The aforementioned title is an apt description of what existed in Soviet-era totalitarian states and what Ayn Rand railed against in her novels. It was therefore sad to read this missive from Allen West on his Facebook page about America in 2013:
I was just hoping to have a relaxing Sunday here in South Florida before catching a flight this evening back to LA, but my day took a turn after an outing at the shooting range, when I encountered the long arm of the law. Coming off the Florida turnpike at the PGA Blvd exit I pulled into the lane to pay my $1.10 charge. However, the fella had closed, so I looked in the rearview mirror and since I was the only one there, I backed up and shifted one lane over to pay my turnpike ticket. And then it happened, at 1:07pm, FHP Trooper M.A. Mickens flipped on his lights and pulled me over. He informed me what I did was illegal and I told him I just wanted to pay my ticket and there was no one else coming through any of the lanes. I figured this would be a warning since I did not see any danger presented, but to my surprise, he wrote me a citation for $166.00. I asked Trooper Mickens if I had placed anyone’s life in danger and he responded “no, but you did something illegal.” I asked him if he saw any other cars when I backed up, he responded, “no, but that was not the point.” I explained to Trooper Mickens that I had served in the Army and this just did not seem like it passed a common sense test and why could I not be given a warning. He responded, “you have to get a citation and it explains your options.” I am sure Trooper Mickens has served the Florida Highway Patrol with distinction in his 27 years, yeah, I asked. But this is what perplexes me, where has the ability to make a judgment call gone? Are we now just a nation of unthinking robots which cannot assess a situation in and of itself? I have a perfect driving record that will be tarnished because Trooper Mickens did not think I could make a decision on my own, which threatened no one. I have 30 days to pay the citation of $166.00 to the Clerk of the Court of Palm Beach County. Lastly, no, I never said who I was because I do not deserve any special treatment. This is obviously how we treat law-abiding citizens.
Related: Adam Carolla rants about frivolous tickets in Los Angeles (language warning)
There is something missing in this story ….. how else was the guy supposed to pay his toll if the booth was closed ?
In S central BC, the RCMP are the gestapo of the kleptocracy. I have absolutely zero respect for these totalitarian robots who, if they knew how to think, would worry about being replaced by androids as a completely android gestapo would result in absolute obedience to the dictates of the kleptocrats.
Given that my parents moved from a country where having the police show up at your door often meant that you’d never be seen again by the relatives who weren’t taken away, I’ve always stayed clear of them as much as possible. While going through some elementary school papers that my mother had stashed in her basement, I found a picture of a policeman with a “The police are your _______” looking for the appropriate word to be written in. I had written in “enemies” and gotten a failing mark on that question.
I was later pleasantly surprised in some encounters with cops where they exercised the discretion that was allowed them. These were old style cops who gave you the choice of taking them on but letting you know from their posture that they had a lot more bar fights under their belt than you did and, assuming you did swing at them, the outcome was usually inevitable and they’d toss you an ice pack in the drunk tank and kick you out the next morning with no charges. That sort of behavior engenders respect for the police in males. They had the wisdom to realize that a drunken teenager didn’t need a criminal record for merely being drunk and disorderly, but if it was a teenager crawling out of a broken window with a bag full of jewelry, they’d be all over that.
The ultimate politicization of the RCMP occurred during the APEC conference in Vancouver when Johnny Cretin decided to make them his praetorian guard and temporarily eliminate freedom of speech and association to make his fellow dictators more at home. I had some run ins with the gestapo during that time outside of St. Pauls Hospital and, likely the only reason I wasn’t hauled off in a paddy wagon, was that at some point during our confrontation the gestapo member clued in that I was a doctor who worked at St. Pauls and I was on the untouchable list.
So, I never call the cops. They are just another arm of the kleptocracy to be avoided as much as possible. If I ever have a home invasion, and am on the winning side, then the SSS option is the most prudent.
This is about tax collection nothing more nothing less.
I lived in Florida for 7 years. The police in that state can be very bizarre and abusive towards law-abiding people.
I filed a small claims suit against City of Delray Beach policeman Robin Smith in 2002, over an issue that had nothing to do with his job as a policeman. He threatened to murder me.
Jungle Jim, haven’t had any run ins with the cops in NE. Florida yet. A friend of mine who lives there told me that they were happy that she was applying for her CCW which is distinctly different from the opinion one would get in Canada. Nice thing about FL is that one can ride a motorcycle without a helmet and no cop cares if you have your seat belt fastened.
This is one of the things about law making, public perception of the law and rigid enforcement that really inflames my passion for justice. It has more to do with the nature of the law (Regulatory statute) and the public’s and lawmakers ignorance of it and its potential for misuse/abuse if incorrectly applied. Every time some unthinking putz says; “There outta be a law against that” at every little inconvenience he has little realization of the impact regulatory law has on justice when it is misapplied. All local legislators rush to respond to these minor irritants of the electorate because they can seem to be doing something and its good law-n-order political traction – but it adds up to misapplied regulatory law and ultimately injustice.
Unfortunately the only law open to local legislators is “REGULATORY STATUTE”. This is a form of civil misdemeanor law which falls outside the serious nature of federal statute, criminal law or civil law. It is (or was) supposed to be a law system limited in scope and application because the subjects it dealt with were deemed to be of a minor nature and the law (regulation) addressing these things (public and property risk) was deemed to be so reasonable and so natural for any responsible citizen to do that there is no defense for violating these infractions – no defence of extenuating circumstances, no due diligence, no absence of malice, nada – no defence. You either comply (like all responsible people reflexively do) or you violate it – no excuses because the regulation is supposed to be so easy and natural to comply with. This is the nature of regulatory law.
It is the misapplication of this law which causes wide civil injustice. Misapplication of the law is applying it to any and all superfluous actions which fall outside of the very narrow limits of natural and reasonable conduct in public. It should only be used where public safety or personal tort is certain to occur if a particular action is done. The key word here is CERTAIN to occur. Misapplication happens when legislators speculate about the certainty of damage if a regulation is not obeyed. Think of all the regulations from the provinces and city on your property business and daily activities which, if violated, are ether harmless or have minimal risk of damage or harm – this is misapplication of regulatory law and it is the root of civil injustice. Now ponder how much of this crap is on the books and how much is enforced (without any hope of non-conviction) and you have a picture of the amount of injustice and bureaucratic tyranny exists in your local jurisdiction.
Bruce said: “I can tell you absolutely that the use of deadly force is the very last consideration, without question.”
Usually. Except when its not, right? Also, we currently live in a country where police are the only ones authorized to even threaten deadly force, much less use it. Citizens are forbidden the use of deadly force in self defense, so protecting the lives of officers takes on a different dimension when it is at the expense of citizens. As in, me. At MY expense. Or my mum. Et cetera.
See, we all know that 80%+ of policemen are reasonable dudes who will give you an even shake. That’s taken as given. The twin problems are that it used to be 95% reasonable. The percentage of robotic apparatchiks is rising and that is the result of deliberate department hiring policy. The other problem is all cops seem quite willing to follow illegal orders and extremely questionable policies.
The two glaring, neon red examples are the Polish guy the RCMP tasered to death for being in the wrong place at the airport, and the Caledonia standoff. Nobody has been disciplined for either event, and its getting on for eight years here in Caledonia with no end in sight. Every month brings a new flagrant example. With video, usually.
Consequently you guys are viewed with well deserved suspicion. A cop who’s willing to arrest people and chuck them in jail -illegally-, as the OPP have a proven-in-court track record of doing down here, will be willing to do a whole bunch of other things that can’t be allowed to happen in a free country.
Police services across the country are being used to cow and harass people like gun owners, farmers, anti-windmill protesters etc. People who are doing pretty much -nothing- that’s illegal or even unsafe. Meanwhile egregious violence and property damage by politically protected groups is allowed to go unpunished every freakin’ day, and you know it. You know it a hell of a lot better than I do, probably.
One little example. I drive daily on THE most patrolled road in North America, Hwy 54 in Haldimand. Its also the way the kids go to the dragstrip from Toronto. In the summer I see the OPP pulling kids in tuner cars and hotrods over and ripping their cars apart on the side of the road for BS infractions, or very often for no infraction whatsoever. Pull them over just because and then toss their car, just because. Seats ripped out, picnic lunches dumped in the dirt, the works. I see the MTO creeps camped out at the drags on Sunday afternoon, weekend after weekend, busting guys for BS trailer infractions and paperwork nonsense, working that ticket book.
Oh, and if hunters are literally running around my back yard with shotguns? Like, in my yard. On my lawn. Next to the swing set. “Sorry, we can’t really do anything.” But if I call the conservation area instead and tell them guys are hunting in -their- yard, two cruisers show up.
Thus it does not fill me with joy when the OPP roll by, or follow me. More a fear/loathing reaction to the possibility of getting leaned on over nothing.
Maybe if more policemen took a stand on principle and gave the Big Boys some major pushback you’d get a better reception on the street. My personal estimation of the OPP and the RCMP will start to improve when the lot of you down tools and walk out because of an illegal order, instead of the perennial strikes for pay increases.
Example, the Hamilton police told the OPP to shove it on the scene of the original Caledonia stand-off. OPP said leave the rioting, tire-burning lunatics alone and arrest those townies standing around with their hands in their pockets. Hamilton said that’s an illegal order, got in their cars and -went home-. Protesters illegally hijacked the Ancaster fairground construction, Hamilton police had them packed up and seen off in a couple hours.
That’s the way its supposed to be done. CCP lurkers, take note.
Justthinkin “RCMP pulled me over for failing to slow down at a yellow light.”
Never heard of that one.
At the Nuemberg trials, the defence of “I was following orders, sir”.
Was rejected for certain German soldiers.
Over Christmas we had two police chiefs proudly inform Canadians that they, the PC’s, would decide when and how to enforce the law thank you.
The police, in concert with the Just-Us system have repeated chosen to lay criminal charges against citizens who defend themselves, wasting tax dollars as they punish and harass these crime victims thro full criminal court proceedings.
Yet both ignore blatant criminal behaviour and perjury from their protected clients and staff.
Sorry Bruce but 80% does not cut it, the joke that more police officers are up on charges than members of the Hells Angels, ain’t funny any more.
Join the biggest street gang in the country, the RCMP wants you.
There is currently no way for any Canadian to not violate the “Law” and avoid a cash penalty. There are so many stupid laws and illusionary offences that you are a criminal in the eyes of the enforcers, regardless.
That is explanation enough for the stupid and power hungry who gravitate to law enforcement. Then pick them young, with no work experience and people skills and you have a sure receipt for enraging the tax paying public.
Serve and protect… Whom??
Officer Mickens is black NOT white