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The Emerging American Police State
By Gerard Keenan (about the author) Page 1 of 2 page(s)
For OpEdNews: GP Keenan - Writer
These evolved into what we now know as political correctness; and it has reached epidemic proportions, but Americans have become so accustomed to the government telling us what's good for us, and passing laws to make criminals out of law abiding citizens, that it is accepted without question.
We are facing the greatest threat to our country, our security, and our way of life that we have ever faced. Yet our politicians and lawmakers are totally oblivious and continue on the path of total control of every aspect of the lives of every individual in this nation and completely ignore the real dangers - themselves and terrorism.
Instead of seeking ways to protect us they waste their time, energy, and the tax-payers' money looking for ways to criminalize the innocent.
John Pomfret, in the March 27th issue of the Washington Post, provides an excellent example of this in Texas.
While the requirements of Homeland Security have put increased demands on already strained law enforcement agencies, police forces continue to see a steady decline in recruits. According to Mr. Pomfret at least 80% of the nation's 17,000 law enforcement agencies have vacancies they can not fill.
The shortage in Texas is so great that there is a bidding war for veteran cops between the cities of Dallas, Houston and Austin, with Houston recently offering a signing bonus of $7,000.00
Yet despite this critical shortage the Texas legislature considers it far more important to control the private lives of ordinary citizens by redefining the term "public drunkenness".
On March 30th, a few days after Pomfret's article appeared, NBC's "Today Show" aired a video report of this folly.
Public drunkenness once meant if a cop saw you staggering down the street he would take you into custody, toss you in the drunk tank to sleep it off and, in the morning, you would either be set loose, or made to pay a nominal fine and then released. Rarely was a person even charged with a misdemeanor.
But in Texas a police officer can now arrest anyone, anywhere who, in his subjective opinion, he considers "drunk"; including innocent tourists at the bar of their hotel.
The NBC report showed police arresting tourists and the bartenders for having "over-served" the hotel guests.
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Or the police state tactics of Hitler's Brown Shirts?
"To protect and to serve?" Or "To subdue and control?"
The already over-extended and diminishing resources of law enforcement would be far better utilized in protecting Americans than in subjugating, controlling, and criminalizing them.
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