I hear often from friends and family alike that I’m a cynic, sarcastic, have a bad attitude, and don’t think much of this human race I’m a part of.  Here’s a news flash people, I’m all of those things and a bag of chips.  I was raised to do the right thing whenever possible regardless of the consequences and it’s one of the main reasons I became a police officer.  But things have changed dramatically in the last twenty years.  Some good changes but many that aren’t so good.  I certainly  wouldn’t want to be a young child being raised now.  They’re all eventually turned into fearful and paranoid little people who are afraid of everyone around them except for their mother and father.  I understand that in most cases it’s a necessity considering all of the lunatics and perverts running the streets but it is a sad commentary of everyday American life and values.

We as a people have become so ‘paranoid’ of each other that courtesy and helpfulness between individuals can no longer be expected.  I find myself affected in this way in my dealings not just with adults but also with children.  I know  if I saw a child in distress I would assist immediately but in the back of my mind I would be thinking and worrying, “ Is someone going to sue me or falsely accuse me of wrongdoing” just “to be on the safe side”.  I’m afraid that a majority of men in this country are “paranoid” to the extreme in matters like this.  I don’t doubt there have been occasions where young children appeared disoriented or lost and people continued on about their business because of these fears.  How many times has it been reported that people have stood by and watched as others are raped, stabbed, and murdered without even taking any action as simple as a 911 call.

Years ago when I was in the police academy we were educated about a law called the ‘Good Samaritan Act’.  It supposedly protected law enforcement and fire/rescue personnel from lawsuits resulting from their assisting injured individuals.  They stressed during this training all of the required certifications you should have just to ‘cover your ass’.  CPR and basic emergency medical training come to mind immediately.  That’s great for service personnel but I’ll bet any amount of money that the law is so  full of loop holes that it wouldn’t be possible to use it to protect an average citizen in those same circumstances. The current thinking seems to be, it’s safer to do nothing and not get involved.

So here’s where we are now.  Women and children should run and hide from all men.  Men should run and hide if approached by any female, old or young, any child, or any suspicious looking person.  No eye contact with anyone at any time because they may rape, rob, abuse, or manhandle you.  If you see a crime, keep walking and maybe call from home later or maybe not. 

This  kind of behavior  is destructive to our society on many levels but I do understand the underlying reasons for it.  As the country continues to permit individuals to rationalize any and all bad behavior up to and including murder, the situation will never improve.  All of the psycho-babble in the world cannot justify or excuse hard core criminal behavior.  Where there’s a carrot there must be a stick.  Lack of societal deterrence for crimes is to blame.  If a crime occurs there must be swift punishment to send the proper message to others and maybe convince the new generations that this isn’t a land full of adult predators who are out to get them.

Excuse me for a minute, I need to check my alarm system, my door locks, my deadbolts, and it’s also time to feed the alligators in the moat.  That should keep me safe for another night.