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Thursday, May 15, 2014

Do No Harm... Even against Police.

I have been seeing stories lately dealing with persons or groups of people targeting police officers for physical altercations. I am against this as a trend and I wanted to take a moment to explain why. No I do not have a soft spot for the police. No I do not secretly work for a Law Enforcment agency. It is on principle of the axiom of Do No Harm. In essence the Non-Aggression Principle in action. If it is not in self defense or the defense of another it is violence, unjust, uncalled for and equally wrong in comparison to the actions in which police officers often use.

For those stories I have seen or heard lately some have been in response to prior events not dealing with the person or group that is making the attack on the officer(s).
One such case is a story of a woman who was tased by an officer while handcuffed. Other officers looked on and allowed this person to be tased repeatedly by a fellow officer. Weeks after the story was made public a small group of men took it upon themselves to find and physically harm the officer, causing minor injuries. This is against all logical retorts to self preservation or self-defense. This group went out of their way, after the primary event had subsided, to find this officer. To track him down, follow and stalk him until they could attack. This is a lowdown and dirty tactic by thugs and one usually associated with the police themselves. It is not an act that should be taken by those who wish to turn a course on the treatment of individuals by police officers.

The use of force on a person not in the preservation or defense of oneself or another in proximity is unexcusably unjustified and shameful. It leads to no other response from law enforcement officers but to retaliate on another helpless victim, continuing a cycle of violence and breeding a war of sorts between the public and the police.

It has been broadcast on social media sites, websites, personal blogs and Youtube videos, those that endorse this type of behavior, those that willingly admit to beliving this to be a admirable result and glorifying the culprits of the attacks. Some will say that even not in the protection of life or limb while in the presence of an officer one should have the right tot use this force based on the prior experiences and history of police brutality. Wholeheartedly I disagree, this is an unprovoked violation of a principled stance to not cause physical harm to others.

In a world gone mad we have police beating people and people beating police, continuing a cycle that will lead to a head and can usher in a higher police state presence and the ultimate loss of freedoms for even those not involved. Fight the State, not through their Modis Operandi, but through peaceful means. Spread ideas, not violence. Live as an example to a better world, live as an example what what it means to value liberty even in the darkest holes of state control and operation. This is not a plea for passification, it is not a plea to not defend yourself or other from abuse by state thugs. It is the spreading of the idea that even force can be met with non-violence and still win. If your only recourse is to cause violence than your ideas are narrow and your mind is closed.

Live by a standard. Live for something.

Do No Harm
Live the Non-Agression Principle

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