Problems with violence are complex but the bulk of the blame falls on Washington for it's lack of action dealing with the illegal drug epidemic.

This past week, sadly there was another policeman killed in Chicago which brings this years total up to five, the most in twenty five years. One Chicago policeman was quoted as saying "There is a lack of respect for the police, a lack of fear of the police that's getting worse". It is my opinion that this so called lack of respect or 'lack of fear' is just one symptom of the real problems facing not only the police by society as a whole.

I realize that times change and I don't want to reference the good old days but there are some comparisons that should be made and possibly reviewed by the so called experts on law enforcement. As a young man I actually respected police officers and on the whole cooperated with them if I had to interact with them for some reason or another, I had no fear of them and like most people, with the exception of criminals, cooperated and had no problems, I understood that they had a job to do and believed they were working on behalf of the public. If I got into some minor scrape it was usually worked out and I like others got on with my life no worse for the wear, the legal system was not nearly as punitive as it has become today which is one of main factors affecting attitudes towards the the authorities, which includes police. Enough for history and as I stated times change.

Law enforcement will probably not admit to this but anyone capable of simple deduction can figure this one out. Police have drifted more in the direction of a paramilitary force and use intimidation more today than ever in the past. Granted, in large metropolitan areas it has become difficult to carry out the old motto of 'To serve and protect' because of gang problems brought about by the lack of attention paid by our governments' from the local through national levels, with the bulk of the blame falling on the Federal Government for their lack of support both in manpower and funding for the fight against illegal drug trafficking and illegal immigration. Had the Fed's put the manpower and funding behind the various agencies tasked with fighting both illegal drugs and illegal immigration twenty five years ago along with demanding that the laws on the books be enforced as written, our problems would be virtually nonexistent today.

Instead of declaring all out war on the cartels and protecting the borders our government and the criminal justice system in particular took a soft handed approach to what our fat cat insulated out of touch legislators thought would never reach the proportions it has today. Well here it is, and it's an ugly giant gorilla of a problem that is going to have to be addressed or it will only get worse. The drug trade has fueled the exponential growth of street gangs over the last twenty five years to the point where Chicago claims 100,000 gang members and even quiet Denver claims 9000 gang members to contend with, illegal immigration has helped to put out economy in the sewer contrary to the rantings of liberal politicians and media types, and herein is where the problems lie.

The gangs surely won't help the police and the people who live in gang infested areas won't either out of fear of the gangs and also because of the treatment they receive from the police who treat anyone living in gang areas like criminals whether they are or not. Since most police departments seem to be attempting to convert to paramilitary organizations it appears the basic psychology used on the general public is one of intimidation which they are finding out in most areas doesn't garner much cooperation from the average John Doe, Diego Vega or Muhammad al Muhammad, which in turn makes it harder do their jobs. I am not advocating cooperating with the police as my experience over the last few years has taught me that the best way to deal with the police is limit communication to zero, whether innocent or guilty, without an attorney present.

Sadly this situation will more than likely continue until such time as the Federal Government decides they've had enough grief from the voters, been paid off enough by the cartels, have enough of their children lost to the drug problem or we are completely broke from trying to support illegals who have no business being here to begin with.

"Excess generally causes reaction, and produces a change in the opposite direction, whether it be in the seasons, or in individuals, or in governments".
Plato
429 - 347BC

Thanks for reading

Please check out my other blog http://www.baronsperspective.blogspot.com/