Be Careful What You Ask For

Humanity overall has a way of pushing the envelope. If a person is told to stop at 10 minutes, they will want to go for 12, or 15.

Just look at the traffic code. The State posts a speed limit at 65 and people automatically expect to go 68, or more.

I question how many of us completely leave that child stage of pushing your dad or mom until “Don’t do it” is lost in the whimpering tears of punishment, however you define the repercussions.

Think of how many people look at the speed limit sign and think “They’re not going to stop me for going a few over,” and after a time you assume the department allows 5 mph or so grace... because no one has stopped you. It might be true, and it might be as simple as five and under are such small infractions some officers ignore the stress. Then again, the five and under crowd might be collectively lucky.

Several issues have come out of the death of George Lloyd, and no: I’m not going to shirt tale every other commentator with a similar version of why things happened the way they did. There are facts available to the public, conjecture and emotion. Mixed together results in a soup none of us should want part of.

What I’m more interested in is the next step. Because of the apparent (I say apparent because very few people have the complete story) bad judgement resulting in Lloyd’s death, there are now major cities debating significant cutback of police department funding. Some have gone so far as talking about ending police service as most of us know it.

One of the options I’ve seen considered is more social workers and therapists responding and fewer officials with weapons or skills to restrain a person. There is something to be said for the concept. I suspect many officers would quietly, or publicly admit having a responder with therapist skills would be a significant asset.

However, to balance the equation, many of these same officers would admit a situation that should be resolved with negotiations can suddenly change for the worse. What would a social worker do if he or she is facing a weapon, or becomes a hostage? Worst case scenario? Yes, and that is what most officers train for.

They anticipate the driver speeding 10 over might have more issues than impatience. They have to assume what looks simple seldom is, for their safety and the community.

It doesn’t mean law enforcement doesn’t need an adjustment of course now and then. We all do. Call it the human condition. Left to our own devices, humanity does not get better. The character “Rambo” is anything but a courtyard philosopher, but the latest installment includes a sentence of wisdom that needs to be kept. “You don’t know how dark a man’s heart can get!”

Historically, it is believed if a person will assault a police officer, he, or she, is likely to not value a civilian’s life either.

How many social workers would enter a situation knowing they are just as much a potential target as a police officer? My guess is few, unless they have an escort against the likelihood of the situation going bad.

Laws are written to the lowest denominator; not for those who value social order, but for those who willingly light the world on fire, and would do it again if given a chance. If change is coming, even to rural Nebraska, let’s be sure we do it balanced and cautiously.