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Two Deputies ambushed and nearly killed in California. There was no protest, no faux reason for outrage, no excuse for violence; the deputies were sitting in their marked vehicle.  Why does this happen?  Why is it happening more frequently in recent years?

Regular readers will recall I’ve often written about the thin blue line, but not the one of popular imagination.  Yes, police officers represent a thin, and thinning, line between civilization and barbarism/socialism, but there is another dimension to that metaphor.

 They—we all—are fortunate most people will obey most laws most of the time, but that is so because of a delicate balance.  Citizens are largely law-abiding because the Judeo-Christian tradition teaches individual responsibility and ethics.  The foundation of that tradition is the inestimable value of every life, of every immortal soul.  It’s one of the essential differences between Christianity and everything that came before it.  Ethically, Americans brought up in this tradition also believe in responsibilities toward others, to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, and to allow others to live in peace as we wish to live in peace. And of course, to love others as Christ loves us. It is this, at its core, to which John Adams referred when he wrote to the Massachusetts Militia in 1798:

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

Take this link and read the entire letter in which this famous quote resides.

True heroism: badly wounded, she protected and treated her partner who was bleeding out, saving his life.

Underlying the ethics necessary for our representative republic to survive are the Ten Commandments.  It is not necessary that one embrace Christianity for America to survive, only that one internalize such commandments as: thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor and thou shalt not covet.  If one, at minimum, does not do these things, we have the basis for a civil society.  We don’t try to murder innocent police officers, nor do we block the emergency entrance of the hospital where they are being treated, try to invade the same hospital, or cruelly wish for their deaths.  We don’t riot, loot and burn, destroying the lives of others.  We focus on ourselves, our families and jobs, on building a life for those we love, on helping our neighbors, and living lives worthy of honorable Americans, people who have always risked everything to preserve liberty.

Those steeped in Judeo-Christian ethics know there is such a thing as objective truth–objective reality–and it may be known through the application of reason and reasoned inquiry and debate.  They do not reject science, understanding that science and faith are separate domains which coexist.  They know evil exists, and exists to destroy good.  They know the battle between good and evil is fought in our hearts and minds, and never ends.  They know peace is not the natural state of Mankind, and is, in fact, rare in human history, as is respect for individual rights—individual lives—and liberty.

Our prayers were answered: they’ll likely live, but they have a long road ahead of them…

I could go on, but I trust, gentle readers, you understand the thrust of the argument.  With this in mind, let us return to police reality.

If we are to rise beyond barbarism—tribalism—with all its horrors, we must accept a body of law—the Constitution—and the means with which to regulate—the legislative and judicial branches—and enforce—the executive branch—it.  When we are willing to give up generational blood feuds and open warfare, we need to establish sentinels who we loan some of our sovereign power, and so we have the police.

This is not just a theoretical/political choice, but a necessity.  Some group must have the authority to respond to emergencies and to make arrests.  The power of arrest must be accompanied by the authority of the government, granted by the consent of the governed.  Absent that authority, the police are either nothing more than another gang or pitiful targets.

Remember this: we hire and empower the police to do violence on our behalf, and to take the personal risks involved in doing violence.  We do this because we know not everyone will obey the law, and more, some people delight not only in breaking the law, but in harming innocents.  So we hire police officers and pay them–usually not very well–to run the risks we don’t want to run, to arrest, and if necessary, to use force against, even kill, those that would prey on us.

Remember this too: violence is cruel, ugly and often, bloody.  Skin is rent, bones are broken, organs pulverized.  There is no neat, clean, woke and peaceful way to arrest someone that does not want to be arrested and will use extreme violence to avoid arrest.  Police officers know they are going to take risks, but they don’t believe anyone expects them to be maimed or die just to appear to be nice and non-violent to the most cruel and violent people among us.

As I continue, remember individuals have rights, and governments and their agents have powers.  Arrest power of necessity means the power to use whatever force is reasonably necessary to make an arrest, beginning with the mere presence of uniformed, or otherwise properly identified police, to the ultimate force: deadly force.

Civilization requires that all—or at least most—understand that our legislators, judges and police officers are severely limited, because they must be elected or appointed exclusively from the human race.  Police officers particularly must not be perfect; they must be reasonable.  We understand they will sometimes make mistakes, and sometimes innocent people will be harmed or die.  And understanding that, we have law—an immense body of law—to analyze and judge their actions.

Yes, sometimes police officers get away with bad behavior (See Las Vegas and the Erik Scott archive).  Sometimes people unsuited for the job are hired and retained.  But if we are to have police forces, which serve vital functions, and by any reasonable measure do far more good than bad, we accept the nature of human beings and deal with any errors as best we can. Suggesting we can do away with the police without unbearable consequences—a slide into barbarity—is insanity, as this thread at Instapundit reveals:

*Shot:When protesters call for ‘defunding the police,’ what does it mean?

—Minnesota Public Radio, June 8th.

*Chaser: Council advances plan to dismantle Minneapolis Police Dept.

—Minnesota Public Radio, June 27th.

*Hangover:With violent crime on the rise in Mpls., City Council asks: Where are the police?

—Minnesota Public Radio, yesterday.

As James Lileks writes, with a screen-shot of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s coverage of the story yesterday, ‘This . . . is just priceless. Utter, complete, total fools. No small irony in the fact that they end up blaming the Black guy in the end, too.’

Bender is a Minneapolis Councilwoman

The thread speaks of the Leftist dominated Minneapolis City Council, which is trying to totally eliminate its police force, only to drag its black police chief—the prior chief was a lesbian part-Indian—before it and demand to know why crime is out of control.

Police officers can do their jobs only when the rest of the executive branch—prosecutors—do their jobs, and only when the politicians elected to direct them do theirs: see that the law is enforced, faithfully and equally, without favor or bias.  When police officers are told–whether explicitly, or implicitly–they may not arrest black people, when they are not allowed even to protect themselves against “mostly peaceful” rioters, they reasonably circle the wagons and turn to themselves for protection and survival.  When prosecutors are elected on platforms of not enforcing the law, when the police arrest criminals only to see the charges dismissed, or to see them immediately released to commit additional crimes, as the Oregon arsonist who after being released, was quickly rearrested for committing six more arsons, they reasonably conclude the people who hold their careers and pensions in their hands do not want them to arrest dangerous criminals, and behave accordingly.

Even under these conditions, some police officers persist in doing their jobs, until they find themselves under arrest for lawfully arresting the wrong people, or even for doing their jobs exactly as they were taught and told to do them. 

This is where we are circa September, 2020.  The police in America’s Democrat-ruled cities are in an impossible position.  They dare not arrest black people.  Even talking to a black person is dangerous to their careers, their liberty and even their lives.  They are forced to stand by and watch criminals destroy businesses, the life’s work of honest men and women.  They are forced to watch criminals commit violent felonies, and do nothing.  They don’t have to wonder if their superiors, and local politicians have their backs, they know both want to put knives in them.

The mobs that beset them, and destroy these cities, are instigated by paid professional agitators who use local useful idiots.  They well understand crowd psychology: people will do things in the anonymity of the mob they would not do otherwise, even murder.  And of course, sociopaths love mobs for the cover they provide.  Many of these “peaceful protestors” have been indoctrinated in socialism/Marxism in school–the “leadership”of BLM calls themselves “trained Marxists”–and apparently not having the burden of having to make a living, yet having all the outward benefits of those that do, want to destroy the very capitalist system that provides their largess.

These are the people who reject objective reality.  They construct their own.  They reject Judeo-Christian morality and substitute selfish, destructive nihilism.  When Joe Biden said his followers believe in truth over fact, this is what he inadvertently meant.  To them, truth is based in what they feel, not objective reality.  Their “truth” is whatever serves them at the moment.  Thus are the police actively hunting and murdering black people (objective evidence shows just the opposite).  Thus is looting merely “reparations.”  Thus is arson justified because businesses “have insurance” (most small businesses don’t, or are woefully under-insured).

Suffice it to say the media have, almost entirely, abandoned any pretense of objectivity and morality.  They have become the propaganda arm of the D/S/C Party, and what they choose to report—the narrative of the moment—serves their “truth,” and to hell with facts.  What they don’t report is often factual, but not sufficiently truthy.

Fact: the mobs, the D/S/C left don’t gave a damn about George Floyd or Rayshard Brooks or any of the other temporarily useful social justice martyrs.

Truth: social justice martyrs are merely convenient excuses for rioting, looting, arson, wanton destruction and murder.

You doubt me?  You need only read of the Lancaster, PA Police who had the misfortune to have to shoot—and kill—a Hispanic maniac who actually chased them with a huge knife. The officer was entirely legally, morally justified in defending his life, but what an opportunity for addressing non-existent police brutality by liberating consumer electronics and trendy athletic clothing!  The resulting riots, as these riots will, peacefully intensified and caused millions in damage.  None of these riots are about lofty ideals or reform.

Amazingly, a local judge set bails of a million dollars for some of the most egregious rioters.  This may have a salutary effect on the willingness of others to riot in Lancaster.  Sadly, they’ll almost certainly move to more woke, less civilized, communities.

What this incident illustrates with crystal clarity, and this is a message not at all lost on America’s police, is they may not use force in arresting minorities.  In fact, they may not arrest them, and if attacked by such people, must allow themselves to be stabbed or shot, and God help them if they try to defend themselves.  And when they are ambushed?  Fox News reports:

Protesters reportedly shouting slogans like ‘Death to the police!’ showed up to the Los Angeles area hospital treating two law enforcement officers who were ambushed and shot on Saturday.

A local faith leader who was at the hospital told a KABC reporter that the protesters tried to get into the emergency room.

‘They were saying ‘Death to the police’ and ‘Kill the police,’ and these are sheriffs, but the message is still the same. They were using all types of curse words and derogatory terms,’ he told KABC. ‘Unacceptable behavior, because a hospital should be a sanctuary.’

And would be to civilized people, but not barbarians.

Protesters could be heard shouting at one officer who appeared to point some sort of weapon at the protesters.

‘That’s why you’re dying one by one, you stupid f—s,’ a man can be heard saying. ‘Y’all gonna die one by one. This ain’t gonna stop.’

‘You’re next with the f—— hot pocket,’ a man shouted.

‘I want to deliver a message to the family of the [inaudible]: I hope they f—— die,’ a man yelled.

Why are police officers being attacked?  Because barbarians of all kinds believe they are justified in terms of their anti-morality.  Because whatever their “truth” is at the moment, their actions are entirely justified, don’t bother them with facts, and shut up you racist!  Because they believe they are supported by millions of like-minded, anti-morality and intellectually superior beings.  Because they know many like-minded politicians support them, and they believe they’ll get away with it.  They believe if by some miracle they are arrested, they’ll have all the political and financial support they need to beat the rap.  And because they think on November 4, they will seize ultimate political power, power they will never surrender, and whatever atrocities they commit now will become praiseworthy in the future.  They fully expect to rule over the rubble and somehow, magically, a utopian future will rise under their enlightened, amoral/immoral rule.

They have cast off every pretense of civilized, productive, altruistic behavior in favor of a nihilistic ethic of destruction and power for their own sake.  How are these internal terrorists different than ISIS or other international terrorists?

They reject good and embrace and exalt evil, praising it and calling it good.

It is a wonder, in Democrat-ruled cities, every police officer does not resign and move to sane parts of the country, parts Antifa and BLM dare not infiltrate, like their aborted attempt at “mostly peaceful protest” at Sturgis.  Indeed, every police officer in those benighted hell holes that can is resigning or retiring prior to being given their walking papers.

I’ve tried to touch on a few of the basic issues.  Obviously this horrific state of affairs also exists because powerful political forces think it benefits them, because they think it may be their path to permanent political domination. But for now, two brave deputies struggle to heal, and many others–among the best of us–sign their walking papers.  For now, Americans still have the option of voting D/S/C useful idiots out of office.  If they don’t, they have nothing but themselves to blame, and the people about who they claim to care so much suffer.

We will soon see if John Adams was right, for a considerable portion of our population are clearly now “any other.”

UPDATE, 09-17-20, 2030 MT:  Take this link to a Colorado case where on two separate occasions, the police responded to calls of a violent, deranged felon actively endangering property and lives, and in both cases, were told to “stand down,” because if they tried to arrest him, they might have to use deadly force.  Think about that: a convicted felon was committing multiple felonies and endangering lives, so the police had to let him do whatever he wanted, because they might have to endanger his life to arrest him.  This article is different than most because police officials are admitting what they did and why. It’s happening all around the nation.  Anyone care to guess the felon’s race?