via Hot Air
This is why I don’t get teary-eyed professing undying devotion to our men in blue. This type of stuff happens way too often. And usually it is just the threat of it. What is amazing about the clip is that, a> he does this to professional journalists, b> he does it in front of witnesses, c> he does it on camera, and d> he doesn’t tear up the tape.
The rest of us don’t have the same protection.
Years ago when I was still going through the trauma of being recently divorced, my ex-wife decided at the beginning of my visitation to take our daughter to her parents house 160 miles and two and a half hours away .
Before showing up I called for a police stand by. Rather than do his job, the cop decided I was an outsider (he told me I shouldn’t be bringing in trouble to their county), and my ex needed protecting (she outwayed him, and almost outweighed me).
As I was leaving with my daughter my ex demanded that I return her to her parents house. I didn’t answer. The cop, and I use the word pejoratively, told me to answer. He was using the un-subtle threat of violence implicit in so many intereractions.
I said that no, I would not bring my daughter back there. By that time I had learned to always carry a notorized copy of our visitation orders. He told my that I would agree to bring her back or he would arrest me.
I told him that I knew that there was nothing I could do to stop him from doing whatever he wants, but I would not agree to bring her back. He didn’t know what to do with that, so he called up his Sergeant. After some discussion he let me go.
Years later I was called up for jury duty on a drug trial. After questioning the first twelve potential jurors the prosecutor and defendant (in pro per), started taking turns using their peremptory challenges. I was about the third person up after the first twelve.
By that time the judge was simply asking us if we had any affirmative answers to the set of questions they asked the first twelve. So I said that I didn’t believe in the drug laws as currently constituted, and told the story of picking up my daughter. With tears in my eyes I didn’t even try to tell about the time a highway patrolman threatened to run me and over.
The prosecutor immediately requested my release for cause. The judge asked me about my opinion on drug laws. I replied that I didn’t have a problem convicting someone for breaking the law, but didn’t feel the law was currently right.
So the prosecutor asked that I be summarily released. The judge reminded her that it wasn’t her turn. So the defendent asked for another juror to be released, and they questioned the next juror. Upon which the prosecutor immediately asked for my release.
Which was funny, because looking around the room I figured I was probably the most conservative person in the room, including the prosecutor, judge, and bailiff. If not the most, easily in the top three.
I can’t say all my experiences with the police have been bad. There was the time a policeman told me to take it slow on my motorcycle, after he asked me where I was going in such a hurry, and I just said L.A. And, there’s my son’s Cub Scout leader, who is the man I thought I would be back when I was young.
But dang, there are just too many cops.
Tags: Police