Thursday, April 2, 2009

To Protect And Serve ?

Okay, I gotta' give it to Kern County, California.
At least their police motto tells the truth ("We'll kick your ass, and take your doughnuts too").
But truth be told, I'm not one who hates the police or thinks that I have to run whenever I see them.
But lately it seems that many departments have forgotten their main directives; "To protect and serve".
This mission statement does not apply solely to those who are middle class, or white or educated.
It applies to all.
Well... at least it was meant to.

"To protect and serve". Yep, it's right there on the back quarter panel of the vehicle (Just in case the officer driving forgets that which is his job.)

"The more prohibitions there are, the poorer the people will be.
The more laws are promulgated, the more thieves and bandits there will be" - Lau-tzu

"Force always attracts men of low morality" - Albert Einstein

Damn... the same motto in Pittsburgh?

"Those who give up essential liberties for temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin

"...Tyranny... 'for the good of it's victims' may be the most oppressive" - George Orwell

Even L.A. has a reminder.

"Guard against the impostures of patriotism" - George Washington.

"Force without judgement falls on it's own weight." - Horace

NYPD has a different (but equal) directive; Courtesy, Professionalism and Respect.
Wow, you all in the big city must have it nice!

"A government is the most dangerous threat to man's rights; it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally disarmed victims" Ayn Rand

"An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger" - Confucius

Even in the boondocks that is Fargo - "To protect and serve" persists.
"I own that I am not a friend to an energetic government. It is always oppressive." - Thomas Jefferson
"Only fools seek power, and the greatest fools seek it by force"
"It is very common for the victims to understand a system better than the people who are holding the stick." - Noam Chomsky
Even those in NOLA have great cops who live by the mantra.
"This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is the protector" - Plato

3 comments:

RunningMom said...

"We'll kick your ass, and take your doughnuts too"

wow. really? What genius came up with that brilliant idea!?

Citizen Ojo said...

Have you noticed many police cars don't even say "protect and serve anymore"?

uglyblackjohn said...

@ RunningMom - I'm thinking that it was meant as a joke - but it's funny (and true) none the less.

@ Ojo - I DID notice that. Maybe people were expecting too much.