“Conservatives” Defend Thin Blue Line of Socialism

CLEVELAND OH – After several days of contentious yet peaceful protests on the streets outside the Republican National convention last week, one video posted by Ademo Freeman, the founder of CopBlock.org, captured a powerful interaction between opposing views on the issue of policing in America that left a group of conservatives defending the idea of socialism.

A 17 minute video posted to Freeman’s YouTube Channel (below) starts by showing an activist chalking words on the pavement in front a large line of police officers which read, “THE POLICE ARE THE BIGGEST GANG IN AMERICA.” However, seconds later a handful of police supporters, including Infowars.com reporter Joe Biggs, dumped water on the chalk and smeared the words using the bottom of their shoes, rendering the words illegible.

As one of the police supporters started to leave the area, Freeman asked the man, “why did you do that?” The man replied, “those are the people over their (pointing to the police) that protect your rights. They would stand there and die for you.” That argument does make one feel a little warm and fuzzy towards the police, however, we all know police are tasked with enforcing laws that directly violate ones rights, so most logical people can use reason and evidence to conclude that the argument that police protect our rights is false, the majority of the time. In fact, seconds later, one police officer can be seen hassling a protester for having a squeaky rubber ball, seemingly making the point of the anti-police protesters. Regardless, this is not the argument that left a group of conservative police supporters defending the idea of socialism.

As a vocal opponent of modern policing myself, I’ve heard all the tired and typical arguments in favor of the current policing system that anyone could ever think of. “Who are you going to call when you get robbed or attacked,” they always say. Most activists who also oppose the police miss the golden opportunity that this argument offers. It’s truly a gift to anyone who understands the idea of free market economics which Freeman later capitalizes on, but not before a short pissing contest about who has a higher status in society and who has the best government issued military titles and medals. One man, who claimed to be a “fit” army ranger who appears to be in his late 60s can be seen making a human shield between one female protester and a line of heavily armed police officers. What either of the individuals were trying to accomplish is beyond me, but it did make for some interesting video of adults acting like children.

After the childish banter was getting a bit stale, Freeman cut through all the smug insults coming from police supporters and dropped a point of view that likely none of the men defending the police have ever heard.

“If you guys love the police so much, pay for them! I just don’t want to be forced to pay for the police. That’s it. I want to opt out. What’s so wrong with that? Do I not have the right to decide how to spend my money?

The smug, childish grins started to turn to a mild look of panic mixed with a pinch of deer in the headlights as the police supporters faced an economic freedom argument that they were not prepared to answer as they’ve likely never heard about the idea of freedom beyond the government approved version.

“Didn’t you fight for freedom?” Freeman asks a man wearing dog tags and a recon shirt who answers, “I did.” “Well then it’s not free if I don’t have a choice. That’s not freedom, that’s the opposite.”

The pro police crowd immediately attempts to shift the conversation back to the “if you just followed the law” argument that was quickly refuted by the idea that not all laws are right and just, therefore impede on the very freedoms the men claimed to stand for. Which was followed by a round of adolescent name calling, insults, and face gestures which demonstrates the depth of their position, shallow. The pro police crowd eventually disperses after taking a couple verbal knock out shots across the chin.

Unfortunately, most vocal opponents of the police do not believe in the ideas of freedom and are perfectly happy just slinging mud and offering half measures to combat the problems of policing. Like any industry or service provider, the only way to solve problems is to offer competition into the marketplace and allow individuals to pay for the services that they want or need. Being forced to pay for a service is not freedom, it’s socialism, regardless if the service provider wears a badge.

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