After Baltimore: Federal Police Force Coming?
Given Al Sharpton's ability to garner attention, perhaps we should pay some to his latest statement about all the stuff going on with police arrests in various parts of the country. Not that we should either respect or even seriously consider Sharpton's views. (If you think we should, perhaps you shouldn't bother reading any further.)
So here's what the "Reverend" Al had to say:
If the idea of a national police force intrigues you in some way, we suggest you seek some examples - either current or historical - that would illustrate the need for, or salutary effect of having a single police force controlled by a central government. Remember, we're talking about the United States here, with a population of over 300,000,000, so such a force, if it were created would need to be substantial. Can you find examples of other countries' of somewhat comparable size who have "Federales" whose cops' behavior sparkles in its pristine behavior like a kitchen floor scrubbed with Spic 'N Span? Likely not. Perhaps you might look even at other U.S. federal agencies. Can you note any extraordinary degree of honesty, efficiency, and sensitivity to community needs? If you answer "Yes," please provide examples.
So, bereft of any examples to illustrate the desirability of a national police force, we might conclude that this statement simply extends Sharpton's record of race-baiting, sidling up to the federal government to keep his questionable activities off their radar (like not having paid federal taxes for 10 years), and self-promotion to empower and enrich himself.
We don't need the Rev to tell us police must be held accountable. We all know that most police aren't bad.
As for fighting states' rights by creating a national police force, this ultimately puts more power in the grasping hands of the central government to the detriment of the rest of us - with Al Sharpton likely a beneficiary of such centralizing of power.
We would also note that in the recent Ferguson, MI case, when the feds did step in and investigate, they discovered that the police did nothing that deserved any federal action. And that with Attorney General Holder running the show, someone Sharpton would likely find somewhat of a kindred spirit. So what exactly would a federal police force accomplish? Sharpton doesn't bother to say. He's lobbed his grenade, gotten the attention he craves, and will likely move on to the next exaggerated or media-instigated "racial incident," which we suspect won't be long in coming.
While Sharpton's typically self-serving comments may die on the vine, you might take note and keep your eyes and ears open for more talk of federal police. Remember that Obama stated during his first campaign that a national police force would be one of his key initiatives. Whatever happened to that? We suspect reaction was such that his handlers decided it wasn't worth pursuing. But that doesn't mean the itch to expand federal power will not soon revive this topic, Sharpton or no Sharpton.
So here's what the "Reverend" Al had to say:
“...we need the Justice Department to step in and take over policing in this country. In the 20th century, they had to fight states’ rights in — to get the right to vote. We’re going to have to fight states’ rights in terms of closing down police cases.”Now, without giving the statement more time and consideration than it deserves, let's see if we might fire up our power of reason here, using this statement as fuel. The question to ask yourself should be obvious. Just how would a federal police force address the problem of police abuse? No guidance is provided by Sharpton. He just lobs it out there, knowing that enough thoughtless readers will nod their heads in assent. The benefit to Al would be that he somehow garners some level of credit for proposing a solution to a problem that he and others have used to further their careers.
He added, “police must be held accountable. I don’t think all police are bad. I don’t even think most are bad. But those that are need to be held accountable.”
If the idea of a national police force intrigues you in some way, we suggest you seek some examples - either current or historical - that would illustrate the need for, or salutary effect of having a single police force controlled by a central government. Remember, we're talking about the United States here, with a population of over 300,000,000, so such a force, if it were created would need to be substantial. Can you find examples of other countries' of somewhat comparable size who have "Federales" whose cops' behavior sparkles in its pristine behavior like a kitchen floor scrubbed with Spic 'N Span? Likely not. Perhaps you might look even at other U.S. federal agencies. Can you note any extraordinary degree of honesty, efficiency, and sensitivity to community needs? If you answer "Yes," please provide examples.
So, bereft of any examples to illustrate the desirability of a national police force, we might conclude that this statement simply extends Sharpton's record of race-baiting, sidling up to the federal government to keep his questionable activities off their radar (like not having paid federal taxes for 10 years), and self-promotion to empower and enrich himself.
We don't need the Rev to tell us police must be held accountable. We all know that most police aren't bad.
As for fighting states' rights by creating a national police force, this ultimately puts more power in the grasping hands of the central government to the detriment of the rest of us - with Al Sharpton likely a beneficiary of such centralizing of power.
We would also note that in the recent Ferguson, MI case, when the feds did step in and investigate, they discovered that the police did nothing that deserved any federal action. And that with Attorney General Holder running the show, someone Sharpton would likely find somewhat of a kindred spirit. So what exactly would a federal police force accomplish? Sharpton doesn't bother to say. He's lobbed his grenade, gotten the attention he craves, and will likely move on to the next exaggerated or media-instigated "racial incident," which we suspect won't be long in coming.
While Sharpton's typically self-serving comments may die on the vine, you might take note and keep your eyes and ears open for more talk of federal police. Remember that Obama stated during his first campaign that a national police force would be one of his key initiatives. Whatever happened to that? We suspect reaction was such that his handlers decided it wasn't worth pursuing. But that doesn't mean the itch to expand federal power will not soon revive this topic, Sharpton or no Sharpton.
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