Many of you will notice as of late I’ve been posting many articles that paint the police force in a bad light. That’s not my intent, I don’t like “grouping people.” Surely not all cops are bad.

A doctor is presented with symptoms, and searches for the root cause of the problem. He may prescribe something to treat the symptoms, but ultimately he intends to treat the root cause. And that, patriots, is what we must do as well. We must become doctors, and diagnose the issue.

Let’s have a look at some of the symptoms, shall we?

I wrote a couple of days ago that police have gone from “protect and serve” to “taunt and kill.” As a recap, police in White Plains, NY responded along with an ambulance to a man who accidentally triggered his medical alert system. The situation came to an end with Mr. Chamberlain being pronounced dead, having been shot twice by a police officer who felt threatened by a 68 year old man who was obviously incensed about police coming into his apartment after he asked them not to.

On Wednesday the 4th, William Grigg wrote on his site Pro Libertate in a post titled “Necessary Force”:

“I always thought police were nothing but good and were there to protect people,” testifies Elizabeth Polak, a registered nurse from Phoenix. Her view of the State’s enforcement caste changed dramatically as a result of what she witnessed in Denver on the evening of March 25, 2008.

In that event, a couple were having a conversation near the entrance of their apartment building, when suddenly members of Denver’s finest rolled up and punched Mr. Moore in the face, took him to the ground and began beating him. So severely in fact, that he flat lined and had to be revived by EMTs. Mr. Moore has undergone back surgery and rehab due to the incident.

The same officer involved in that incident was involved in yet another incident, notes Grigg:

In a November 2010 incident in a secure apartment building, Miller cursed at, browbeat, threatened, battered, and abducted a disabled woman named Doreen Salazar because of her perceived tardiness in buzzing him and his partner into the residential area. Salazar, who had been advised by the apartment managers never to grant access to anyone she didn’t know, and who had difficulty identifying the officers as police, paused for perhaps a second or two before letting them in. It’s a tragedy that she didn’t understand that police are the most dangerous variety of strangers she’s likely to confront.

Security camera video shows Miller snarling at the small, middle-aged woman, pushing her, and cornering her near an elevator. He then slammed her face-first into the elevator door, handcuffed her, and held her in his patrol car for about ten minutes – a sadistic act that served no purpose other than to terrorize an uppity Mundane who had failed to respect Miller’s supposed authority.

“Did you learn your lesson?” a smirking Miller sneered at Salazar after releasing her from the handcuffs.

“Yes, I learned my lesson,” Salazar – who is more of a man than little Shawn will ever be — replied. “I learned not to open a door for a cop ever again.”

Grigg also wrote NEVER Call 911: If Jimma Reat Had Ignored the Police, He’d Be Alive Today:

People who dial 911 in the hope of police assistance often learn, to their chagrin, that they’ve made a tragic mistake. If they confront immediate danger, the police won’t arrive in time to help, and they have no enforceable duty to provide assistance in any case. If the situation faced by the caller isn’t life-threatening, it will soon become one, thanks to the arrival of armed strangers clothed in the supposed authority to kill. This is what happened in the case of Kenneth Chamberlain, the 68-year-old retired Marine from White Plains, New York who was murdered by police in his home after his medical alert system issued a false alarm.

So, I’ve identified some of the symptoms. What then is the problem? Where does the root of this tree lie?

For that, we have to determine when the presumption of innocence went away. You see, if you are truly presumed innocent until proven guilty, then things like the above scenarios should never happen.

This is an unintended consequence of the war on drugs (which, by the way, is not working). When simple possession becomes a big deal, then everybody can be a suspect. Instead of peace keepers, we have armed thug sociopaths, who are in a constant state of power trip.

Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, Libertarian candidate for President, recommended that the drug issue be treated as a medical one, rather than a criminal one. Have a look: How Far Would Gary Johnson Go in Legalizing Drugs?

Also, Republican Ron Paul has similar ideals: Ron Paul Discusses Legalization of Drugs (5-5-11)

Bottom line, we’re sliding into a police state. Our local law enforcement agencies are getting military grade equipment (tanks, unmanned drones, etc), and our federal government is procuring up to 450 million rounds of hollow point ammunition. Protesting is becoming illegal, the government says you can’t donate food to the homeless, and can even revoke your passport, effectively imprisoning you in the country, simply for owing a debt.

How can we fix this? By reasoning. By arguments. By electing politicians like Ron Paul and Gary Johnson. And be sure you know your rights.

Offer up your ideas in the comments.

Further Reading