Black and White Equals Gray

Police officers experience tattle-telling as part of their profession. They pull you over and literally tattle on you TO you about what you did wrong. As if that wasn’t enough, the bulk of them have gone to lengths to turn the whole ordeal into a little pop quiz, “Do you know why I pulled you over?” It feels like some kind of trap, doesn’t it? Even in elementary school, the teacher never caught you doing your work at your desk and then stopped you, took you aside and asked, “Do you know why we’re out in the hall?”

What they’re aiming for is to prick at your conscience. They want you to cower and confess of your transgression. A position of authority will do that to a person; it creates a sense that what they’re doing is actually important, so they use that righteous indignation as fuel for their wrists to write a note to give to their superiors, telling on you. The biggest difference, obviously, is that you actually have to answer to their superiors in some way and take their note with you, like a child. After all, what is authority but a grown-up version of the children that always wanted to control everything their group did?

Don’t think I refuse to acknowledge my wrong-doings, and this is some attempt to overcompensate. I’ve done things wrong. I’ve knowingly done things against the law, and have rightfully been punished for those things. Everyone has, especially on the road. However, like the children previously described, the essence of a lot, not all, of public servants is not to serve or keep the peace, but some misguided excuse to ignore the laws they supposedly enforce. For example: it’s illegal for a citizen to drive distracted, yet there are multitudes of cops on the road rarely looking at anything but their passenger-side laptop. Also, parking your vehicle while it’s facing oncoming traffic is illegal, and parking in a “no-parking” zone is illegal. Even parking in an everloving handicap spot is illegal. I defy you, though, to tell me that you’ve never seen a police officer commit these very violations. One might argue that it’s necessary to park in those spots because they’re closer to the building, and the officer needs to get inside in a hurry. Fair enough. However, the officers that commit these violations are in no hurry, as evidenced by their lights not flashing and their being the lone officer in the area; true urgency would require more than one, wouldn't it?

Perhaps these are all isolated incidences. Maybe I’m just complaining. Truly, thank goodness for the police force, though. They do put themselves on the line for the sake of the law. This post isn't geared toward the bulk of law enforcement. Instead, I’m referring to the few that ignore the variables of human existence. There are some police officers that think of themselves as saviors of the right-and-wrong dichotomy, always upholding the right to any extent. So, it’s safe to say that if you have been cited for a violation, you probably did something illegal. At least, according to the one who’s pointing their finger.