I was relieved to notice a sign outside Greg’s Meat Market encouraging us to “Support Your Local Police.” It was indeed nicely planted and well watched.
I’ll admit — at first I didn’t get it at all. “Support Your Local Police?” I imagined an implicit threat in that simple admonition. I imagined the sign ending with the words “or ELSE!!!” I could see “Support Your Local Police” as if in a cartoonist’s bubble, quoted from the left, and in response another bubble, this one quoted from the right, asking somewhat incredulously, “Or what? You heavily-militarized somehow-insecure big men will incarcerate even MORE African-Americans?!!”
And yes! I even went so far as to park my automobile. Then I stalked over to the sign and I ripped it out of the ground, because I sensed (oh so wrongly) that it was giving my wonderful town a fascist vibe. Fortunately, a passing motorist slowed, and to my eternal gratitude the driver was eagle-eyed enough to stare me down, until I put the sign back.
Thanks! I want to say, and: “Phew!” I don’t think anybody should take down signs that counsel us to support our local police. Nor should signs like that be run over by heavy machinery, as if by accident. It’s important probably kinda to be reminded that, even when you’ve got the power to pull anyone over and you’re wearing a gun and everybody is terrified of you, still you are susceptible to human nature and capable at any moment of a catastrophic mistake or error in judgment.
Just do what the sign says.
Support Your Local Police. Everybody makes mistakes.
Tom Adelman
Weybridge