I am very concerned about the editorial "Effective Recruiting" in the March 21 Daily Tar Heel. I have always hoped, and even prayed, for the day when police are no longer needed in society, a time when every citizen may breathe easy knowing they have nothing to fear.
But apparently others do not share my hope for such a society. "Becoming a police officer is not simply a job -- it is a calling." Are you serious? What life goal is being fulfilled in the daily routine of butting in on others' faults, carrying a weapon that has the power to kill or judging others when the Bible forbids it? I guess any self-righteous, power-hungry, authoritarian person would see things differently.
"... not enough new recruits to fill in the gaps, thus diminishing the ... effectiveness of the police department." I have always been told that one person has the power to change the world. Should we sleep better knowing that there is a highly trained, highly connected, highly armed group of individuals who are given the power to do whatever they want? Citing "the omnipresent possibility of danger" as a reason for the declining police force seems like nonsense. In today's society, it seems more and more individuals are opting to do more dangerous activities to make up for their boring lives.
I think the portrayal of police brutality, corruption, bribery and lawlessness within departments is changing public sentiment and disgusting many in a way that makes it hard for kids to say, "I want to be a cop when I grow up!"
Finally, the tactics employed by the Greensboro Police Department are eerily similar to recruiting tactics used by the armed services. And what do both of these collectives have in common? The use of weapons to maintain the status quo.
Damn, freedom doesn't seem so free after all. Oh, I forgot. This is The Daily Tar Heel: newspaper of the elite few who go on in hopes of continuing the status quo, in an attempt to make themselves rich!
I guess if you have that much wealth, someone has to protect it for you.
Joel Lindau
