The Revenge of the Thin Blue Line 22: School's Resource Officers are out for Summer

Anti-Copaganda

"You have no idea what it's like to be a coward." (Duet- DS9 1993) 

Cowardice is a very strong charge.  But, I don't know what to make of the Officers inability or lack of understanding at what was going to happen at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.  But, reading this report from parents and on-lookers screaming at the assembling Officers to, "Go in There! Go in There!" leaves a lump in my stomach and makes me want to just walk in and quit tomorrow.

The School Resource Officer (SRO) Program has been a monumental failure.  I'm not just talking about the failure of the Officers involved in the latest mass murder school shooting but, the execution and whole scope of the program itself.

First and foremost, FUCK YOU TED CRUZ schools shouldn't have to be hardened into Super Max Prisons in order for We, the People to have any piece of mind yet as you listen to every proposal by conservatives they refuse to address the reason for school shootings (i.e. the proliferation of easily obtainable firearms and the Republican refusal to enforce any restrictions on the sale or purchase of firearms).  Disgusting fat slimy fuck Ted Cruz went on and on and on about fucking doors as the culprit in the Mass Shooting.  As if rightwingers didn't demonstrate on January 6th that Rightwing Terrorists can easily go through windows too.

The Republican playbook after these shootings remains the same; set up an alternate cause, it used to be mental health or video games, today's excuse is "doors".  Then obfuscate and deflect and run out the clock.  In a week or two, the public will be distracted by the price of gas or baby formula and Republicans can cash their latest check from the Russian Intelligence Services funneled to them through the NRA.

Republicans not only refuse to adopt common sense already proven gun laws to reduce gun violence in America they also refuse to enforce the laws already in existence.  It's part and parcel of the Republican two-step with guns wherein they get to claim gun laws don't work (Look at Chicago, they always scream) while also purposely undermining the those gun laws so they can claim they don't work.

I've read the two Officers exchanged gunfire and then lost contact with Ramos eventually, a Border Patrol Ofc went inside and shot the killer.  Contradicting earlier reporting Ramos wasn't wearing body armor, wasn't confronted and responding officers apparently cowered and dithered outside for 40 minutes as Ramos executed 21 people. Unlike, rightwing fantasies of gunplay when real bullets fly prudence does demand you seek cover but, you can not allow this as a responding Officer you've got to go in IMMEDIATELY.  Now, I'm not as base and vile as Ted Cruz or the other elected Republicans, I understand that going up against Ramos is almost certain death, AR-15 vs. handgun, but why don't rank and file Police understand what their predecessors knew?  I.e. More Guns = More Gun Violence Q.E.D.  

Republican gun policies have ensured Officers are going to be outgunned initially and letting the Firearm Industry flood the Nation with high-powered, easily obtainable weapons is not freedom.  It is not liberty.  It is not Lawful.  It is a Murder-Suicide Pact.  Police Departments, by their very nature tend to be conservative, but, why have Officers by and large moved into the Reactionary framework of the MAGA mindset?

For one, Use of Force training for Police has completely warped their minds.  Villainous psycho Dave Grossman has taught a whole slew of Officers to be trigger happy and expect an ambush at a moment's notice leading to too many Officers acting as though their daily routine patrol is a convoy in fucking Fallujah.  This heightened danger mode and constant fight or flight response is a stress that the human body can not tolerate. 

SROs are nothing more than a way to introduce state violence onto juveniles, especially and overwhelmingly on minorities, at an early age.  Additionally, as rightwing anti-tax bullshit continues to put a squeeze onto communities, Departments and municipalities have increasingly turned to School Officers to extract money from families and overwhelmingly Police target minorities.  Often because white parents always, always, always put a stink if their child is to be ticketed.

Juveniles shouldn't be subjected or treated to police enforcement in this manner.  Fortunately, last July my Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois legislature outlawed lying to juvenile suspects during interviews and interrogations especially the classic tactic of claiming you have evidence when you do not.  A time worn tactic to elicit a confession.  This was illustrated in The Wire when Bunk and the Detective Lieutenant fool the black juvenile suspect with a copy machine pretending it's a lie detector and the Cops wondering "How many years you figure we been doin' this same shit?" Another replies, "20 at least".  

Of course, perhaps even worse than the use of Police against Juveniles the image that made the rounds on Twitter was of all the schools in which a School Resource Officer failed to stop the shooter.  I don't know if it's wholly accurate but, it does reflect reality of unrestricted gun violence in America.  Police Officers are seen routinely killing unarmed black people on video and seemingly never stopping mass shooters. 

"But you’re not black,” the Cobb County Lt. Greg Abbott interrupted. “Remember, we only kill black people. Yeah, we only kill black people, right? All the videos you’ve seen, have you seen any white people get killed?”