Where’s The Outrage?

It appears that the country has a new policy and practice on how to treat the mentally ill. We’ll just shoot them. As ridicules as it sounds, that is what Miriam Carey faced when her mental issues were left under treated and resulted in an episode that cost her life at the hands of supposedly well trained federal authorities. As usual, all the training and experience in the world is no guarantee of sound judgment and to make matters worse , officials have not been forthcoming with basic information such as why agents opened fire on Carey after she was stopped by a security booth. Aren’t these so called professionals require to identify a threat before opening up with deadly force? Did anyone see this recently unemployed dental assistant with some kind of weapon? What is the real danger of being flossed?

All kidding aside, we are constantly told how dangerous the job of law enforcement is and in an age where all sorts of military grade weapons are available to the general public, it is an understandable concern; but certainly not a good reason or excuse to use deadly force without cause. Surprisingly, as the video’s show, officers got close to her car, yet none of them saw the one year old in the vehicle. One would think that if the officers were using proper police procedure they would have had a much better assessment of the situation before resorting to gun fire and by the way, shooting at a fleeing vehicle in the middle of Washington? Really?!?! Talk about putting a lot of people at unnecessary risk for what Terrance Gainer, the US Senate sergeant of arms calls a “threat to the government”. I do believe pulled that one deep from between his hip pockets.

If we are to buy the argument that guns are too easily available to the average citizen, we need to seriously address the conduct, training, and actions of our enforcement agencies. These people are paid to put their lives on the line, to take risks, and to use sound, verifiable judgment BEFORE they result to deadly force. Are you telling me that none of these agents had Mace? Pepper Spray? Tassers? A beanbag gun? All this crap that is bought with tax dollars and nobody tried to use it at the final moments to subdue this poor deranged woman? Oh yes, and lets not forget that Brian Leary of our Secret Service decided not to provide a copy of the agency’s use-of-force or chase policies. Really??? And why not? There is certainly nothing compromising about that.

This should certainly be a call to arms of every citizen to demand better mental health care and that a government that keeps claiming to be transparent to actually be transparent. There is absolutely no doubt that Ms. Carey put herself and her daughter in harms way, broke many laws, and deserved to be dealt with in an appropriate manner, but summary execution by a bunch of well armed federal agents that failed this country by not practicing reasonable restraint and operating in a professional manner is inexcusable.

Personally, after listening to the President using the bully pulpit to push his own personal gun control agenda; I think the man owe’s Ms. Carey’s family, her daughter, and the citizens of this country an apology, an explanation, and a very serious review of policing policies throughout the US. The assumption that law enforcement in this country is here to help us is a thing of the past. The Supreme Court allows prosecutors to act without fear of legal reprisal for their misdeeds. Tell me, if power corrupts and absolute power absolutely corrupts …. Just how much longer do we have?