If “speeding” – defined as driving faster than the legally posted maximum velocity – is necessarily “unsafe,” why do cops do so routinely?
The answer, of course, is: Because they can.
More precisely, they can do so with impunity. Who watches the watchmen, after all?
Here is a recent – and particularly egregious – example:
Denver cop Derrick Saunders was caught doing 143 MPH in a 55 – while legally drunk (.089 BAC). The repercussions? A 42 day suspension. At first, he was at least fired. But Saunders, who like a lot of cops apparently does not believe that “speed kills” when he is the one speeding – appealed his firing. And the police union backed him up. To repeat: a drunk cop doing 143 MPH in a 55 is demanding his job back. And the police union is helping him get his job back. The full story is here.
Meanwhile, let’s consider what would have happened to a non-anointed Mere Ordinary in my own state of Virginia:
Va. defines “reckless driving” as exceeding the posted maximum speed by more than 20 MPH – or any speed over 80 MPH, anywhere. Note carefully that one’s driving is considered legally reckless merely as a function of speed. It is not a viable legal defense to argue that you were sober – and in full control of your car and posed no danger to anyone. Merely to be caught driving 80 MPH of faster ( that’s all of 10 MPH over the highway limit of 70 MPH) or faster than 20 MPH over any posted limit (so, for instance, 56 MPH in a posted 35 zone) constitutes “reckless” driving – ipso facto – which in Va. is a Class 1 misdemeanor criminal offense, not merely an infraction – like a standard speeding ticket. If convicted, you will have a permanent criminal record that will be indexed in the NCIC database (where murderers, rapists and others are cataloged), spend up to a year in jail, pay a $2,500 fine, and face the strong likelihood that your driving privileges will be suspended for six months – and the absolute certainty that you will pay extortionate insurance premiums for at least the next five years.
Mind: This is for doing 80 MPH on a highway posted 70 – or 56 in a 35 – situations where (as we all know) the average speed of traffic is typically already close to 80 (in the first case) and not far below 56 in the second. it is all-too-easy to get slammed with a “reckless driving” cite.
But can you imagine the rain of shit that would descend upon a non-annointed caught doing 88 MPH over the limit? While drunk? Well, I can – because a local kid on a motorcycle was caught doing pretty much the same thing as Officer Saunders – at least, speed-wise. The kid was caught doing a mere 126 MPH. He was not drunk. But he wasn’t anointed. The court (in Botetourt County) sentenced this kid to six months in the Graybar Hotel. If he’d been even slightly drunk, a 3-5 year prison sentence would not be out of the question.
They have a similar statute (CRS 42-4-1401) and similarly severe consequences in Colorado – home state of Officer Saunders. Just not for Officer Sanders:
“A person who drives a motor vehicle, bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle, or low-power scooter in such a manner as to indicate either a wanton or a willful disregard for the disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving.” The punishment is up to 90 days in jail, a $300 fine and “additional costs and surcharges.”
Do you suppose 143 in a 55 qualifies?
Add drunk driving to this and – per Colorado law – it’s up to a year in jail, up to $1,000 in fines, 48-96 hours of community service and “alcohol education” for three to nine months.
If, that is, you’re not a member of Team Blue.
If you are – like Officer Saunders -a different set of rules applies. You only get “suspended” for a month or so. Then you get to be a cop again. And get to give tickets to Mere Mundanes again.
And the Officer Saunders Incident is not an isolated aberration. In Florida, recently, the Sun Sentinel newspaper exposed the fact of “oral reprimands” given to 31 state troopers for driving at “excessive speeds.” How excessive? In excess of 90 MPH. There were 5,100 incidents of excessive speed documented by the paper, including at least one incident involving speeds over 130 MPH. Mind, these were not “emergency calls.”
In addition to being “orally reprimanded,” the offending officers also sometimes lost the privilege of their take-home squad cars. None lost their jobs – much less their driving “privileges.” Not a ticket was issued. Not a single “point” assigned. No insurance consequences. In fact, no real consequences at all.
(See here for the original Orlando Sentinel story.)
But of course, we all know the story. Is there anyone out there who hasn’t witnessed police “speeding”? Who has not personally seen a cop do – with impunity – that which he’d ticket you or me for doing? Followed up with a lecture about the “dangers” of so doing?
It does not require further elaboration. The double standard is jarringly obvious. Cops are allowed to get away with speeding – and not “buckling up for safety”and carrying their guns wherever, whenever. Because they are cops. Our modern-era praetorians.
Just don’t dare give them the appropriate Roman salute – or you’ll find yourself even farther over on the wrong side of that double standard.
Throw it in the Woods?
Teacher Abbie Newman was arrested for not submitting to an unconstitutional, random checkpoint. Narration by Alex Jones.
They are doing that stuff around here too! I’ve been thru this a few times already. Without the arresting part, so far!
Eric,
I hope you are feeling better. I’ve experienced Salmonella and it’s about as sick as I’ve ever been.
Carl
Thanks, Carl!
I am just now (today) feeling normal again. Hit me hard Weds. morning – I think it was some deli meat I ate the night before. Probably lost 5 pounds since then… hey, maybe I could market it as the next rapid weight loss diet plan?
But yeah – it’s as sick as I’ve ever been, too. You lose the will to live, almost – which gives me some insight into how it must be for people with chronic severe health problems. I don’t know whether I could take that for very long….
Under The American Police Powers, It Is The 95% Of The Bad Apples That Give The Other 5% Of The Cops A Bad Name.
Hello All,
Anarchyst, I apologize for screwing up your screen name. There’s a huge difference between your screen name and what I wrote. I was wrong.
Tor, the more I hear from you the more I like hearing from you and your prose is enjoyable. I think you and I could be friends one day and find we’re not all that different. The bottom line to me is I get to hear all of your opinions and consider them. We will never agree on everything but I enjoy hearing from you. Everything in life originates from your perspective. Those that haven’t been in my shoes aren’t necessarily going to understand my perspective just as I probably won’t understand Tor’s, Anarchyst’s or others here. Once again Eric thank you for having this blog. I sincerely enjoy it.
You bet, Carl!
I’m still far from 100 percent, incidentally. I done et something I ought not to have last week and have been doing the Dysentery Disco ever since… so, pardon any unusual incoherence. I hope to be firing on all cylinders soon…
The moon, the stars, the world:
The illusion of courts & jurisdictions
Long walks on night patrol
that’s what good for the soul:
peeking into windows
watching tired housewives
trying to fight off
their beer-maddened husbands.
I Just Wanted To Confess
I have eaten your plums that were in the icebox
and which you were probably saving for breakfast
Also some jello shots at the strip club
And then frozen brownies at crystal or mercedes house
Its all a glittery perfumy blur & I cant remember which
I threw it all up next to the couch
But the cats ate it so its gone now
Forgive me dear they were delicious: so sweet, so tempting, and so cold
Thank you, Carl,
I look forward to intelligent discussions with you. IF we could purge the law-enforcement community of the “bad apples” (along with the politicians that make “bad law”) we would be better off. Of course, this would dilute the power of the “thin blue line”, but it could be doable.
Please Google “oath keepers” for more info.
Thanks,
Anarchyst,
Your welcome. Thank you for being so gracious with my screwup. I’ve looked into Oath Keepers and I like their thinking. I’m considering joining the organization. I am highly suspicious of our current government and I believe they are completely capable of unconstitutional actions against any of us. An organization like Oath Keepers is something that may make them hesitate to do so.
Take Care,
Carl
Oath Keepers is a false psychic balm of Patriotic nonsense. I challenge anyone to show me where they have EVER rolled back the tide of Leviathan and are doing so actively day to day in full view of the public and not behind musical mission statements. The fact is they’re all full of chest-beating bluster while carrying out the daily abuses upon us all.
What a patently ridiculous half measure Oath Keepers is. The problem is the Constitution itself which, to paraphrase Lysander Spooner, either authorized such a government as we have or was unable to prevent it.
The Constitution is pablum that gives “the people” the false sense of security that their rights are being protected. They are not. They never have been. Ever since George Washington invaded Pennsylvania to put down the Whiskey Rebellion, and thereby committed treason by waging war upon a state, the Constitution has been a dead letter. To join a group called “Oath Keepers” in order to hold the powers that be to a standard they have zero respect for is a quixotic endeavor at best.
http://lewrockwell.com/shaffer/shaffer252.html
the Constitution is No contract
Cops not only lie so does the prosecutor, and the judge will ban as much evidence for the defense at he thinks he can get away with. On top of this cops harass witnesses and spread lies as well. Trust me our press is no better. They could say anything they wanted to about me. Then they posted crap like “no comment” from me. They never asked for my comment or my attorney’s not once. Both the newspapers and the local tv did this crap. They have never made an apology and the prosecution still maintains that I was guilty.
I spent about five months in a cage by myself waiting for trial for defending myself. I couldn’t make bond because they set it so high. I was looking at 100 years in prison. Four charges of attempted murder, 25 years each. For what? Not letting cops beat on me! Hell I was the one who called the local cops after the fight. I did’t flee. They just wanted me to take a plea. 1 year county vs 100 years in prison is hard to turn down. (If not for my wife standing behind me I probably would have take the plea.)
You have no idea what it feels like trying to sleep at night with that hanging over your head. The fucking bastards were lucky I had more compassion for them then they did for me.
Would you like to know what really sucks? The lame dick prosecutor got busted hands down for doctor shopping for his meds and his buddy the judge dismissed it out of hand. The state attorney general re-filed the charges and again they tossed it. Not that I give a shit if people doctor shop, it’s just the hypocrisy that pisses me off. This guy was snorting pills while he tried to take away my life and it’s no big deal. (He claims he was putting them in water and drinking them) Well what were they doing on a mirror?
It’s not like I mind being locked up once in a while. There have been times where I knew it was coming. But this was fucking bullshit.
Oh yah, they told me that if I passed a lie detector that I would be free to go. I passed it, plus the video showed I had been assaulted. Nope the pricks still kept me locked up. Apparently four men is state issued costumes with badges, guns, clubs and tazers were at fear for their lives from one large mammal with military training. Supposedly I should not have disarmed them either. That’s a No NO, you are supposed to let the pricks who just tried to beat on you to keep their guns.
The only saving grace was a jury of my peers and even that was hung for a while. Funny the press never said a word about my acquittal.
Get this, then I was sued in civil court for medical bills and lost. I was not allowed to bring up the fact that I had been found not guilty and they made it sound like the case was still pending.
Ok one last thing. They brought up over and over that I was suffering from PTSD and that they felt I was unstable. They printed that crap in the press too.
LIE IN COURT – I don’t have personal knowledge of it but I believe it happens. However ask yourself who it happens too. *SNIP*
Would you do it?
I have had two different officers tell me that the cops frequently lie in court. I believe them.
Again, perjury is a felony.
Knowing someone committed perjury is not the same as being able to prove that someone committed perjury.
Usually (as many know) if it is a he said she said >< a Leo & a mundane the court will believe the Leo over the mundane.
Bearing false witness is a serious crime and when it is suspected, an effort should be made to prove it. Imposing accountability even occasionally would have a powerful deterrent effect.
The Code of Hammurabi (1776 BC) dealt severely with bearing false witness, so, despising those who do it is nothing new.
Hi JdL,
I will try an address your questions one at a time. First off let me clarify that I am retired from police work. Eric and others here know this but this is my first correspondence with you. I policed in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s so I haven’t been in the game in a long time, just a side line critic.
To answer your questions,
OVERLORDS – Yes, I have known officers that had some mistaken idea that they were “overlords” of the common people. Usually they were disliked by fellow officers as much as the public disliked them.
BEATING PEOPLE – All I can tell you about this is don’t always believe what you see on youtube. Use of force on people is a complicated issue. Every time you use force you are scrutinized more than the public realizes. You are involved in a fight with someone who is resisting arrest and there is at least one gun in that fight, the officers and maybe more. You want that fight to be over as quickly as possible so you use as much force as is necessary to end it before that suspect gets your gun, exhausts you with their fighting skill, physical condition or age advantage. What you see on youtube is from one perspective and it isn’t the officers. Isn’t he/she entitled to their reality of the situation? It is incredibly difficult to handcuff someone that doesn’t want to be handcuffed. This is why you see videos of 4 or 5 officers working to handcuff one suspect. It’s incredibly hard, especially by yourself. Try it sometime, go all out with the belief that your life is on the line in a struggle with another person for just 60 seconds. Many fights go longer. You’ll find it extremely difficult to do.
SCREAMING AT PEOPLE – See answer number one.
LIE IN COURT – I don’t have personal knowledge of it but I believe it happens. However ask yourself who it happens too. Is it just good regular people caught up in an unusual situation or career criminals that play the system to their advantage against everyone that lives a normal life and does what they are supposed to do? I believe it’s career criminals but make your own decision.
VICTIMLESS CRIMES – I can only give you my opinion but I didn’t see a lot of victimless crimes. Prostitution maybe? You’ll always get groups that say even that isn’t victimless because the man is using money meant for his family. As long as politicians make drug abuse, prostitution etc. a crime it will have victims. Victims from theft, burglary and robbery to support it.
ROGUE COPS – Yes, I did report what I thought was wrong actions by a fellow officer. There was no disciplinary action. Police are just like anyone else. If you have an I said/you said situation it doesn’t get far without further evidence. That’s the same system that protects the individual citizen. Are police officers not citizens?
I hope I have changed your opinion on some of these issues JdL.
Take Care
LYING IN COURT
Google: TestiLYING
I believe that testiLYING is common practice among drug warriors. I consider them the scum of the earth because most if not all of them know that the Drug War is pure bullshit! If I knew that some drug warriors were headed into a deadly ambush I would remain silent.
TestiLYING is perjury. Purgery is a felony and I insist on “equal protection of the laws”.
I’ve been screamed at by cops on multiple occasions. I’ve had a cop lie in court against me (traffic ticket).
Keep in mind, I am a risk adverse engineer with two college degrees. I am professionally employed. I am shy by nature. I tend to keep to myself. These events all happened when I was in my thirties. I have never committed a real crime in my life. Not even as a teenager.
I drive with a camera running because of what has happened to me.
I now do almost all of my driving in a little plain four door sedan. Due to this in the last 3 years I haven’t been hassled. The last time I had to deal with a cop was two weeks before I bought this car.
Anyway, like you say, this isn’t supposed to happen to good people. But I’m not good people because I am not a sheep. If I pretend to be a sheep I am left alone.
EИJOY
I enjoy your writing too Carl, I think you bring a lot to the table. It will take a big posse both numerically and mentally if America hopes to detox from its stupor and rejoin the ranks of legitimate first world society.
One of my best friends is an ex-cop/soldier named Stan, and he enjoys nothing more than rehashing his many stories of Praetorian privilege. He loves Bill O’Reilly and brings to life the staunch Traditionalist that Bill portrays to be in front of TV cameras and contractually obligated teleprompter scripts.
Stan tells of celebrity favors, trying to give CPR to some ladies dad but he croaks anyway. About finding a dead fat guy in a recliner who died because the neighbor girl who helps out turned off the air conditioning in his RV; he’s too big to get out of the chair anymore; and ends up literally cooking to death.
What needs to stop, is third world behavior.
Third world thinking is chasing perps with clubs and guns. Second world thinking is there really are bad guys and good guys, and we need strong men to deal with them accordingly using the savings of the First Worlders against their will.
First world thinking is saying balls out = all men are created equal = each man can pursue happiness in the privacy of his own property, whether it be an opium planter or as a brothelkeeper. How can we the richest strongest males build a framework where the capable many ascend to us First Worlders and stand shoulder to shoulder instead of only the chosen few.
VEИOM
In the case of mammals such as the platypus & slow loris, only the males produce venom; production levels rise greatly during breeding season and mate competition. It is believed that mammals use venom as an offensive weapon to assert dominance during this crucial life or death period.
Slow Loris holds an umbrella
Hi Carl,
Apologies for the delay in responding. My old friend Sal – Sal Monella – showed up the other day and I have been worshipping the god with him since then. I think I am just now coming out of it. Never buy green meat!
Based on all you’ve written – including your civil tone – I expect you’re one of the old style cops. That is, someone who can be reasoned with, who isn’t a steroid-jacked thug with a badge. You’ve got perspective and are thoughtful. Not an “it’s the law” martinet. I wish there were more out there like you.
But something has changed. For one, cops in general have become more militarized. The buzz cuts, the tactical gear – and the attitude. For two, the balance that used to exist – not perfect, but it did exist – between what they call “officer safety” and acting with some degree of forbearance toward civilians has shifted. All too often, Officer 82nd Airborne expects and demands absolute servility – and will escalate the situation out of all proportion. These are the stories we keep seeing pop on in the news and on YouTube. For example, the case of the older man who was Tasered in his own home just because he didn’t want to go to the hospital after falling. He was scraped up a little, but didn’t feel the need. But the cop would not respect his wishes and ended up using the Taser on this clearly harmless older guy who posed no threat to “officer safety.” Etc.
I’ll add to this as I recover!
The author of this piece is either completely misinformed or deliberately misleading people.
The actual facts of this case are as follows.
He was arrested.
He was charged with reckless driving and DUI.
He was convicted, sent to jail for 5 days, fined and ordered to do 100 hours community service.
He was then fired by the Police.
He appealed and the Civil Service Commission found that the Police over-reacted by firing him.
The Police don’t accept the ruling, publicly expressed disgust at the decision and are appealing it.
So in reality, not the fictional account presented by this blog, the Police want this guy out, civilians on the civil service commission decided otherwise.
Boscoreli,
Did you even read what Eric wrote?
He wrote nothing false or misleading. What happened is a misinterpretation on your part. He cited his source – which, by extension, came from the freaking Cato Institute. Eric never denied that he was charged with reckless driving but rather he was making a point that Saunders hardly received consequences for his actions. “Consequences” being the key word he used in the sentence before he gets into talking about Saunders and reckless driving.
Since your sticking with “just the facts ma’am” then stick to all of them. “The police don’t accept the ruling” – I didn’t find that in any news story I read. So, other than Martinez speaking against him I haven’t found any of his fellow officers speaking out against it.
Passing the buck to the civil service commission? True, they are responsible for reinstating the guy, however, he wouldnt be up for a rehire if he was fired, as he should have been, for his McDonalds incident.
Further more, quit acting as the voice of logic if you are not also going to be open-minded; this guy obviously felt comfortable enough to deliberately break the law – I wonder why. Could it be that he was surrounded by fellow officers that commit similar offenses? Yes, that is even more possible than you’re claim that his fellow officers want him out.
This is not a crime blotter, ladelling out the gruel of the official lies whilst wearing Uncle Ben’s hat! Where is the sauce for your assertions friend? Sauce please. Even if Eric timidly bows to your corrections and edits the post with these facts, do the underlying abstractions within this story change?
You see, the act of isolation involved in concept-formation is a process of abstraction. It’s a selective mental focus that takes out or separates a certain aspect of reality from all others.
Eric here is isolating certain attributes from the “Praetorians” that possess them. He’s also depicting the context and specific actions that “Praetorians” perform which define them as such. These abstractions so made concrete and gleefully understood by like-minded men such as myself as concretes thus become the building blocks of new knowledge and social pattern recognition and coordination skills.
There are thousands, and maybe millions who know what “praetorians” are, and why placing their third world Cro-Magnon asses above 1st world men is the root cause of our recent slide from first world status back down to second and even third world status wherever this unterfahren be found.
Cops operate under a third world mindset. At best they work with their fellow praetorians to preserve a second world authoritarian lifestyle.
The higher naked apes are able to perceive entities, motions, attributes, and patterns regarding entities. Under property rights and self determination, they can ascend and remain in first world status.
But what most animals and many naked apes cannot perform is the process of abstraction—of mentally separating attributes, motions or properties from entities.
It has been said that an animal or socially deficient naked ape can perceive two oranges or two potatoes, but cannot grasp the concept “two.”
. . . but cannot grasp the concept “two.” –Ayn Rand
Rand’s Counting Crows Epistemology
LEGALIZE?
Congress can make law and repeal law. It has no power to legalize since things not prohibited by law are legal. It is very important that a Citizen understand this. Unfortunately, very few citizens do.
If America is ever to resume its intended lawful course, WE the People are going to have to do considerably more than vote.
Any questions?
Did you see the prior arrest Derrick Saunders has?
He shoved his gun into a McDonald’s employees face as he was not getting served his junk food fast enough:
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/20126767/detail.html
Eric,
Thank you for posting back. I agree that DUI and safety checkpoints are wrong and unconstitutional. I’d like to see an end to them. I think speed limits have some merit because unfortunately a large number of people drive rather poorly. I realize there are some highly trained drivers out there as you may be given your profession. If there was a way to get “good” points on your license and after you accumulated enough you could disregard some traffic laws I’d be for that.
Eric, I enjoy your blog and when you write for Lew Rockwell, take care.
Tor, I enjoy your posts but I don’t get why you’re so venomous against police. Most of us really do care about the good people and enjoy putting true low lifes in jail.
Anticryst, your first comment is ridiculous. Can you please name which police academies in what states recommend throw down guns? And please keep it to first hand knowledge not third handed information someone’s cousin told your brother. Imagine for a minute a Instructor Jones of the police academy stands up in front of an academy class of twenty to thirty recruits and says “Get a throw down gun and plant it when needed”. Say two weeks out of the academy one of those recruits does exactly that and it’s discovered what he did. The first thing he’s going to say is Instructor Jones at the academy told us to do it and that new officer has twenty plus witnesses that were there and heard that statement by Instructor Jones. That is absurd! Instructor Jones would be civilly and criminally liable for advocating criminal and unethical behavior and no officer I know would take that risk. Anticryst you’re repeating something that happened occasionally up until the 60’s. Forty plus years later with scientific and investigative advancements in ballistics, DNA, fingerprints etc. throw down guns just don’t happen. They certainly aren’t taught as a method in police academies.
Thanks for listening,
Carl
Peace officers ought not to have bad laws to work with. Get rid of the bad laws beginning with unconstitutional Drug Prohibition* which is an open invitation to corruption and does great harm to harmless persons. Drug Prohibition has degenerated into a legal racket that serves opportunists and parasites on both sides of the law.
Tinsley Grey Sammons (1936 –)
*Destroy the toughest first and the rest will fall like dominoes.
Carl, you come across as solid and honest. But your statement “Most of us [cops] really do care about the good people and enjoy putting true low lifes in jail.” in not in alignment with reality. Tell me please, are there no cops you’re aware of in your department who:
. Have an “I’m your overlord” attitude toward non-cops.
. Beat people well beyond what is necessary to subdue or arrest them.
. Scream gratuitously at people.
. Lie in court and then brag about it to other cops.
If your answer is “no” to all of these, then either you live in a very exceptional part of the country or you’re blind.
And tell me please, whether or not you enforce victimless “crimes”, such as the drug war, do you or would you feel any compunction about taking part in ruining people’s lives for personal choices they have made?
One last question: have you or would you report any rogue cops you are/were aware of to your superiors? If yes, would you see to it that your superiors followed through in taking appropriate disciplinary action or criminal charges?
Thanks,
JdL
And no response for the words that hurt most of all?
Carl, in my posts “good people” are those who conform and obey. “bad people” are people who fail to do at least one of those two things. Who fall outside the narrow band of choice we are allowed. Who go outside what has been called “the hassle free zone”.
It’s very easy for someone to dislike cops these days. Those of us who in one way or another do not conform or obey some edict regarding our person have negative encounters with cops. Repeatedly until we give up and at least pretend to conform and obey.
First of all, it’s “anarchyst”, NOT “anticryst”. Show a little respect for us “mundane people”, “Carl”. Don’t forget that we pay your salary and pension . . .
It looks like I hit a nerve. I WAS THERE. The “thin blue line” protects ALL sworn officers, regardless of their criminal behavior and is emphasized EVERY DAY at the academy. Of course, the instructor put in a disclaimer “you didn’t hear it from me”, but . . .
You appear to be one of those that cannot take constructive criticism about your “profession”. Grow up, will ya,
In some ways I’m a little surprised that the car makers haven’t put speed governors on vehicles yet as a result of an authoritarian edict. Of course the LEO will need a non-governed vehicle. You know, for all of those times they are “going to a call”. I’m sure there would be all kinds of exceptions too, which bureaucrats seem to love and justify—just think of how handicap parking is abused for an idea of how a speed-governor exception would work. We already put up with toilets that don’t flush, dishwashers that don’t wash and a plethora of nanny “safety” nonsense—if speeding really WERE the problem (and not just the revenue/control scheme we know it to be) why do the manufacturers keep making cars that that are fully powerful enough to exceed 80 mph? Cars haven’t been affordable for decades, so why keep tempting me to enjoy my life by letting me drive faster than what Johnny Law says is safe?
I have had the exact same thought. If safety were truly the matter of concern, then the logical conclusion would be the outlawing of all private ownership of transportation and only public transportation for all of us mundanes.
That’s where its headed for the metro areas and its slavish occupants. And also why I refuse to ever live there again.
“The general rule is that an unconstitutional statute, though having the form and name of law, is in reality no law, but is wholly void, and ineffective for any purpose; since unconstitutionality dates from the time of its enactment, and not merely from the date of the decision so branding it. An unconstitutional law, in legal contemplation, is as inoperative as if it had never been passed. Such a statute leaves the question that it purports to settle just as it would be had the statute not been enacted. Since an unconstitutional law is void, the general principles follow that it imposes no duties, confers no rights, creates no office, bestows no power or authority on anyone, affords no protection, and justifies no acts performed under it…. A void act cannot be legally consistent with a valid one. An unconstitutional law cannot operate to supersede any existing valid law. Indeed, insofar as a statute runs counter to the fundamental law of the land, it is superseded thereby. No one is bound to obey an unconstitutional law and no courts are bound to enforce it.”
– US Supreme Court: Sixteenth American Jurisprudence Second Edition, Section 177
Since the unconstitutional Drug War began, how many innocents have been arrested, jailed, imprisoned, impoverished and even killed while unconstitutional drug laws were being enforced.
Were every individual who has violated his oath of office to be hanged, the rope makers would have to hire another shift.
We’re sorry we killed your daddy little girl. Here’s a few million taxpayer dollars to make it all better.
Gawdfukindamn! What does it take to outrage the American People?
One time in Germany, the driver of the Popemobile got a ticket because the Pope’s not buckled in while he’s being driven around. Really nothing is sacred, except their hungry snouts, maws, and systems of regional pigpens and heirarchies of wallowing rights.
There are no drugs. There are only crops that can be grown, and compounds that can be synthesized.
The odometer, speedometer, breathylizer, et. al. are nothing but a bunch of cal, signifying nothing of consequence whatsoever.
All the legal baggage we’re made to carry around about our property titles, where we’ve lived, worked, how old we are, and everything else is just a bunch of mud and foul rot for them to root around in. It’s a thin film of manure that sullies our world and gives cover for them to trample us under their hooves for squeals, giggles, and pink porcine pride.
I doubt this was in Germany because here, it is not illegal to drive Unbelted if you are traveling at Walking Speeds or are in a Parade, etc.
“Here”? Are you in Germany now? I lived in Bremerhaven from 9/48 until 6/50. Years later I enlisted in the Air Force hoping to return but it never happened.
Pretty sure something suchlike happend. Officials did it after some sovok in steel city düörpm hired a lawyer to file on Papa B, I cant remember what city the charges were brought in. The charges were brought to increase public awareness of the seatbelt laws and out of concern for the pontiff’s sayefffteeeee.
In response to your article, I am an avid Libertarian and Ron Paulian. I find your article interesting.
To elaborate why I feel this way I must explain. Most police officers or deputy sheriff’s going over the speed limit are most likely going to a call, where they must get there with a sense of urgency, but not a call allowing “Rolling code” (red lights and siren) which allows the deputy or officer to break the rules of the road. This is because each department has policy which describes in detail when code runs are allowed.
Example: Dispatched to a prowler seen in someone’s back yard (Maybe your house?) No code allowed.
Example: Dispatched to a passerby picked up a 1 year old infant found in the roadway. No code allowed.
Example: 2 Shots heard in the area. Guess what no code.
As for the officer caught speeding while intoxicated, I cannot comment on it. I wasn’t there. I don’t know all the circumstances. You cannot use a few examples to include the rest of law enforcement. I’m sorry you feel this way. Next time I won’t hurry to your residence when you need help.
Most of us do not write tickets, unless assigned to Traffic, and only few enjoy that part of law enforcement. We want to catch bad guys, rapists, child molesters, burglars, gang bangers, murderers, etc.
I’m sorry you feel cops are driving with immunity. They are not speeding for the fun of it. As for driving to your residence, I would still speed while having due regard for cars and pedestrians.
Yes, I am in law enforcement.
John
Hi John,
Just the other day, I had a cop whiz by me on a section of road that has recently had its speed limit knocked down from 45 to 35. He was running between 45 and 50. He was not on a call. I know this because I discreetly followed him for 20-plus miles. He was just headed home, like me.
The thing is this: You and I know this whole “speeding” thing is a farce. A vicious farce. I don’t fault the cop for driving at a perfectly reasonable speed. I fault him – and the system – for applying a double standard that says he can “speed” but I cannot. The standard ought to be: Is the individual driving competently? Velocity, as such, is only one of many factors – as you know. A skilled, attentive driver doing say 75 MPH is much less of a threat to himself or others than a distracted/addled, half-blind person doing the speed limit. Right? But the system fixates on velocity – and dumbed-down velocity. Why? Because it’s easy. You and I both know the system is about revenue more than “safety.” What we have is a system of for-profit law enforcement – and that’s what rubs people like me the wrong way.
If you were a peace officer and spent your time going after the rapists, child molesters, burglars, gang bangers, murderers, etc. that you mention, I’d be fully in your corner. But you know as well as I do that a great deal of “law enforcement” involves victimless crimes – from “buckle-up” laws to enforcement of “speeding” and many other things besides.
You mention that you support Ron Paul and consider yourself a Libertarian. Yet you have chosen a profession that requires you to arrest (or harass/fine) people for non-crimes. For doing things that may be “illegal” – but involve no harm to others. And it’s a pretty basic Libertarian tenet that a “crime,” properly speaking, must involve an actual victim. Does this bother you? I personally could not spend my days handing out tickets for failing to “buckle up,” or subjecting my fellow citizens to probable cause-free dragnet-style “safety” checks. Let alone throwing people in jail for possessing an arbitrarily illegal “drug.” Etc.
I’d like you to think about why it is that a growing number of not-the-problem Americans (people who are not criminals, who are responsible, just trying to get through their day) don’t like or even respect cops. Why we fear you.
And resent you.
Hi John,
A reader sent me this:
In the St. Louis area, an Illinois state trooper (who was not responding to an emergency call) was driving over 100 miles an hour, was sending e-mails, and making personal calls right before he struck a car head-on and killed two teenage sisters.
The SOB even had the balls to try to collect workers comp.
Ultimately, the state paid the family a settlement of $8 million but it took four years and even then Illinois was dragging its feet because it is broke and is months behind paying its bills.
link to an article, you can search for more on the St Louis Post Dispatch website
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/court-awards-million-for-teens-deaths-attributed-to-illinois-trooper/article_5bbc30c5-201c-563b-a193-619b5b55fe9b.html
Cops rarely obey the speed limit around here. Also, I’ve heard this ‘on a call excuse’ many times before. All I have to say on that is that these ‘no code’ calls must almost always get canceled. Because I usually catch back up to the cops or find them parked at the doughnut shop or in their favorite spot running radar.
A couple-three years ago I encountered a rather aggressively driving cook county mounty. He was tailgating, speeding, etc. Showing poor advanced planning typical of that sort of driving style. Without breaking the speed limit I successfully passed him. Eventually he got ‘loose’ came on hard about 20 over until he was riding my ass. Then as I finish my pass of a line of drivers before the road goes from 4 lanes to two this cop nearly clips the right rear corner of my car going around me. I look at him. He then stops in the merge. Waves me by and then lights me up. Yep… this cop who is driving like ass, whom I would normally be told is on one of these ‘no code’ calls has time to pull me over and exercise his authoritah because he didn’t like how I looked at him.
On another occasion a suburban cop nearly sucks the door off my car on an empty arterial late at night. I speed up, still slower than him a block behind and losing agound.. another cop pulls me over for ‘drafting’ the first cop. Gives me the he’s ‘on a call, no code’ BS. Tells me where the call is… I find that odd. Why tell me? Shouldn’t tell me if it is real. I get a verbal warning and I decide I’ll stop at this bar where the call is. Just a block or two down the road. (I didn’t see the first cop turn in there either) No way it could be sorted out that quickly. No cops there to be found. BS.
I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but I still haven’t seen these ‘you mundanes don’t understand, it’s a no code call’ turn out that way. Where it looks like they are just speeding, they are just speeding. Around here anyway. We mundanes aren’t all stupid. We can see the difference.
Better you should let go your delusions of being a hero and a part of civil society and seek instead to minimize your predations and distortions of peaceful cooperation and commerce.
Above all else, the rise of the Praetorian state and mindset has eviscerated property rights. In my younger days, the United States authorities and citizens, for the most part, respected property. Respect for property instills an empathy and ingrained ethos: most of us want to own property, and we want others to respect the property we own. In turn, we respect our neighbor’s property. That’s 90% of law and order right there. If you have that, a squad of local volunteer policeman could provide the missing 10%.
Through a crooked system, much of the saved value of our country has been siphoned off. Superceding even our credit score, we all have been assigned a perp score. The higher this neo-slavery score goes, the more property rights are violated. The funding of all the squad cars, computers, weapons, jails, precincts, pensions, and everything else is itself the largest theft that has ever occurred in the history of crime. It is cops, lawyers, judges, and the like who are the real bad guys, rapists, child molesters, burglars, gang bangers, murderers, etc. Their violation of the public trust makes them the most dangerous and notorious criminals of all.
If you truly want to aid in the return to our previous relative harmony, start working for the power of the police to be minimized, and for the importance of property rights to be maximized.
Next time I won’t hurry to your residence when you need help.
I don’t ever and won’t ever need the kind of “help” people like you provide. You are a criminal in a clown suit, nothing more.
It’s pretty pathetic you calling yourself a “libertarian”. Real libertarians don’t become cops.
“Next time I won’t hurry to your residence when you need help.”
I pulled back from saying anything about that at first – because I wanted to give John the benefit of the doubt. I still do. Hopefully, he will respond to the posts left for him.
As a cop, John knows (or should) that cops have no legal obligation to “help” anyone. They only have an obligation to enforce the law. Very different things.
I’ve mentioned before that we live in a rural area; that if someone attacks us, it’ll be between me and the attacker(s). When seconds count, a cop is only about 20-30 minutes away.
I’ve also mentioned that – so far – I’ve never been robbed at gunpoint by a standard-issue thug. But I have been robbed at gunpoint by cops many times. John will probably take offense at that characterization. But what else is it? You can gussy it up with talk of “the law” all day long, but it doesn’t change the fact that no harm has been done to anyone, yet the individual waylaid is compelled to pay up – with the threat of lethal violence hanging over the event, if he refuses to submit.
I appreciate the reasons that you and others have responded less forcefully to John the Cop than I did. I hope he’ll prove wrong my expectation that such reasoned responses are a complete and total waste of breath.
I’d bet a dollar that JtC will do one of two things:
. Sulk and not respond at all.
. Get pissed off and issue veiled, or not so veiled, threats directed at anyone who doesn’t agree that, as a cop, he does and should get a special pass to violate rules that ordinary citizens are expected to obey.
JtC, what do you say?
It is common knowledge among cops (and is recommended in the police academy) that a cop obtain a “throw-down”–an unregistered pistol to “plant” at a questionable crime scene.
Another “dirty trick” is a police officer possessing a small bag of marijuana to justiry a search during a traffic stop. The cop merely rubs some marijuana residue on the trunk lid. When the dogs are called in, the dog indicates drugs, thereby “justifying” a search.
“Asset forfeiture” laws are commonly used to “enhance revenue” withouit any criminal activity being noted and are a form of “legalized robbery”. The supreme court was dear wrong in carving the “drug exception” to the Constitution . . .
It is against the law to lie to “law enforcement” but cops, prosecutors and their ilk can lie with impunity. They often extract false confessions (in collusion with crooked prosecutors) with beatings. torture and harrassment. ALL interrogations and traffic stops should be video recorded. Of course, most of “law enforcement” is against this as it would reveal their dirty dealings.
I would like to see honest cops follow their oath of office and REFUSE to enforce unconstitutional laws. The Constitution is simple enough for the average person to understand without “interpetration”.
Okay what a bunch of garbage. I’m not risking my career for some dirtbag I will catch later legally. I don’t know what academy thinks they can teach that, but that’s ridiculous.
You need to go on a ride-along sir..
There is no need for anything to get the dog to alert. The courts have ruled that the dog alert is a mystical horse whisperer thing that only the cop dog handler can understand. The cop is the sole interpreter for the dog. Only he can say if the dog alerted or not.
However this is often rarely needed as the handler can also get the dog to make a visible to layman ‘alert’ because the dog wants to please the handler. There are youtube videos showing this. It’s considered improper by those who train dogs to detect substances but the cops can use it and without a good lawyer and paying expert witnesses it will likely stand in court.
Thus, the dog is simply a prop. If the cop really wants to search the dog will always alert for him.
The use of this dog prop satisfies the ignorant and trusting masses that these powers will only be used on ‘bad people’. So long as these search anyone techniques aren’t used to hassle soccer moms and corporate management types everything will go along smoothly.
A Probable Cause Prop. Now that’s interesting. It’s so damned obvious and yet I never thought of it that way and likely never would have had BrentP not pointed it out.
With the Canine Prop you have a virtual Writ of Assistance. Plant a little evidence and you’ve made a bust for the unlawful Legal $ystem that has supplanted the genuine Law of the Land.
At least the drug dealers, in a spirit of free enterprise, give you something you want for your money. The State merely confiscates your property unlawfully and puts you in a cage. The drug dealer is obviously the more honorable and the less criminal of the two entities.
It’s been more than a year since Congressman Ron Paul correctly pointed out the fact that the Drug War is unconstitutional, yet neither Congress nor any other Office has acted to end it.
Since the Drug War is unconstitutional it is both unlawful and illegal to perpetuate it. This alone makes the entire U.S. Congress a gang of criminals.
Think real hard about that folks.
Thanx for the eye opener BrentP.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/06/06/47162.htm
And apparently no charges were filed against any of the criminals with badges. This is where an Informed Grand Jury should have investigated and issued Presentments ordering that indictments be drawn.
Wake up folks, elections alone ain’t gonna fix America.
Tinsley Grey Sammons (1936 –)
Hi Eric,
I am the retired police officer that reads your blogs. I haven’t been on your site in a while but I last commented on the post about police officers enforcing mundane, insignificant laws. I agree that Off. Saunders should be shitcanned. His actions were reprehensible and endangered many innocent people. There is no excuse for what he did.
As for many of the other comments I would only ask your readers to remember that many times officers are sent on emergency runs but canceled while enroute because other officers arrive or the emergency never was. That could account for that officer you see speeding past you and then minutes later you see them at an intersection or business apparently doing nothing or even eating.
George posted that he was a former LEO that had some shame about his previous affiliations. If George is ashamed of being a LEO that’s his right. However, to post that most officers are on the lower end of the IQ scale is simply absurd. I found most officers to be above average in intelligence and motivation unless they were hired under consent decrees and affirmative action programs from the Feds and well if the feds are involved you know what you get.
As for professional courtesy when it comes to speeding and DUI? It happens but much less frequently than it used too. The blue brotherhood doesn’t exist much anymore. I’ll leave it up to your readers as to whether or not that’s a good thing. There was a post from a cop site stating all professions do it. Well they do! Doctors do it for doctors, plumbers do it for plumbers, and well I bet even automobile and motorcycle shops do it for each other.
People generally don’t like being told what to do. I know I don’t but that’s what cops are tasked with doing, telling you the public what you don’t want to hear. Thanks Eric and take care. I enjoy your site and keep on bloggin.
Carl,
You’re retired. I imagine you had a fulfilling career and have much wisdom to share. However, being that you stuck around the 20+ years to earn that retirement I doubt you were witness to the types of disgust, or anything else bloggers here refer to, that innocent people experience to truly give objective feedback.
With that said, people shouldn’t generalize based on a few bad experiences, however, there are not only a “few” bad reports on the fuzz. Of course your fellow officers will not present to you as they do to civilians (especially clovers) as we live in the grey; not the black/ white area that disillusioned people reside.
It would be hard to determine what you, Carl, mean when your referring to IQ. Can most officers perform rithmatic, reading, and riting? Sure. The intelligence needed to be an Social Control Agent is in complete opposite of what George is writing about. To be an officer, and keep ones sanity, ignorance is bliss. Officers must practice prejudice, discrimination, and possess a grandiose sense of self.
They must regularly pre – judge (prejudice) people to stay safe and to conduct a respectable investigation, discrimination is effective but to make an omlette you have to crack a few eggs (in the process you treat people unjustly) and finally if you did not see yourself as a savior, or someone special why would you care about the job? We all know that pay isn’t great.
Not a knock on you. If I get robbed and beaten im dialing those three numbers. But like everything in this life – not everything is as it seems and no one is perfect. So, enough of you, police, do the “right thing” so that the overwhelming majority can get away with their illegal liberties. Don’t make excuses for officers (their not all getting cancelled calls when they run that red light). An excuse is the skin of a lie and bullshit.
So, don’t pass the buck onto the feds for hiring biased fuzz. Oh and Affirmative Action? Really? Where the heck did that come from? Black Saunders?
Do you really think either of those officers in the movie “Crash” learned their lesson? No, they didn’t.
Hey Carl. I tried to skip the high scrabble value words, but my prose is still a bit thick. Nothing a little knuckling & enhanced editing techniques wouldn’t help though, I’m sure.
IMHO, outside their propaganda bubble, cops know that they never get the girl or have a real person as a friend. Because they never act like a detached value providing adult. The best they can hope for is a farce of affection from a litany of gold digging hookers and glad handing hang arounds plotting to shiv and run at the first opportunity. Hopefully hookers and takers too stupid to realize, the silver plating on your old badge has all worn away to betray nothing but tin underneath.
At a micro level, cops spend most of their day as a heavily armed child, indulging their every whim, unleashing lethal black & blue tantrums whenever they don’t get their way. The rest of their time they spend as an overbearing abusive parent, abusing their power to overstep into everyone’s life, desperately maintaining their facade of goodness and delusions of grandeur as “society’s parent.”
At a macro level, the problem with cops is they are a point on the spear ensuring the world public swallows the welfare/warfare shit sandwich and supplicates on demand while chanting “work makes you free.” & “government makes us good.”
With all due disrespect, statistically speaking, you are a retired petty taxslave ship-captain and fair-fight-adverse bouncer for the evil supervillians of the status-quo. A blue doorag bandit fake servant, holding the true heads of households captive in their own estates and forcing them to turn over the fruits of their labors to your unseen masters.
While you proudly marched in step, America won the space race. Unfortunately, the race was never about extraterrestial living but rather the installation of a SKYNET system that covers the prisonified earth in virtual barbed wire, HQ video surveillance, and remote robotic assassin/wardens always on patrol.
No one sees American Authorities such as yourself as you claim to be, a hive of organized productivity and collective stability. They see only a drone in a plague swarm of Africanized Bees and infected pests to be gassed on sight, lest their bizarre colony collapse disorder should infect the entire world.
“…litany of gold digging hookers and glad handing hang arounds plotting to shiv and run…”
That’s when the coffee came out my nose!
Hi Carl,
The basic problem, as I see it, is we’ve got a system that’s no longer based on peace-keeping. Instead, we have a system of law enforcement – with many of those laws involving actions that have no victim. Just: Thou shall not. Technical foul “infractions.” Victimless “crimes.”
I would have no issue with a cop driving faster than the posted limit (because the posted speed limit is usually absurd) except for the fact that he’ll ticket me for doing the same thing! That’s what annoys us Mundanes. The speed limit regime is ridiculous – and we all know it, including the police. It’s no great mystery why cops ignore the speed limit. Everyone does! But cops don’t get ticketed and lectured about “safe driving” when they do it!
This gins up a lot of resentment.
We’re also fearful – because we are no longer secure in our persons and effects from unreasonable searches. Cops used to have to have probable cause to stop a driver and demand his papers, etc. Not anymore. We can be stopped and searched for no reason – other than that we happen to be on that particular road at that particular time and they are conducting “safety” checks. Etc. It’s outrageous.
It did not used to be this way.
I hope it will not always be this way.
Thanks, by the way, for posting. This is one of the few places left where us Mundanes can have an honest back-and-forth with a cop without risking a wood shampoo!
Eliminating all “sovereign immunity” statutes would do much to reign in the abuses by ANY government official. If government officials were PERSONALLY liable for their actions, their behavior would HAVE to improve.
“Sovereign immunity” statutes are an extension of the immunity granted to kings and queens and should be abolished.
Gevernment officials should not be treated any differently than us mere mortals . . .
It’s my understanding that sovereign immunity ends when one’s actions exceed the scope of one’s official duty. Once they cross that line, they CAN be held liable for their actions. It’s a wonder to me that more insurance comapnies don’t use this in defense of complaints against “public servants.”
Many, if not most, lawyers are lazy and don’t want to REALLY fight for their clients. That’s why they tell you there’s nothing they can do for you. Fighting city hall isn’t easy, it’s not cheap, and there’s no guarantee they’ll find any real justice in the court system.
They also know that theyre going to have to live in that town and appear in those courts again. They’re afraid of retaliation AND they have no trust in the system of which they’re part.
Hi Dan,
Technically, this is true. But in practice, the “official duty” amounts to carte blanche. And if that doesn’t do it, “officer safety” almost always will.
The solution?
Repeal all Law Power that is repugnant to the Principles underpinning the Unanimous Declaration.
Know your real enemy. The law schools are regurgitating scores of thousands every year.
Demand that every law be burdened with a Sunset Clause.
A sunset clause would be perfect given that laws outlive their practicality. Lawmakers would have more to busy themselves rather than thinking up new laws. The fact that laws are continually pushed through each year is alarming considering the finite freedoms we are already left with. On a long enough time scale we are sure to be remanded to a matrix like existence.
Or a revolution that might do nothing more than eradicate one class of human vermin and replace them with another.
Important article. When citing stories like this people often respond with the tired, “there may be a few bad cops, but most cops are good and they have a tough job.” This misses the point entirely. As a citizen just trying to make a living and get by in life, how am I to know when a cop approaches whether he (or she) is one of the “good ones” or one of the maniacal sadists with something to prove?
The reality is all of them are merely heavily armed strangers conditioned to view all of us as subjects, employing command and control (read intimidation), the threat of violence and deceit to control- not protect. The slogan “protect and serve” evidently means to protect and serve the state from us, because that’s precisely what their behavior indicates.
They are a law unto themselves. Try filing a complaint against an officer and see what happens. After witnessing a cop speeding, driving recklessly, and running a red light without lights or siren, my brother went to the Chino police department to file a complaint. The desk cops ignored him, treated him rudely, then said they “didn’t have time to locate a complaint form.” He said, “I’ll wait.” And wait he did, for 45 minutes. The public servants became more and more belligerent that he wouldn’t go away. When they finally produced the form, practically throwing it at him, he completed it and left. In the days that followed he called repeatedly to get status. They had no record of any complaint. He filed another. They ultimately ruled that the complaint was baseless. The officer must have had good cause to drive recklessly. The message was clear: Don’t bother us. We’ll do what we want. You are beneath us.
Even my uncle, a highly decorated sheriff’s deputy, once confided in me that he’d become a cop because he, “wanted to drive fast and carry a gun.”
I conclude that the problem is not with a handful of “bad” individual cops. The bad cops are merely doing what they’re trained to do. The institution of law enforcement is critically flawed; it views us as subjects to be controlled. What’s the solution? Study up on Sheriff Richard Mack and his Constitutional Sheriffs movement. http://sheriffmack.com/
http://www.cspoa.org/index.php
For Sheriff Mack
A PHILOSOPHICAL LITMUS TEST
Where do you stand on Drug Prohibition?
This simple, straightforward question quickly eliminates the half-hearted, the hopelessly ill-informed, and the Stealth Statists. Simple is best, so keep it simple by insisting upon an across the board repeal of de facto Drug Prohibition.
Interfering with an adult’s efforts to relieve his personal suffering is morally equivalent to inflicting the suffering. Deliberately inflicting suffering is intrinsically criminal. The insane and intrinsically criminal Drug War has brought dreadful suffering to millions. The Drug War is a Power Precedent that has been instrumental in the legislative and judicial nullifying of the Bill of Rights.
Without Bill of Rights protection for the Individual, the United States is simply another totalitarian nation that systematically inflicts Draconian punishment for legislated offenses that are not real crimes. Nothing endangers the American Ideal* more than whimsical lawmaking and judicial ukase that bypasses Bill of Rights restraint. No foreign enemy could ever have damaged America as deeply as our own lawmakers and judges have succeeded in doing.
*The American Ideal is expressed with incomparable eloquence in the non-amendable Unanimous Declaration approved by Congress in July 1776.
The Nuremberg Precedent, which brought crimes against humanity to humankind’s administration of Justice, is morally applicable to the War on Drugs and/or any other government sponsored crime.
If you want to see just how bad LEOs are getting in general coast-to-coast, just subscribe to the once-a-day National Police Misconduct email summary from Injustice Everywhere at http://www.policemisconduct.net/ I have been reading it for a long, long time, and just recently it was taken over by The Cato Institute from its founder, after he could no longer maintain the time necessary to keep up with all of the data. I would challenge anyone who still thinks the LEOs are on the peoples’ side to read this very brief daily summary for some time, and then see what you think of LEOs.
Sadly, the Amoricon sheepletard majority is so thoroughly brainwashed in the cops-as-heroes-in-blue bullshit that their attitudes will never change. The only possibility of a perception change is if the pork brigade runs out of “poodles” {“people ‘we’ don’t like”) to bully and persecute and starts turning on white, upper middle class people in large numbers. Only then, maybe, will the facade crumble.
Another one I see in Denver and Aurora is cops turning on their flashers right before hitting a red light, running through the intersection, lights on, then turning them off once they are clear of the light.
there was a sale at Dunkin Donuts.
Blue light special, no doubt. lmao
I suppose everyone has some of these: Years ago I was driving up Angles Crest highway. Got waived over on the next turn by the po-lice. While I was receiving a ticket for touching the yellow stripe, one of the cops drove down the hill and CROSSED OVER INTO THE OTHER LANE making a turn down the mountain. I asked the guy writing the ticket if that was done just to rub it in my face.
See this behavior by “The Only Ones” all the time. The “law” is just to keep the sheeple in line.
When I was a bit younger and stupider than I am now I used to fall in right behind any cop I caught speeding without the light bar on and follow him at the same speed. They really don’t like this; usually they’d just flash the lights on and off a couple times to warn me off.
One time though I was driving over Snoqualmie Pass following a sheriff’s deputy about 150 miles out of his jurisdiction going 85+, marveling at the nerve it took for this guy to do this, when he abruptly changed lanes, slammed on the brakes, shot in behind me and I mean right on my ass, and got on the radio. He didn’t get the excuse he was looking for to pull me over, heard “concealed carry holder” and decided to let it go, who knows, but he drove off and I decided I’d had enough fun for one day.
I’ve read enough Will Grigg since those days that I don’t do that sort of thing anymore.
I’m not referring to the incidents of excessive speed or drunk driving above, but I know one cop who regularly drives 10-15mph over the posted limit. His reason is that people are so cowed at mere sight of a cruiser that they slow down to 5-10mph UNDER the limit, so he wants to get past those people as quickly as possible so that his presence doesn’t slow the flow of traffic.
Oh God this pisses me off. I call it “the dam” because nothing flows through. Sometimes feel like I’m the only person in the world that will pass a cop on the highway. Never been pulled over for it once, and it’s nice to get out of the pack and watch it fade into the distance.
Speeding? Pssh. The “Praetorian” class can get away with murder and you’re one wrong answer away from a demonstration of this reality when they pull you over for some driving offense. Their attitudes are in severe need of…adjustment.
Less than one wrong answer away! One wrong look, gesture, etc…
My fiancee was lucky in her encounter with the Fairfax County cops a few months ago. She was driving home from work and was pulled over for no apparent reason. The cop approached her with his gun drawn and ordered her out of the car. She complied, but when he told her to turn around and put her hands on the hood, she refused. She said that he could call his supervisor or backup, or whatever he needed to do, but as long as he had that gun pointed at her she was not going to turn her back on him…if he was going to shoot her, he would have to be looking in her eyes when he did it.
Other cops arrived, and it turned out that a car of the same make, model and color of hers had been reported stolen. So apparently, the junior g-man saw her car (with vanity plates) and figured that there couldn’t be more than one silver Toyota Corolla in Northern Virginia, so she must have been driving a stolen car. It got sorted out easily when she showed her license and registration. Which is what the original cop should have asked for, instead of turning it into a life or death situation.
I’m proud of that gal for standing up for herself. Gotta love the moxie of those ladies from the Bronx. lol
That is insane! These assholes are given free rein to do whatever the hell they want! This stuff has got to stop.
You got that right, dom. I’d be interested in hearing what any former or present officers think about the actions of that officer who I think acted like an idiot. I mean, is it normal to draw your gun on a single female driving down the highway? If so, we are further gone into a police state than I even thought.
I’m not a cop, but this emotionally simplistic behavior typical associated with a long time ago seems to have returned and become quite common now.
A couple years ago I got face it myself walking home with my dinner. All it seems to take these days to get hassled is meeting some extremely vague description because these gung-ho cops see a match and get it in their minds that person must be a criminal. No other possibilities. As the cops repeatedly told me, they were told ‘tall guy wearing a blue t-shirt’ so what they were doing was perfectly acceptable. They acted as if this were some sort of remarkable match and I should not be offended or mind the hassle.
Lack of thinking, emotion, “safety” over rights, and so on. Just knee-jerk “catch the bad-guy”. It’s base human nature showing through again, the sort of human animal condition that civilization aims to overcome. But alas civilization seems to always lose.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrzMhU_4m-g
I used to live in Fairfux – so I am well-acquainted with the pigs there. This example is outrageous, but par for the course. Makes me so furious I can hardly type straight….
Fort Lauderdale FL Sun Sentinel Special Report: Speeding Cops
Lopez, the cop who brought on the speeding scrutiny, for now is only being punished for the Oct. 11 highway run-in with FHP Trooper Jane Watts. She followed the uniformed Lopez on Florida’s Turnpike as he drove his patrol car to a second job at speeds of more than 100 mph. The trooper pulled Lopez over at gunpoint and handcuffed him. Video of the traffic stop went viral and provoked a feud between Miami police and FHP. Lopez, 36, was charged with misdemeanor reckless driving. He pleaded no contest in Broward County court in April and was sentenced to 100 hours of community service. Lopez still faces departmental punishment for habitually speeding on his commute between Miami and his home in Coconut Creek.
21 people killed or maimed by speeding cops in Florida since 2004
Speeding cops get special treatment, Sun Sentinel investigation finds
Cops among Florida’s worst speeders, Sun Sentinel investigation finds
Here’s the thing the police are forgetting — the various Imperial America armies cannot ever win a war or bring peace to a region because the native people see them as enemies and oppressors, not liberators (that last happened when paratroopers gave out chocolate to kids in Eindhoven). Likewise, the American public is increasingly seeing the police as an occupying army, arbitrarily enforcing laws that serve the interest of the state, not helping maintain peace and public order (notice the change from “peace officer” to “law enforcer”). A law enforcer exists to enforce all laws, because the hagiolatry of the state and “the law,” no matter how stupid or deceitfully written, is the only thing that matters.
Plus, some of these guys are just sadistic jerks. My sister in law and her husband got hassled one night while driving through a small town en route to go to the movies. Two thugpigs pulled them out of the car (Maglites deployed for full effect right in the eyes), threatened them with arrest, and so on. They’re both pretty passive and boring people, so I’d guess the cops were just a little bored that night.
And that is why WE the People should go after those who create, approve, and perpetuate bad law. Fortunately for them, the severity of their punishment would not be left up to me. Few other criminals are less deserving of mercy and I would show them none.
Remember the Nuremberg Precedent.
When I was seven years old I wanted to see what would happen if I cocked my Daisy Red Ryder and left the lever down when I pulled the trigger. Naturally I was instantly held painfully ACCOUNTABLE for my foolish experiment and therefore it was never necessary to repeat the lesson.
I hope that the judges would be at the top of your list.
Judges will definitely be at the top of the list but they will be the last to be hanged.
Why?
Because I want them to witness a few hangings before going to the gallows themselves. I saw an old John Wayne movie recently where he referred to hanging as “ghastly”.
Remember Nuremberg.
I did that exact same thing and have a large scar to show for my youthful experimentation.
Also, I’m a prior law enforcement officer and I find much to be ashamed of having been so affiliated. Remember though, it’s really not the fault of these abusive officers – they are, on average, merely men of quite pedestrian intellect. If you want to hate someone, hate those that have turned them loose on us – the ones that actually had malice aforethought. If you prevail in an encounter with a cop, there will simply be another low IQed rat ready and all-to-willing tool ready to step in to his jack boots. Prevail in an encounter with their elected bosses and a whole different chain of events will be catalyzed.
Damn! It’s downright scary to know that there are TWO people in America capable of doing something that stupid.
Hurts don’t it.
Unfortunately, you can find more. Some work in the capitol building.
Even more help to keep them there during November.
Well, the laws would have no teeth if evil men, even pedestrian evil men, enforce them for payment. So while it would be nice to aim at the top, and they are to blame, they have no power but that which the cops give them.
Can’t help but notice the comment Eric made: “… If convicted, you will have a permanent criminal record that will be indexed in the NCIC database (where murderers, rapists and others are cataloged)”
A traffic ticket isn’t even close to the worst way to get screwed. If you happen to match the description of a suspect who just committed a violent crime, and there just so happens to be plenty of people of the same description (wearing shorts & t-shirt, brown hair,medium height and average weight—whatever THAT is)and Mr. Poohleaseman happens to think you fit well enough, he can haul your butt off to jail under arrest for felony charges. And, if you challenge his absurd accusation, he will pile on even more felonies and make your life a living hell for a long time. For some that long time may be 48 hours, for others ONE HUNDRED YEARS! Yes, here in Arizona your ARREST record stands until you reach your 100th birthday or one hundred years have passed since the alleged crime. The next cop you run into ONLY runs your arrest records—convictions don’t matter. If a cop arrested you, in their eyes you did it. Since when is it even legal for a cop to “charge” anything. Last time I saw the Constitution, a jury panel decided on probable cause and resulting charges.
Excellent point, Merry – it’s another example of our system of presumptive guilt. We are treated like criminals on the theory that we might commit a crime (e.g., random “safety” checks, TSA). And if we object, then we have merely confirmed our “criminal” status in their minds. It’s the very essence of Sovietism.
But in a few weeks, most Americans will celebrate “their freedoms”…
I thought about ten years ago Tom “Croose” put out a movie about “pre-crime” (Minority Report) and its supposed prevention. It’s not that I mind proactivity in most public service, BUT, there is such a thing as a presumption of innocence. Not so in the eyes of the “boyz in bloo”.
I recall almost 30 years ago having a conversation with a police sergeant that was dating my soon-to-be sister-in-law. He assured me that if he wanted, he could have me in the slammer that evening on virtually anything he wanted to contrive. It wasn’t a threat, he didn’t mean that he’d want to do it to a college kid like me, but simply that he had the ability to put someone away if he felt badly enough about it. Of course, having made a good impression, the opposite was true. Shortly thereafter, I was cleaning offices (my then business) and doing some for my partner, which meant I pulled an all-nighter. I left an office complex just as dawn was breaking. I noticed that I was being followed, which made me nervous as things were otherwise quiet. When I got to my apartment, I pulled into a stall and the car pulled right up behind me, cutting me off. Nervous, I reached down for a tire iron that I kept under the front seat, and exited the car, iron in hand (but I didn’t wave it threateningly). The guy in the car had gotten out, and he drew a revolver and pointed it at me. Oh shit. Nervous, I dropped the iron, thinking my ticket was about to be punched. Then the man cried out, “Police Officer!”, and produced his badge, still pointing his gun. I put my hands up, but told the officer, “why didn’t you tell me your were a cop, jerk? You scared the shit out of me!” The plainclothes officer proceed to handcuff me and push me to the ground, telling me that I was under arrest for assaulting an officer. In other words, boy, had I fucked up. Well, when taken downtown, I call my grandfather to bail me out, and I asked him to call my girlfriend. She calls her sister, who calls her Sergeant boyfriend. In about six hours, all charges are dropped, and the arresting officer is practically kissing my ass (and not looking as if he was happy about it).
Cops. SOMETIMES they’re useful, but most of the time they’re abusive jerks with a badge, an attitude, and firearms.
I have yet to find a cop personally useful.
Even the “best” interactions I’ve had – the ones where I wasn’t issued a ticket or “let go” with “just a warning,” etc. – amount to abuse in my book. I was stopped for no legitimate reason and subjected to dey authoritay.
None of these incidents involved me causing any harm to anyone. My “guilt” consisted of having committed some technical foul infraction – such as “speeding” or ignoring a “buckle up for safety” rule.
I feel unsafe when I see a cop because I know the cop’s main reason for being is to enforce the countless tyrannical laws confected by politicians – not to “keep me safe.” I know that cops are not even legally obliged to provide protection for me personally.
Bottom line: Since I am not a thug and so don’t take other people’s property or assault their person, I should be able to live my life without having to deal with armed, costumed strangers at all. But as everyone knows, most people have to deal with them all too often.
If we had peace officers whose sole lawful job was to intercede when someone breaches the peace by committing a demonstrable harm to an actual person (not “society”) then I’d be all for ’em.
But of course, that’s not what cops do – which is why they are called law enforcers.
The problem as I see it is that most people don’t have to deal with cops at all or only at public relations events etc.
If more people got treated as criminals by cops we might see the problem corrected even as conditioned as the population is.
The vast majority does not even believe these police abuse stories to be true or figures we are crazy or paranoid or something of that nature.
The majority conforms to norms. Generally it is only those of us who actually try to exercise freedom by being different (either by choice or not (DWB for instance) ) that get hassled. However more and more “good people”, those that conform, are getting hassled. So far most can’t figure it out. It has to be a lot more common before their clue light goes on.
If a cop remains in my rearview mirror for a couple of city blocks I will pull into a commercial parking area as though I had intended to do that all along. If a cop needs or simply wants to make a kill s/he will find or invent a reason to stop you.
I did once, but that was long ago.
Tinsley Grey Sammons (1936 –)
How many of those who get tearful when they hear the Star Spangled Banner and ooh and aah during the fireworks display have ever bothered to study the Unanimous Declaration?
Out of a crowd of ten thousand adults, how many? C’mon, venture a guess.
Tinsley-
I remember at some point in junior high every member of every class was tasked with memorizing “We hold these truths to be self-evident….” because of the big E-word: equal
It seems clear in hindsight we’d be far better off if we were ingrained with “But when a long train of abuses and usurpations….”
I’m betting that Jefferson meant “Equal” in the eyes of the law.
Yeah. They don’t teach that part in skool either.
What that document says is, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The second “that”, i.e. “that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights” was understood by the functionally literate of that day to mean, “that [is to say] they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”. Thomas Jefferson was explaining the ONLY WAY in which all men are created equal.
Quod ad jus naturale attinet, omnes homenes aequales sunt. All men are equal before the natural law. Dig. 50, 17, 32. [Black’s Law Dictionary, Sixth Edition (c.1991), page 899]
All man-made law is private law.
How many know the real lyrics to the English Ancreontic Club drinking song and not the plagarized Yankee warporn rap version by Frankie Scot Key that came 70 years later.
To Anacreon in heaven where he sat in full glee,
A few sons of harmony sent a petition,
That he their inspirer and patron would be,
When this answer arrived from the jolly old Grecian: Voice, fiddle aud flute, no longer be mute, I’ll lend you my name and inspire you to boot!
And besides I’ll instruct you like me to entwine
The myrtle of Venus and Bacchus’s vine.
The news through Olympus immediately flew,
When old Thunder pretended to give himself airs,
If these mortals are suffered their scheme to pursue, The devil a goddess will stay above stairs, Hark! already they cry, in transports of joy, A fig for Parnassus, to Rowley’s we’ll fly,
And there my good fellows, we’ll learn to entwine
The myrtle of Venus and Bacchus’s vine.
The yellow-haired god, and his nine fusty maids,
To the hill of old Lud will incontinent flee,
Idalia will boast but of tenantless shades,
And the biforked hill a mere desert will be,
My thunder, no fear on’t, will soon do its errand, And, damn me I’ll swinge the ringleaders, I warrant I’ll trim the young dogs, for thus daring to twine The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus’s vine.
Apollo rose up and said, “Prythee ne’er quarrel,
Good king of the gods, with my votaries below
Your thunder is useless – then showing his laurel, Cried, Sic evitabile fulmen, you know!
Then over each head my laurels I’ll spread,
So my sons from your crackers no mischief shall dread Whilst snug in their club-room, they jovially twine The myrtle of Venus and Bacchus’s vine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ydAIdVKv84g
Tinsley, I agree it would be an improvement to return to our collective founding principles, laid down during the Enlightment which ended in 1800.
What has happened is things like Craigslist & Amazon, which hold vast sovereign power, and in many case transcend and ignore the edicts of the rulers of Meatspace. Maybe an internet declaration could be posted somewhere on Craigslist, and permanently hosted in a secure manner, which could give oneself a measure of the same kind of sovereignity.
Do you see any chance and prospect of a second new internet enlightenment? If it occurs, it would be only the second occurence of enlightenment in the 23 centuries since the golden age of Greece.
Autonomous Declaration of an Individual Netizen of the Planet Earth
When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one person to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle him, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that he should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
I hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they born into this world with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That governments have been erected which greatly threaten these rights, governments which were instituted among men, deriving their unjust powers without my individual consent. That whenever the various forms of government have impeded and destroyed my abilit to achieve these ends, it is my right to alter or to abolish it, and to write my own vows and conditions of cooperation while in the purported domain of the various governments, creating a binding contract founded on such principles and governing powers in such form, as shall seem most likely to effect my safety and happiness.
Recent experience, indeed, has shown that governments collectively established are not adaptable to countless transient variables; and accordingly my experience has been a long list of suffering, many of which evils having become insufferable. Today I sign this pledge and remedy to take action to right myself by demaninding a mitigatable and customizable forms instead of the unworkable frameworks which have previously existed. The long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce my condition of absolute despotism, and I claim my right and duty to throw off such government, and to empower new guards of my future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of us netizens; and such is now the necessity which constrains myself to alter my former systems of government. The history of the members of the United Nations is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over each individual. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
That my nation has refused to limit the proliferation of laws, the most unwholesome and unnecessary for my
personal good.
That my nation has forbidden and delayed interpersonal interactions of immediate and pressing importance, suspending such until its assent should be provided; and payments and unnecessary restrictions enforced, while utterly neglecting the underlying rights in violation.
This nation has repeatedly passed overbroad laws and accommodations of large unrelated districts of people, using the threat of violence to pretend the right of legislation and stipulation, in an inestimable, formidable, and tyrannical only.
That my nation has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, distant, and unnecessary and issued forth a deluge of their public records, edicts, and prohibitions, for the sole purpose of fatiguing myself into abject slavery and supplicating compliance with the countless measures.
That my nation has dissolved and confiscated beneficial enterprises and efforts repeatedly, with the end of destroying one’s manly firmness against invasions and denying of the rights of myself.
In every stage of the oppressions by my myriad oppressors, I have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: my repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. The widespread governing bodies, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define tyrants, is unfit to be the ruler of a free person.
Never have I been wanting in attention from my various governments. I have warned them from time to time of the consequence of their attempts to extend their unwarrantable jurisdiction over myself. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.
I, an individual of the United Netizens of Earth, in General Virtual Congress, permanently assembled, appeal to the autonomous actors of the world for the rectitude of my intention, do, in my own unique, virtually encrypted name, and by the authority of the good people of the United Netizens, solemnly publish and declare, that I am a non-force-initiateing member in good standing of the United Netizens of Earth, and of right demand to be a free and independent individual; absolved of all previous allegiances to the various members of the United Nations, and that all political connection between myself and this powerful body of shared force, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as a free and independent individual, I have full power to levy remedies to breaches of this agreement, discontinue such remedies, contract alliances with other members of the United Netizensof Earth, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which an independent autonomous sovereign may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection mutual cooperation and profit, I join the chorus of mutually pledges to each other Netizen of my life, fortunes, and sacred reputation as covered in my current self-published secure certificate of United Netizen Participation.
Wow …
People here are …
what ..??
Angry ..??
Disruptive ..??
Ant-Gov..??
I LIKE IT HERE .. :))
You’re welcome!
Glad to see you’re recovering from Enteric Fever, which is not all that different from Typhoid Fever.
If you have a prepper group member with a rapid air thermocycler and realtime fluorimeter, you could eliminate these kinds of 3rd world maladies.
http://www.idahotech.com/pdfs/Posters/2009/AOAC%20Approved%20R.A.P.I.D.%20LT%20Salmonella%20Food%20Security%20System-pstr-09.pdf
When comparing mortality tables among nations, one wonders if the “advanced” west has superior science, or just a better propaganda system of diagnoses and nomenclatures. Is there really a difference in Salmonella and Typhi3 and other “developing” nations bacteria?
If you research traditional help from the “authorities”, You’ll see there remedy is would be to blame your chickens, eggs, and cats or other norm deviation as the “cause” of your illness, and demand you be a second hander like everyone else. One who buys overpriced mislabeled mystery foods, with no way of determining what you’re really eating and where it really came from. One who obeys the one family one neutered pet dictum of our Glorious Leaders.
Thanks, Tor!
I am pretty sure I just got e. coli or salmonella from some bad food. Our water (well) is deep – and clean. Tested regularly. No flouride, either – which is a major blessing.
We have been “Weighed, Measured, and found wanting” mo government.
Back to the original point of speeding cops:
How about a governer on the engine linked up to a GIS database that included current speed limits based on position? The governor would limit the cop car to the speed limit (haha, try driving the limit all day long!, yet it could be disabled very easily, simply by turning on the blue lights.
Nah, I guess there’s not a politician gutsy enough to support this in the whole USSA, is there?
Oh, heck no!
That would impair “officer safety” or some such.
Since the government is attempting to mandate hybrids, we should demand that the Clovers drive hybrids.
For purely ecological considerations of course.
Do you have a Vendetta Mask? I want to buy one but I’d like to hear from a satisfied customer.
bast law at ya hoo dot com
Nah, I guess there’s not a politician gutsy enough to support this in the whole USSA, is there?
Of course not. Given that cops serve as the bodyguards/enforcement muscle of the reigning class and the reigning class depends on them for protection from us, the Mundanes that the politicians fuck over, there is NO WAY IN HELL that the politicians are going to put constraints on them.
Page 89,147 of the New Diaries of Anne Frank –
Arlington TX police officer shoots small dog on the owners lawn a few feet away from 3-year-old Lucas. The other young kids watch from a window.
2 bullets take down the dog. 3 more bullets make sure its dead.
“You Shot My Dog!” said Lucas.
“Hey You Fucking Idiot, You Let Your Dog Out!” Says the Arlington TX Police Officer.
Police Chief Dr. Theron Bowman’s vision is to achieve a safer community by providing excellent service and involving the community as partners. This vision applies only to Praetorians and the Texas apparachiks whom they serve. Mundanes have the right to remain silent, to shut up, and to thank them for their service, whether they want it or not.
This particular event seems to be occurring pretty often, if the news stories I’ve been reading (and receiving) are any reflection.
“Officer safety” amounts to a license to kill.
I began to take note of it more than twenty years ago. Many innocents are now dead or crippled because some bored cowboy initiated a high speed chase over something that did not amount to a bag of fart. The taxpayers take the hit and the lawyers reap the financial benefit.
Q. How’d you end up in that wheelchair?
A. Some person oozed thru a stop sign without coming to a complete stop* and a high-speed chase ensued. The cop car, sirene screaming, T-boned my car at an intersection, so, here I am, crippled for life.
*What used to be a $25 dollar fine now approaches $200 in some jurisdictions.
This reminds me of something. There’s the stolen car chases where the cops make sure the car is wrecked. Why? Because the cops are about punishing the thief not working for victim and recovering the property.
Now compare this to private repo operations where their goal is to recover the car in as good of condition as possible.
The cops never do something simple like follow the car with the helicopter until he parks it not even knowing the cop on the ground spotted him or thinking he outwitted the cop on the ground. This way they could recover the property. Noooooo… got to have a dangerous chase and wreck all sorts of property along the way if not lives.
Oh and these ‘bait car’ things. On TV the bait car ends up smashing other people’s cars. just wonderful.
Brent,
I’d never thought about this – but you’re spot on. When a cop drives 100-plus MPH “in pursuit” it’s somehow not reckless. Only when a Mundane does so – even in cases where the Mundane’s driving can’t be faulted and the Mundane can demonstrate he’s every bit as competent (and possibly more so) to drive at those speeds than most cops.
The bait car: Why don’t they shut if off the moment the would-be thief attempts to drive away? Wouldn’t that be all that’s necessary to establish grand theft auto? Why let him take it on a joyride? And then trash it?
Because it makes for good cop porn.
Cop porn, yep, you’re right. That coupled with ignorance of the laws of physics.
It seems every year or two the state legislature pushes down the misdemeanor speeding. Now it is 30 over. But here’s the problem. The speed limits even on the interstates are asinine low. 45-55mph! Someone could end up doing 6 months in jail and have their life wrecked for doing 75-85mph on an interstate with 6 lanes in one direction and nobody else around.
Meanwhile the ISP still drives around 90-120 mph for no apparent reason but that they want to.
*What used to be a $25 dollar fine now approaches $200 in some jurisdictions.
In Virginia, there exists strong incentive to attempt to elude the cop if one happens to pass one at more than 20 over the limit, which is statutory “reckless driving” and a potentially life-changing bust. And to make the cut, you only need be doing 80 on the highway – where the speed limit is 70 and virtually everyone is going closer to 75 already. Thus, just slightly faster than the average speed of traffic equals “reckless driving” in Va. You’re looking at thousands in fines and shyster fees, six points on your DMV record – and as a result of that, thousands of dollars in jacked-up insurance premiums. Maybe jail time. Definitely a suspended license.
So, why not run?
Given that, the statute is incredibly dangerous in that it threatens such severe consequences for what is often at most merely speeding by any reasonable standard that people – reasonably – escalate and run, with often catastrophic consequences.
Here is a trick I pulled one time in my cab on the way from Tucson to Phoenix (a long, near deserted stretch of highway) a Pinal County Sheriff pig pulled behind me and began tailgating. I let him do so for about half a mile, then, real quick like, I turned on my signal stomped on the gas, changed lanes, and jammed on the brakes. Cop went flying by me in the lane I had just occupied. I took the next exit and ditched him.
“BITCH, didn’t you here me knocking?”
With policemen like this, who needs criminals?
Chief Julie Elliot-Abshire shoots a loose dog, caged dog, and a then owners house while children are inside:
http://other-stuff.tumblr.com/post/24459640615
Florence, Texas Police Department Website – Police Chief:
Julie Elliott-Abshire has served with the Florence Police Department for the past 3 years and was appointed to the Chief position on July 1, 2010. Chief Elliott came to the Central Texas area from Wichita Falls, Texas, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and was a member of the Wichita Falls Police Department. Chief Elliott served on the WFPD in the patrol section as well as the Crimes Against Children’s Division as a detective. Chief Elliott was also a member of the WFPD’s Hostage Negotiation Team.
Chief Elliott is active in several community organizations as well as her church. Chief Elliott is married with 2 children.
A Message from the Chief:
The Florence Police Department will strive to provide quality public service based on high ethical and professional standards. This mission is to be attained through a sincere commitment to public service. It includes preserving the peace and order of the City through conflict management and enforcement of criminal laws. It also includes being both responsive and responsible to the public we serve. We will strive to serve, educate and protect the public through community collaboration, problem recognition, problem resolution and police action. In carrying out our mission, we must work with our community as a team to ensure that the citizens of Florence are provided the best protection and service we can give.
Our philosophy encourages two-way communication between Police Officers and the residents in the city they serve. We believe that the members of the Police Department and residents of the city can work together to solve problems and address issues in an atmosphere of trust and teamwork.
Florence Police Mission Statement:
We pursue a working environment in which honesty, integrity, open communication, and compassion guide our actions. We will continue to serve and protect the citizens of this great community.
KVUE Story:
The Vybiral family are dog lovers; considering their four-legged companions members of their family. It started with Sassy, a six year old Rhodesian Ridgeback. Now this family is mourning, Sassy is dead
“She’s crying, she’s hysterical. ‘There’s blood mom. She’s shooting guns.'” Louise Vybiral describes the phone call she received from her daughter Caren Friday afternoon.
Caren says she was watching a movie with her two year old daughter Lilly when gunshots rang out. She thought they were coming from across the street.
“Thought maybe Chevron was being robbed or something. I didn’t have any idea what was going on,” Caren Vybiral said. “And when I walked to open the door, there was another gun shot.”
Caren said Sassy was lying in the door way bleeding. And standing above her was Florence Police Chief Julie Elliot-Abshire. After a short exchange, Caren said the chief ran to the back yard and shot the other family dog that was locked up, a two year old pit bull named Boomer.
“I asked her what is going on,” Caren described, “and she said, um, the b-word, did you not hear me knocking on your front door. And I said no, why did you shoot my dogs?”
Apparently Sassy and Boomer got out of the back yard and walked to the Chevron. A city worker called the cops to report the loose dogs. A family friend put the dogs back into the yard, but Sassy got out again.
“It got out, I’m guilty of that, but it was laying on the porch when she shot it,” Louise Vybiral said.
But what truly frightens this family, one of the shots went into the home. Fragments of a bullet still lie on the windowsill.
“For an officer of the law to come up into your yard, and fire a shot, or to draw her weapon and aim it towards a home. That shot could have hurt my granddaughter or my daughter, you know. I mean the bullet is in my house,” Vybiral said.
“The bullet hole is only two feet from where we were standing, so I mean, it could have been us,” added Caren.
KVUE News tried to contact the Florence Police Department, mayor and city council, no one returned our calls or emails. We also went to the police department for comment, but the door was locked.
“She doesn’t need to be an officer. She’s not upholding the law. Just because she wears a badge doesn’t mean she can pull her gun and just shoot anything,” Vybiral said.
The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office said they are aware that an incident involving the police chief happened in Florence, but it’s not their jurisdiction. The Texas Rangers say they are not yet involved in the case.
Police officers are the biggest gangsters. Yes, there are the few who do their job well, are impartial and recognize their biases and work to keep them in check. However, they are all humans and thus not infallible. Question the motives of that rude officer the next time you get stopped. His/ Her fixation on power and control during that “routine” stop is an extension of that individuals reasoning. That same reasoning gives justification to things like “suicide by cop.” Society over embellishes these officers as honorable, moral, and creates a myth of their very existence. Cops don’t make me feel very safe either (referring to your past article) because they are given a status they haven’t earned.
The worst criminals are the office holders responsible for making and ratifying bad laws. A tactical war will not fix America, it will take a strategic war to do that.
Elections alone – a tactical war – will never salvage respect for the American Ideal. If Justice Fellowships and Informed Grand Juries cannot do the job then revolution is the only recourse. If there must be bloodshed and death then it’s up to the People to make certain that the right people bleed and die. One could not ask for a better paper trail to help in identifying them.
So far it has been innocents who have done the bleeding and dying and their numbers grow.
WE hold these Truths…
tgsam
And when they aren’t gangsters they are prison guards.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/113274.html
That’s how people are treated in prisons, detention camps, and government schools.
Prison guards are the worst!!! The California Corrections union is the most powerful union in the country. Somehow their position earns them more money than a college grad. Their union perpetuates crime for their own gain…. its ridiculous. What a complete waste – their work does not entail the production of goods/ services nor do most of them make any actual contribution to society. Most of the prisoners they are “protecting” us from are actually not violent offenders and are only in prison from a law their union bullied onto the ballot.
Most prison guards are even bigger loser scumbags than cops. In fact, most prison guards are “working” in that profession only because they were too stupid and/hopeless unqualified to become cops. How fucked up of an excuse for a human being is THAT?
Here’s some slop on this issue, straight from their own online pigpen.
http://blutube.policeone.com/police-news-videos/1000922918001-professional-courtesy/
Registered Praetorian Piggy Comments:
I guess we’re just weird up here in the northeast, we don’t ticket other cops. If he’s drunk or being uncooperative, that’s another thing. As soon as I see the badge and ID card I send them on their way. Every profession has it’s own professional courtesies, minor traffic violations is the professional courtesy extended to our brothers and sisters. Sorry if the public disagrees, but name your profession – you have professional courtesies in your line of work.
Maffimuk1
Professionalism and discretion are essential traits in an officer. I give a lot of civilians breaks for the same violations I would give a break to another officer. I agree, pd131, that does not include excessive speed or OVI violations.
crkdk1
I’m surpised that I’m the first to comment. I’m a 24 year veteran and believe in giving breaks to anyone I stop. What I don’t like or agree with is the bad officers that expect the courtesy beyond the line of whats right and wrong. DUI, excessive speeds, and reckless driving.
pd131
Yep, that’s the typical attitude of the regular posters at swine websites and forums. They don’t even try to mask their contempt of us mere mundanes or the laws they’re supposed to be upholding.
Officer.com (a.k.a. doubledigitiq.com) is a typical slop trough where you see this stuff all the time.
The Denver “police force” seems to be in trouble all the time. Since the good people of Denver can only vote for the Mayor and hope that he’ll crack down on bad cops there’s not much can be done. Yet another example of where law enforcement based on the elected Sheriff model could help fix a bad situation.
The good news is that former Denver mayor John Hickenlooper is now our governor. Hopefully promoting himself to a position where he’ll do the least amount of damage (the Dilbert principle).
Na, I’m just joking… Now the highway patrol can follow the example of Denver’s finest and start terrorizing the general public too.
“Since the good people of Denver can only vote for the Mayor and hope that he’ll crack down on bad cops there’s not much can be done.”
There are other forms of “voting”.
“Vote” with the trigger of your gun?
Gil, what branch of the government do you work for? CIA? Do you work? If so, what is your profession? Are you a cop or just a paid troll?
Two people vote themselves ownership of my wallet…At least one of them is going to die.
Phuk your dumokeracy.
“law enforcement based on the elected Sheriff model could help fix a bad situation.”
Tell that to the long suffering voters of Maricopa County Arizona, whose ELECTED sheriff, one Joe Arpiao, is one of the biggest douche-bags in the history of law enforcement
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/search/results/keyword:Joe+Arpaio/type:all/
There are 341 PAGES of references to his administration’s fuck-ups, including the murders of several inmates in his jails.
One case which sticks in my mind is the story of a woman who was diabetic, and was taken into custody by sheriff Joe’s boys.She was taken to jail for failing to pay a traffic ticket. While there, she was denied her insulin. she went into shock and DIED in their custody. Over a fucking speeding ticket.
The problem is not the methodology of selecting a mafioso. It’s the existence of the Mafia itself.
Yes, indeed, it speaks VOLUMES about the residents of Maricona (as I call it) County that they’d keep that lying, fascist, racist, self-aggrandizing piece of shit Arpiggo as sheriff for nearly two decades. At least here in Pima County (Tucson), the worst we have to fear from “sheriff” Clarence Dupnik (or “Dumbnik” as some of us prefer) is his terminal stupidity. Then there’s Sheriff Paul “Out of the Closet With an Illegal Alien” Babeau of neighboring Pinal County who apparently failed the audition as the cop character in the reincarnated Village People.
Arizona sure knows how to pick its “top cops.” No wonder Richard Mack, the only real sheriff in the Southwest, left this place for saner pastures.
He’s kept in office because he appeals to those who fear the other and want ‘bad people’ punished. This is still a large segment of the population. Arpiao plays to that segment.
They will actually find Arpiao’s behavior just fine and want more of it. They can’t see themselves ever being the ‘bad people’ themselves. They obey. They believe in the state. They conform. And to them everyone else should too… or else.
He keeps getting elected because the Sheriff’s office is in charge of transporting the ballots after an election.They transport them in unmarked, white panel vans. and the so called “sealed” ballot boxes are very easy to break into without damaging the seal. You just remove the hinge with a pair of pliers. Here is an article on fraud in neighboring Pima county. http://fatallyflawedelections.blogspot.com/2012/03/arizona-electon-fraud-attorney-bill.html
In all my years of driving a cab, I have not met one Arizona citizen who likes Joe Arpiao. Now, that is an appeal to anecdotal evidence, however, you would think with his alleged “massive popularity” and all the hundreds of people I have had in my car I would run across ONE PERSON who thinks he is great.
I live in an area that has an elected Sheriff. The local sheriff’s office is just as bad as the one in Denver.
In local elections, just as in state and federal elections, the scum always rises to the top.
See what Alfred Adask has to say about America’s Legal System being essentially an extortion racket. Much of Alfred’s material is worth reading.
If the American Ideal is to be properly pursued, the unlawful Legal System that has supplanted the genuine Law of the Land must be destroyed in detail.
The PARASITES who profit from America’s unlawful Legal SYSTEM are America’s public enemy No. 1. You can lawfully shoot a street criminal in self and other property defense but the Law Parasites are protected by the State.
No foreign enemy could ever have accomplished what our own juris doctors, and career office holders have accomplished while shedding none of their own blood in the process.
No foreign enemy could ever be hated as intensely as I hate them.
Tinsley Grey Sammons (1936 –)
Tinsley, may the right side of your timeline (1936 – ) not be filled in for many years to come. I agree with you completely.
I agree Tinsley. I can live with the young entrepreneurs that work the inner cities sidewalks. If one of them catches me, injures me, or impoverishes me, its my own fault for not defending myself or avoiding harms way.
I can even live with parasites living at my expense, so long as they don’t stop me from doing what I want to do with whatever is left over for me.
When caught in the Praetors’ box, wagon, or pit; you’re in a time machine. Suddenly you’re transported 500-50000 years back in the past. Its either you or him in a grunting Quest For Fire prehistoric death match or Bubonic London knockaround.
“the genuine Law of the Land”
I wonder if saunders was tasered too?
Probably not, because he posed less of a thread than a 7 month pregnant woman refusing to sign a ticket.
http://lewrockwell.com/whitehead/whitehead46.1.html
Have to remember that this is the same Denver PD that handcuffed 19 innocent adults in search of 1 felon. We don’t need no steenking 4th amendment.
My fault…it was 19 cars and 40 adults…apologies offered
only it wasn’t Denver PD, it was another town’s finest. Can’t rememver which, bit not Denver.
Here in Washington, the WSP have a bad habit of tailgating.. I mean, one to two lenghts behind, for miles.. at freeway speeds. I called on a guy once, his duty sargeant called me back a few days later, tried to blow me off as a crank. A few minutes’ conversation, some about myself (commercial license for thirty five yars, no tickets for twenty five, no accidents ever), and he changed his tune. Said he’d “talk to the officer” in question. Didn’t do much good, they still do it all the time. I’m waiting for one of them to pull that on me.. I’ll flash my brakelights, he’ll likely light me up, but I’ll be doing precisely the posted limit with plenty of following distance in front… “well, I thought it prudent to add sufficient distance for YOU, since you don’t have any”. He;ll likely get crusty, maybe even go off on me when he learns I am lawfully carrying. I don’t care…. HE will have put ME in danger. Stupid people need to abide by the same rules we mundanes do.
Cops have pulled me over because I looked at them in ways they didn’t approve of after they nearly collided with my car due to their tailgating and cell phone use. The one who turned in front of me on the cell phone was in a full out rage because I shrugged after stopping 20 feet short of him.
Aurora
Just stating the obvious. But how do they know they got the right person?
From: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/06/police-stop-handcuff-every-adult-at-intersection-in-search-for-bank-robber/
“We didn’t have a description, didn’t know race or gender or anything, so a split-second decision was made to stop all the cars at that intersection, and search for the armed robber,” Aurora police Officer Frank Fania told ABC News.
And then later:
“Once officers got to his car, they found evidence that he was who they were looking for,” Fania said. “When they searched the car, they found two loaded firearms.”
So all they found was a person who had 2 loaded firearms? Wow. Not a good day to have a legal conceal and carry permit.
Careful with those brake lights… in many states (if not all), they have a statute called “Aggravated Reckless Driving” which comes into play, and one of the times it gets applied is when someone “brake checks” the guy behind them to demonstrate proper following distance. It happens to be the only felony driving charge in my state.
I know there is a kind of primal satisfaction in considering the idea of slamming the brakes on a tailgater, but its better to let off the gas slightly so they sew the distance up and have to correct, and keep doing that until they pass you. (Hopefully, you’re in the right lane already… if not, you might deserve to get tailgated, but thats a rant for another day… hint hint Eric!)
I had a cop behind me so close that I could not see his headlights in my mirror. I gave him a brake test–he flunked it. I wanted rid of that piece of crap car anyway. He tried to give me a ticket, and I informed him that if he actually wrote that ticket, I’d publish the pictures of his car, and mine, and the ticket in the local press, then go after his ass financially. I also told him that if he thought he was so tough, he could put the badge and the gun belt on the ground, and we’d settle this thing right now. He all of a sudden decided that a guy with gray hair, and not less than 50 lbs overweight might still not be the guy you want to tangle with.
Picture/link or it didn’t happen.
in doing some quick research on this scumbag saunders, a few years back he was charged with pointing a gun at an employee of a McDonalds because his order wasn’t getting filled fast enough while waiting in the drive thru with another officer. He was cleared of the charges by a jury but after the speeding incident I have to think that it was jsut the word of 2 “peace officers” against a few lowly mcdonald’s workers.
These are the types of people that rise to these positions and why they shouldn’t be publicly funded monopolies.
A thug with a badge is still a thug.
Am I the only one who think it’d be funny to buy one of those billboards that say “buzzed driving/drunk driving/buzzed driving is drunk driving” and, leaving the photos of a mangled person unchanged, change the caption to read “cop beating/thug beating/cop beating is thug beating”?
That would be ironic (and funny:)). I am not sure most of team blue would appreciate the irony. 😉
It would certainly be worth the money to buy the add. I’m just wondering if any ad company would dare put it up. You can almost certainly bet a month’s paycheck that Porky and His Pals would waste no time defacing the billboard.
Walking out of a comedy club on Cannery Row at closing time with my buddy. A cop goes flying by no lights, drunks on the street. My buddy yells, “Slow the fuck down pig” He gets a tap on his shoulder, it’s a cop. He gets arrested for drunk and disorderly.
I also recently saw a study that showed that speeders who did 20mph over the speed limit were less likely to get in accidents. This is a different study but it’s still interesting.
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2008/11/the-boy-who-cri/
Cops are the biggest hypocrites on the planet. Right now there is a case going on where a Toronto cop arrested an off duty Halton Region cop who was drivig drunk. The arresting officer is being treated like a rat by his colleagues. Another cop acutally followed him from the station after processing the drunken cop and gave him a made up ticket for a traffic offense. The ticket was thrown out and the writing officer disciplined, but not fired for his abuse of power. Makes you sick, doesn’t it, how we are treated differently than their own?
I once watched two Halton cops driving down Hwy 25 in Milton, Ontario, put on their lights, race through a red light and then pull into the local Tim Hortons doughnut shop. Lying, thieving, cheating bastards.
Give me a Break! I took mu son’s Crown Victoria to Charleston, West Virginia behind my 2000 GMC Sierra. At at about 65, I turned off the radio, put both hands on the wheel, and paid attention to my knitting. About 6 months later, The GMC had been replaced by a Ford Explorer, ordered with the heavy duty tow package. Wife got tired of being “Mother trucker”, so the clean truck had to go. I had to take my son’s Crown Victoria from Virginia Beach, to Joplin, Mo., where I turned it over to people who would take it to California for him. I thought that loosing 1,500 lbs, of tow vehicle weight, 18 inches of wheelbase, and 80 cubic inches of engine would be a problem. HAHA! Back in Virginia Beach, I had noted that getting on the freeway was no problem, just pick a spot, and stand up on the gas. It accelerated UP HILL with the trailer in tow! Running across I-64, I stayed in the right lane. Just comfortable puttin’ along, radio and air conditioning going, one hand draped over the top of the wheel, riding the rocking chair between 2 semis, when some guy went by us in a real hurry. I looked down at the speedometer, and noted that I WAS RUNNING JUST SHORT OF 90, IN THE RIGHT LANE!! Other than the view of grill in the interior mirror, the trailer just may not have been there. I didn’t kill the cruise control, because the semi behind me only showed the left headlight and part of the grill in my mirror.
Eric, you live in an area where there are too many cops you don’t know. Maybe it simply that you live where there are too many cops, period!
I didn’t understand your post at all.
“willful disregard for the disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving” Someone that willfully endangers others I believe should get at least 90 days in jail. I believe such people should not be on the roadway ever.