The State of Our Police State

NMB, Florida December 11, 2001 A.H. Schectman

THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on Issues, Ideas and Reflections on the Times. Published Now and
Then. Opinions Pro or Con Are Welcome.

THE STATE OF OUR POLICE STATE

This has nothing to do with September 11, 2001 (three months ago today) and
has nothing to do with the proclivities of our chief police officer,
Attorney General Ashcroft. It does have to do with memories of police long
ago.

This is occasioned by the terrible traffic conditions we have here in South
Florida. I know you have stories of your own and I suspect you find the
same conditions I am about to describe and deplore.

Every day without fail there are accidents on the main thoroughfares of
this heavily congested part of the state. Even though there are no vehicle
inspections I have rarely seen breakdowns. Mostly there are fender benders
and overloaded eighteen wheelers keeling over when making turns. The
fatalities that occur when cars drive off roads and into the many canals and
other waterways are notorious. But these are not what I want to point to.

You can hear the sirens and see the flashing lights and, of course,
everyone on wheels slows down to "rubber neck". This aching to see results
in terribly slow inching past the scene by the hoards of cars behind who
want to get up there and see what is slowing them down. Often there are
several police cars on the scene but I never noticed any of the police
officers paying any attention to the delays of hundreds of people in the
inching along cars of which they are perfectly capable to move along.

My memories tell me true that there were police officers on the scene in
the past who got out and moved that traffic on with vigorous arm motions and
ribald language. They took charge of ALL THE TRAFFIC not just the accident
victims. Cars and their occupants move when there is an angry policeman who
points an imperious finger at them and waves them on. Woe to those who stop
and ask: "What happened officer?"

I seriously mean to suggest that the hundreds of delayed motorists are
equally as important as the victims in the smashed cars.
Carol's Evaluation: 10 out of 10.