Thursday, May 24, 2007

Calling the Pigs

I'm up here in the Frozen North (a.k.a. Toronto) on business, as Dymphna has mentioned. But I have a brief break and access to a computer, so...

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I've been catching up on my reading, and this morning I read an article by Rich Lowry in the print edition of National Review about the Virginia Tech massacre and Seung-Hui Cho. It's from the May 14th issue, and is available online behind the subscription wall, but I can't give you the URL from here.

Mr. Lowry says this:

When the [English] department head began to tutor [Cho], she established a secret code word with her assistant to signal when she should call security.

I'll assume that the English Department at Tech is pretty much the same as English departments at other universities across this great land of ours -- i.e., a hotbed of deconstruction, political correctness, multiculturalism, subversion, and general sedition. Yet, in the moment of her crying need, the department's head apparatchik called on the hated forces of militaristic oppression to rescue her from possibile danger.

I noticed the same thing at William and Mary last weekend. Dymphna and I had to endure various graduation events, several of which involved seniors (some of them English majors) giving speeches that combined lame jokes with overworked rhetoric. These students had the tactlessness to mock old people and tourists -- many of their parents were memebers of both these groups -- and one ridiculed the various police forces on campus and in the city of Williamsburg.

The young man who spoke so crassly was directing his remarks to the audience at a candlelit gathering of students and their families in the courtyard of the Wren building. All around the periphery were representatives of the despised Williamsburg police, standing with their arms folded, watching carefully and patiently for anyone who might do the assembly harm, whether mujahideen or Cho-wannabes. I'm sure these policemen are used to abuse and reidicule at the hands of W&M students. My cohort directed plenty of the same kind of invective at them back in our student hippie days.

However, as soon as disaster strikes, when the bomb goes off or the deranged loner with automatic weapons arrives on the scene, the first thing these recently-sneering students will do is to dial 911 on their cellphones and summon the pigs to come to their rescue. They know that the traditional forces of law and order will, despite being held in avowed contempt by their young charges, do their duty to the best of their ability to protect them from harm -- and then, no doubt, be reviled for not arriving on the scene sooner.

This is a quintessentially adolescent attitude. But the problem is that it has become endemic to the entire elite/academic/political establishment, so that a permanent adolescence has settled into most of our important institutions.

It has caused the members of our protective forces -- the military and the police -- to despise those they are charged with protecting, to look down on those soft-bodied ingrates whom they have to defend. This situation does not bode well for the future of our constitutional republic -- an intelligent, well-educated, and well-armed group of young men regards its civilian overseers with a well-deserved disdain.

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Bob Dylan famously sang, "How many times will the cannonballs fly before they are forever banned?"

The unspoken assumption behind this plea for universal non-violence is that the state or the "international community" possesses some kind of power to enforce such a ban. And if someone -- some group, country, or international gang of thugs -- refuses to observe such a ban, then what?

Why, then we pick up the phone and call the pigs.

Oh, wait a minute -- we've "banned" the pigs.

So what do we do now?

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.


[Nothing follows.]

14 comments:

History Snark said...

I'm reminded of an episode of "Murphy Brown", where after a disastrous appearance by a hippie icon (played of course by Martin Sheen), the cast is re-evaluating their liberalism in light of their middle-age and wealth. Suddenly, one of them quietly observes that he wishes the police would patrol his street more often.

As for the contempt of the military/police towards their masters, I'd point out that, as far as the military goes, there is still an absolute belief in Civilian Control- or was when I was in.

That being said, I still recall fondly a term I learned within the first week of basic training: "Gosh-darn-Communist-Mother-blanking-civilian".

I'll leave it to the reader to decide where the term should be adjusted.

History Snark said...

I should also mention, now that I think about it, that I know a LOT of people-mature, law-abiding folks-who despise Police as a concept. Individual cops might be alright, but the law enforcement community as a whole, they hate. Of course, here in Michigan, many of the police departments are apathetic, politically correct and incompetent, so maybe that's why.

Anonymous said...

On the other hand, one of the most memorable photos (at least to my memory) from the Columbine incident was the one of the police SWAT team hiding behind a fire engine.
Yes, they're the best we've got, but sometimes the best in none too good.

spackle said...

The mind of our hippie brethren never ceases to amaze me. Recently I was in one of the hippie Meccas of the east, Woodstock,NY. I overheard a twenty-something hippie railing against technnology until his cell-phone rang. Priceless.

Gary said...

I am New to your site; but enjoy it none the less.

A few weeks ago, you may recall a demonstration/rally/protest march gone bad in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA. If not, allow me to refresh your memory:

After a day of demonstrating/rallying/protesting the current immigration issues, a small group of D/R/Ps within the confines of the overall group began hurling rocks and debris at the police assigned to the event. It was at that point the police ordered the crowd to dismiss and go home.

Caught on video tape was a few (including some from the media) getting the snot slapped outa them... At least that was what was heard on the local news for the following weeks. After watching the videos however, I noted that the only people who were being 'physically encouraged' to leave were those who chose to stand off with the officers. Rather than turn around and walk away, they stayed and puffed their chests, so the officers pushed them in the direction in which they were to go. Some fell including an overweight Hispanic camera man.

The end result was the dispersion of a potentially violent event with minimal injuries and no arrests, yet Chief Bratton and Mayor Villarigosa verbally threw those officers under the proverbial bus of liberalism. The Deputy Chief was demoted to commander, and one other leader was demoted as well, but no worries. The city of Los Angeles is now offering free counseling for all offended.

Where again do our kids learn liberalism?

History Snark said...

Gawfer,

Shades of the hilarious Chris Rock piece "How not to get your ass kicked by the police".

At this stage, why would anyone want to live in LaLaLand?

A few years ago, here in the dump I currently call home, there was a small forging facility. The workers went on strike, as is their right. The company hired scabs and tried to continue operations. One night, the strikers blocked all the exits from the facility. The scabs couldn't get away to go home, which is of course their right. The police ordered the strikers to move so that people could get out. They refused. Eventually, the police opened up with tear gas, and dispersed them that way.

The Mayor, Council, Media, and people of the City went insane. Police brutality, poor judgement, blah blah blah. I think the officer in charge- relatively low-ranking- was also sacrificed to expediency.

I always felt it was unjust. The strikers were violating a basic right of the scabs and refused to move or disperse when the police ordered them. What exactly were the police supposed to do?

I've long said that we're undergoing a breakdown in the "social contract". People want-in fact, demand-that The State gives them all the rights and protections of a civilised society, but then refuse to live up to their end of the bargain.

Oh, and for the record, the forging facility closed a few months later, as I recall. Later, someone reopened it, but of course this being Michigan, the taxes and other costs were too high. So it sits empty in a blighted city.

locomotivebreath1901 said...

"This is a quintessentially adolescent attitude.... a permanent adolescence has settled into most of our important institutions."

You struck very decisively at the heart of dissonant thought which is core to liberalism.

Bravo. You should write all your commentaries on break. Kidding.

Keep up the good work.

Always On Watch said...

Yesterday, one of my students told me about how awful the speeches were at a local university's graduation ceremony--leftism running rampant from Governor Kaine and a lame speeches from the heads of departments as well.

What kinds of graduates are our universities cranking out? Not of much caliber, IMO.

Gary said...

Like I said Mr. supercop, the only people being physically encouraged to leave were the ones who chose to face off with the police. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that when a group of law enforcement officers dressed in combat riot gear start moving toward you, they will always win and you will always lose.

The police were there for the entire duration of the demonstration, and did not interfere until they were assaulted. If I were a demonstrator, I'd count my self lucky not to be tased and confused.

By the way, the last time a riot went unchecked in LA, the entire nation got to see 5 days of destruction, and the video footage of Rodney King getting the snot slapped outa him.

Conservative Swede said...

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.

LOL!

Splendid travesty, Baron. You made my day.

Gary said...

I don't believe they were beating up the media at random. I believe they gave the order to disburse, and the few media that encountered the ‘long arm of the law’, behaved as if they were not included in said order. In particular, the camera man wearing white who, rather than move away turned and faced the police officers.

To avoid being shoved to the ground, all he had to do was walk away. His choice was to stay, and he needs to accept responsibility for that choice. Freedom and all.

I personally have had enough blather from the liberal media who think the first amendment allows them special rights and treatment. The cops should have tased his butt and watch him quiver on the ground. But the Mayor would have had to offer counseling for that too.

Dymphna said...

Y'all reminded me of something the Baron said many years ago...this is a paraphrase so he will no doubt correct me if I get it wrong, but he said he knew he was a grown-up when he stopped seeing the police as "THEM."

He and I are from different generations, so I never went thru the pig process in adolescence. To me, the police were --and remain, for the most part -- the good guys.

Yes, there are murderous exceptions, but for the most part, they do a thankless job for a bunch of snot-nosed eternal teenagers.

Gary said...

Just not responding to direction which made them (the media) part of the problem.

Again, nothing occurred until the police, er, good guys were assaulted.

As Damphna said, they are the good guys, and my original comment was directed at the Mayor and Chief Bratton's willingness to throw their subordinates under the bus anyway.

Gary said...

gawfer said...
"...the only people who were being 'physically encouraged' to leave were those who chose to stand off with the officers..."

gawfer said...
"...Like I said Mr. supercop, the only people being physically encouraged to leave were the ones who chose to face off with the police..."

gawfer said...
"...and the few media that encountered the ‘long arm of the law’, behaved as if they were not included in said order. In particular, the camera man wearing white who, rather than move away turned and faced the police officers..."


gawfer said...
"...Just not responding to direction which made them (the media) part of the problem..."

I said it 4 times. How dense are you? Civil disobedience is against the law. By your lack of willingness to read said comments, you have clearly shown are one who believes in the freedom to choose without responsibilities for the consequences.

I believe I'm finished kicking this dead horse.