I seriously didn’t intend for this blog to be an anti-police haven.  However, I do see the police as playing a role in the bigger problem of over-regulation in my life.  The police have a job to do, but their job is getting more and more overbearing as new laws are passed.  This and other things have served to make some of the police bitter, obnoxious, and condescending.

You will find me making the argument that “one bad apple ruins the bunch.”  That’s really how I feel.  Some people leave feedback that I should abandon this view because all police are bad because even the “good ones” turn a blind eye to the actions of the bad ones.  Then, other people tell me that I shouldn’t let a few bad apples ruin the bunch because the police really are, by and large, decent, good folks who have society’s best interest in mind.  For now, I will maintain the middle of the road view that the bad ones are serving to ruin the reputation of the good ones.

One of the roles of this blog is to bring awareness of the problem to regular citizens.  I used to be in the boat that considered all police heroes.  I come from a very patriotic background and, somehow, supporting the police is seen as patriotic.  So, I believe that people need to be aware of the increasing police presence in their lives so they can stand up for themselves when new laws are enacted that restrict their liberties.

One of the terrible things that I think is happening in modern day America (U.S.A.) is the more frequent exposure to the idea of the police state at an early age.  This is reflected in having armed officers patrol the schools and giving kids criminal citations for school-related behavior.

You can search through the archives of this blog to find all kinds of articles regarding my view of the police.  I think I’ve made a good case in the past and I’m not going to rehash it all right now.  I think that the problem I have with the police can actually be summed up better by the Twin Rivers Police Association.  They recently stopped selling a shirt that depicts a young child behind bars with the phrase “You Raise ‘Em, We Cage ‘Em.”  Wow.  This police association evidently sees their main job as “caging” our children.

The insidious nature of this shirt disgusts me.  First of all, there are so many laws on the books now that the argument to “just follow the law and you won’t get in trouble” is impossible. The United States has more prisoners than any other country, and it’s not because our citizens are more devious, it’s because we have more laws on the books that are criminal offenses. Once we pair the fact that there are too many laws with the fact that the police have an “out to get you” attitude, we’re doomed.

If you wonder why I have taken the stance against the police that I have, look no further.  It’s increasingly becoming an us vs. them situation, and the police are the ones perpetuating it.

I know people get tired of hearing about prisoner’s rights.  But, you’ll be glad that someone sticks up for prisoner’s rights when you’re the one in prison for any one of numerous benign offenses that now carry jail/prison time.  I just posted recently about a man in jail for overdue library books, and there are a few other examples in my book.  (I know that county jail isn’t the same as prison, but the concept is the same here — that people being incarcerated at an alarming rate).

Today, I read that people who want to visit inmates in prison in Arizona have to pay a one-time $25 fee.  To some people, this isn’t a big deal. But, to others, that’s a lot of money, especially if they traveled a long distance to get to the prison in the first place.  If this fee is a disincentive for even one person to go visit, then it is a bad policy.  David C. Fathi, director of the National Prison Project of the American Civil Liberties Union explains:

We know that one of the best things you can do if you want people to go straight and lead a law-abiding life when they get out of prison is to continue family contact while they’re in prison.

If you are reading this and struggling to think it’s a big deal, remember to be compassionate.  As a Christian, I am reminded of the words of the Bible in several passages:

Hebrews 13:3
Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.

Matthew 25:35-46
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ …

And I think about all of God’s servants who have spent time in prison:  Daniel, Joseph, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, Paul, Silas, Peter, etc.  So, while it may be easy to look at this situation from the outside and have the “oh well, they shouldn’t have committed a crime” attitude, we need to be careful.  It could be someone you love next…or yourself.  And the person who visits the prisoner might be the one who makes a difference in the prisoner’s life to make a positive change.  We should not do anything to discourage prison visitation.