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Opinion: Support our police, even as we attempt to reform policing

Let me be clear: I am 100 percent against defunding the police. The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. We live in a world that is marred by evil, true evil. There are people out there who, for whatever reason, will stop at nothing to mutilate human beings. People are ultimately responsible for their own actions, to choose good or to choose evil. In the case people choose evil, there must be guardians who are willing, with ferocity and fury, to stop evildoers dead in their tracks. 

When we talk about the role of police in society, it is vital to recognize the need for police in society. There needs to be a professional police force that acts with the authority of the government to administer justice. There are still crimes that take place in society, and we need the police to respond to those crimes — police officers play a vital role in protecting us and keeping us safe. 

That is why radical leftist cries to “defund the police” are not only wrong but dangerous. Groups like Black Lives Matter and Antifa want to see the police totally disbanded; ironic how groups instigating riots and looting want to see the dissolution of armed police forces. There is a radical agenda being pushed by socialists to end funding to police departments, and thereby close them down. This is particularly dangerous in Minneapolis, where the city council intends to dismantle the city’s police force entirely and replace the police with “community services.” This is part of the broken idea that people are not responsible for their actions but rather only do bad things because of bad situations. I can tell you right now this is a ridiculous idea. 

What a lot of leftists fail to acknowledge is that people make bad choices, and choose to commit crimes, including violent crimes. When violent crimes are committed, we need police officers who are authorized to use force to stop criminals from harming others. It’s a fine idea to try to send in social workers to address certain problems, such as dealing with drug addiction or mental health issues. But in the case of the robber, the rapist, the murderer, and the terrorist, a cozy conversation will not protect the innocent. One undeniable fact remains: A thin blue line of courageous officers is needed to protect the innocent from the worst criminals out there.

I oppose any and all attempts to “defund” the police. I will always back our good officers and defend the police forces around the state. Even as we look at ways to reform policing to protect the due process rights of citizens, I will continue to back the blue.