WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

It appears a majority of the Seattle City Council has voted to reduce the police department budget by over 50%. Seven of the nine members have decided that social workers will do a better job of dealing with gang bangers, drug addicts, drunks, and bad guys in general than armed police officers. What could possibly go wrong with an idea like that? 

They intend to spend that money on social programs like safe spaces for law breakers and discussion groups for armed killers. Kumbaya anyone?

I used to live in Seattle. It was a beautiful city. But, no more I fear. To any reasonable person with average intelligence the whole idea of defunding the police is stupid. Bad guys are not suddenly going to become good citizens. The murder rate is going to skyrocket. Property crime will go through the roof. The good people will have to defend themselves. It is going to be like the old west.

Of course Seattle is not alone as a city governed by idiots. New York City's violent crime rate has increased by over 150% just this year. Last weekend a one-year old baby was shot and killed in his stroller. And they also are cutting back on their police budget. Police officers there are retiring at a much faster rate than normal. I cannot imagine any intelligent person wanting to be a police officer today. They get zero support from their city governments and are subjected to citizen abuse as well as used as target practice by thugs on the street. There are much better options for career minded youngsters today. 

I often wonder how in the world these morons are elected to run these cities. Are the voters that stupid? When you see a city like Seattle or New York with the troubles they are facing, what does that say about the people who elected their leaders?

We can sit here and speculate all day on what the future holds for this new program of social engineering. We can imagine what will come. Then we wonder what will the citizens actually do when it all hits the fan. How long would you wait for a 911 call if someone was breaking into your house?  How about an armed robber trying to hijack your car? Then there's this one. A drunk, armed, domestic fight. Unquestionably one of the most dangerous calls a cop makes. Does any reasonable person truly believe a social worker is the proper remedy for this situation?

Every day we hear of bravery displayed by police officers in the face of danger. We hear of them taking people out of burning cars and houses. We know of many cases where they go looking for missing kids. While everybody else is trying to escape danger, the police are dashing into it.

In all of my life I have never had a problem with a police officer. I have been stopped and cited for speeding. Of course, most of the time when I speed, I don't get stopped. Another important thing here is that when I am stopped, I don't argue. When they say stop, I stop. When they say go, I go. Seems pretty simple to me. 

All of these cities who are going to face the future without police protection are begging for their own destruction. I don't think it will take very long. As the body count goes up, the demand for increased police will be loud and clear. Will they return? Who knows.

Ron Scarbro July 13, 2020