As the "Occupy" protests continue to pick up steam all across the nation, I have thought a lot about how members of local police departments are stuck between here and there. (It's really not any different from the dilemma faced by security or military forces when confronted with the "Arab Spring.") These civil servants are being pulled in opposite directions simultaneously.
One direction is toward the protesters. Rank-and-file police officers squarely come down within the 99 percent! They are under attack by those desiring to eviscerate public unions. The budgets for their departments are being squeezed. Their health care costs are soaring, while their retirement accounts may be victims to corporate malfeasance.
In essence, they share the same grievances as the protesters out in the streets.
Unfortunately, it will take great acts of individual courage to acknowledge this. If a police officer stood in solidarity with the protesters, he or she faces the loss of their job plus antagonism from the others in blue too fearful to join him or her.
And the reason there is so much fear is because of the other direction they are being pulled. While their interests lie in the protests in the streets, they take orders from those who are the objects of the protests themselves! While we like to believe that the police are here to protect and serve everyone equally, their number one priority is to protect and serve the powers of society.
Those powers are the ones under attack.
So, who do they side with? The people who indirectly pay them or the people who decide whether or not they will keep their jobs.
In a perfect world, it would be an easy call. If you haven't noticed, our world is far from perfect.
One direction is toward the protesters. Rank-and-file police officers squarely come down within the 99 percent! They are under attack by those desiring to eviscerate public unions. The budgets for their departments are being squeezed. Their health care costs are soaring, while their retirement accounts may be victims to corporate malfeasance.
In essence, they share the same grievances as the protesters out in the streets.
Unfortunately, it will take great acts of individual courage to acknowledge this. If a police officer stood in solidarity with the protesters, he or she faces the loss of their job plus antagonism from the others in blue too fearful to join him or her.
And the reason there is so much fear is because of the other direction they are being pulled. While their interests lie in the protests in the streets, they take orders from those who are the objects of the protests themselves! While we like to believe that the police are here to protect and serve everyone equally, their number one priority is to protect and serve the powers of society.
Those powers are the ones under attack.
So, who do they side with? The people who indirectly pay them or the people who decide whether or not they will keep their jobs.
In a perfect world, it would be an easy call. If you haven't noticed, our world is far from perfect.
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