In last week’s issue of SBT, we editorialized on the sadness felt by the residents of Weymouth, Massachusetts and in fact so many people everywhere at the tragic death of police officer Michael Chesn,; killed in the line of duty by what is alleged to be a cop hating and deranged suspect. There were reports of other officers around the country also being attacked while performing their sworn duties to ‘protect and serve’. What we said, and by all the reader response we got, most of you agree, that much of the anti-police/anti law enforcement sentiment in this country is being aided and abetted and, in some cases, deliberately being pushed by well-known people in positions of authority and many in the entertainment world. Again, officials in cities like Chicago, New York, Baltimore and San Francisco are becoming notorious for the lack of support they show for their police forces and their coddling of the criminal element within their jurisdictions and even beyond.
Much of this anti-police attitude can be attributed to Barak Obama; who early on in his administration criticized police in Cambridge, Massachusetts for doing their jobs. His now infamous quote about the ‘Police acting stupidly’ gave comfort and cover to criminals everywhere. Remember his ‘beer summit’? Then, he couldn’t wait to jump in with both feet during the Ferguson rioting and lay the blame at the door of the police. It was later discovered that the target of the police shooting, Michael Brown, went for the cop’s gun and he had a violent criminal record a half mile long.
But the damage was already done, the riots continued and there was no apology to the Ferguson police officer. Instead, they were all ordered into sensitivity training courses. How about the 5 Dallas Police officers, who were ambushed and killed for no other reason than because they were cops? Some members of the Dallas Cowboy’s football team wanted to show support for the police victims by wearing Dallas Police memorial patches to the next game, but NFL officials nixed the gesture and threatened to fine the players. But Colin Kaepenick could wear socks during a game that depicted police as pigs and he became a hero to some in the NFL hierarchy and to many of the demented so-called Hollywood elite. Do we see a pattern here?
And now, just last week, adding her sick ideology to the ranks of the likes of Kathy Griffin, Jim Carrey and George Lopez, self proclaimed comic Michelle Wolf launched a video comparing the members of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to ISIS terrorists. And the Hollywood types and leftist politicians just laughed and laughed. This is their idea of clever humor. Comparing ICE officers, who put their lives on the line every day to protect our borders and the American people from the likes of drug cartel members, real terrorists and MS-13 gang members are made fun of and called terrorists.
ICE officers, like most members of law enforcement are men and women with families. They go to work each day not knowing if they will return home to those families at the end of their shift. They are among the first lines of defense protecting all of us, including the childish nitwits like Michelle Wolf with her videos. So is it any wonder that cop hating criminals are finding encouragement in their goal of killing police officers. Many of them watch the news like the rest of us and see anti-cop sentiment being glorified by celebrities and certain politicians and they see a green light to do their thing.
When the good guys are being portrayed as the bad guys by people who should know better, the real bad guys jump at the opportunity to go on the attack. So the next time a police officer is shot or stabbed in the line of duty, the blame should be directed at those politicians who all but send out signals that maybe the cop deserved it, or by celebrities who think they are oh so clever with their anti-law enforcement videos and standup comedy routines. The blood of those killed or injured officers will be almost as much on their hands as it is on the hands of the criminals who committed the act.
Here in Boston, our own police force made the news this week, as we all know. The city is getting a new police commissioner. Our own home town neighbor Bill Evans has handed the torch to ‘Willie’ Gross. To outgoing commissioner Evans, we say thank you Bill for your years of good service to the people of Boston. To the new ‘commish’, Commissioner Gross, we say welcome. By all accounts of your experience and your law enforcement qualifications you are the best pick for this important position. May God guide you and protect you in what, as you already know, will be a tough job.
