Friendly Cops Are Still Cops

Marion Police Chief David Gilbert is a friendly guy. He has a big smile and a great sense of humor ( I can tell because he laughs at my jokes). He is a self-proclaimed fiscal conservative and admirer of the Founding Fathers. He is the type of guy I would enjoy discussing the principles of liberty with over a beer and perhaps someday I'll get that chance. But as friendly as the chief is, and as good of a person as he may be, I still think it is important to remember that, as my uncle said, the policeman qua policeman is not your friend.

The policeman's job is often described as law enforcement and I think this is an appropriate term. They enforce the government's laws whether they be good or bad. And it seems like there are a lot more bad laws than good ones. Now, I can see that officers are put into a bit of a bind. On the one hand, they swear an oath to defend the Constitution. But on the other hand, they are hired to enforce every unconstitutional law that makes it onto the books. Luckily for them, no politician takes the Constitution seriously. So, it's a pretty simple choice. Uphold whatever law they tell you to uphold.

When a government comes up with a law that requires the police to confiscate certain kinds of private property because the government deems that people shouldn't possess it, the policeman complies. They complied when FDR made it illegal to own gold. They complied when it was made illegal to own marijuana. They have complied in many places where it was made illegal to be armed. The Constitution requires that the government follow due process and convict you of criminal activity before they seize your property. But if the government classifies the very possession of your property as illegal, then they will seize it outright.

Some people can see that most everything the government does is either stupid, wasteful, or downright evil. But those same people are quick to defend the local policeman as a brave first responder and protector of the citizenry. In many cases, this is certainly an accurate description. But I would ask those people to keep in mind the fact that government edicts, no matter how stupid, wasteful, or evil, would be completely harmless without the police there to inflict the government's will on the people. It's been noted that the police are to the government as the edge is to the knife.

And who out there feels relieved to see a policeman in their rearview mirror? Do you think, "Oh, good! A public servant has arrived to help make my trip more pleasant"? Or do you, like me, feel your heart sink into your stomach the second those lights come on? Perhaps you, a supposedly free individual, didn't put your seatbelt on. Maybe you didn't provide a booster seat for your 3rd grader. Maybe your vehicle exceeded the arbitrary speed posted along the highway. If so, beware. The policeman lies in wait like a roadside bandit seeking to plunder you on behalf of the government.

Since the government insists on virtually monopolizing the field of police work, we must encourage their defense of life and property even as we discourage their improper use of violence to enforce unconstitutional and harmful laws that basically amount to a transfer of wealth from the citizens to the State. I feel like I should note that as far as police chiefs go, Marion could do a lot worse than the gregarious Gilbert. Coming from a radical libertarian such as myself, this should be viewed as the ultimate compliment for a government enforcer.