In case you aren’t aware, the police have their own gang symbol. It’s called the “ thin blue line ” – a blue line horizontally sandwiched between two black bars. You’ll frequently see it on the back of vehicles presumably containing police or their immediate relatives. Of course, anyone can buy these stickers now, so police have other ways of recognizing their own, like these family “professional courtesy” passbooks , but regardless, the blue line is still seen on their cars , their clothing , and now flags . It helps create the “us vs them” mentality that some police have. Worse still, some people insist on treating the police as though they are better than the rest of humanity. Their word is gold in court, they get special burials when mass calamity happens, deferential treatment in many of the crimes the corrupt officers commit , and more.

In a recent Keene Sentinel piece about multiple city councilors gushing over their recent decision to paint a horribly garish blue line down the middle of Marlboro St, local commenter Johnson Rice points out that the city is actually committing civil disobedience against the federal government:

Interesting that the city decided to violate the law outlined by the USDOT & FHA when they clearly warned a few towns in New Jersey that this practice is illegal in that it creates unsafe road conditions because motorists don’t know what this line means. It could result in lawsuits for the city if the unsafe condition results in any legitimate accidents or even “accidents” involving less scrupulous people. Good for the City of Keene though for adopting that rebellious “Free Keene” spirit and willfully violating federal law.

I think the bright blue paint is ugly, distracting, and possibly dangerous to clueless drivers. The police get far too much worship as-is, for the job of a supposed “servant” and don’t need any more blind obeisance. (They aren’t all saints. Here’s a story about a local NH police chief who also was a child rapist for several years at least.)

All that said, while I don’t agree with the issue they chose, I do appreciate the city government’s embracing of peaceful civil disobedience. Maybe they’ll see the light that the federal government is a controlling, abusive spouse and start openly supporting secession next?

Doubtful, but this does point out that the law means nothing to the state & city when they wish to ignore it. Who can blame them? Statutes and codes are just words on paper written by strangers. They are opinions backed by guns. Thanks to their “thin blue line” of police, the political class is protected from having to follow their own rules, yet the rest of us are jailed for victimless crimes in ever-growing numbers.

It might make you wonder who the police are really there to “protect and serve“, hmm?