfortunately it has become a nanny state with the Government's hand so far up the rectum of the average citizen one can't fart sideways in a downwind without being fined, taxed, sanctioned, or censured. This brings me to Item 2: The State Liquor Commission (Another Law Enforcement Agency that carries guns and has all the power of police in this State.) decided to send an undercover minor into package stores in Norwich Connecticut to get stores to illegally sell liquor to minors. They sent their spy to infiltrate 16 retail liquor stores. And an astounding 9 of the 16 stores sold to the minor. One MIGHT think that these stores are simply not doing their job. But one of the stores is one I frequent to purchase wine for the dinner table. I have seen them card just about everyone! In fact, if 4 people enter the store, and one person buys liquor ALL must show ID or the purchaser does not get served. I have seen this unfold there countless times. This store does its job diligently. So what happened? Agree or not, (And I DO NOT!) the liquor commission handpicked a 20 year old just shy of his 21st birthday. He had a full beard and looked like he was 30. He was hand picked because of his looks solely to trick unsuspecting people into violating the law. (I know the owner of this store and he showed me the surveillance tape.) I was flabbergasted when I saw this man. He did NOT look like a minor. So what was the end result? Did the liquor commission levy fines on these stores in violation? The answer to that is, Not immediately. What they DID do was to proceed to walk into those stores and drag the person who sold the liquor out in handcuffs to the police station to be fingerprinted and booked like a common criminal. The person that this happened to in my friend's store was a 45 year old mother of 3 who had never been arrested in her life. A kind woman. An honest woman - Publicly dragged out of a store in handcuffs. The stores MAY be sanctioned by the liquor commission. But the REAL victims - Those tricked by law enforcement into TRUSTING a person who appeared to be in his 30's, will have permanent criminal records.
I wonder how these good people now feel about police. And I wonder how their families opinion of law enforcement has changed due to this miscarriage of justice. AND I wonder how a minor can enter a package store KNOWING that they are fraudulently attempting to purchase and possess liquor illegally, and the only accountability is on the seller. And the problem is that these are but 2 instances I put forth in this article. But similar examples happen on a daily basis. Instances like this breed contempt for the law. they foment hatred of authority and discourage cooperation regarding REAL, serious crimes. And they are abusive.
We need to demand that our Justice System STOP being an industry.