Infidel Cowboy is going to be presenting guest articles from time to time. This article brought to you by frequent commenter x-raydude in reaction to the events in this story. Fair warning, whereas I consider myself more of a small "l" libertarian on social policy and classic liberal on foriegn policy, x-raydude brings a more conservative, pro-Republican viewpoint to the table.

Why would anyone in their right mind want to be a police officer? Today the media screams that the police "murdered" a poor woman in Boston. The attitude seems to be that a few burnt cars, looted shops, vandalized property is all "ok". It may be "ok" if it isn't your property, but if I had put my hard earned money into a business, or car, I want the police to do their job and protect it. "Protect and Serve" is their motto, right? I'm sorry the poor woman died but if I was in a mob and the police showed up and told us to disperse, I'd be hightailing it. My perception is this: for her to be hit in the manner she was, she had to have been in the front row of the mob, and that is typically where the people who taunt the police are. I'm sure the crowd had been warned many times to disperse and then the police took the next logical step, by using a typically non lethal action. The crowd's action precipitated the response. The police were doing their job.

What happened to the days of "stop or I'll shoot"? Some nut gets behind the wheel, and tries to out run the police. He slams into a mini van and kills a family. Who's at fault? The police of course. The case goes to court, the family is awarded $15 million dollars, and the police and/or city has to pay. Why not sue the nut? He doesn't have any money, and no lawyer is going to take a case where there's no big pay out. Government has deep pockets, they are much better to hit. How about this; some nut steals a car, starts a chase and a marksman is placed ahead in the road, and he uses lethal force to end the chase, and the only loss of life is that of the perpetrator. I'd say after a few of those, the practice of running from the police would stop. The perpetrator's action places the public in as much danger as if they walked into a crowd and started indiscriminately firing a gun. The threat should be handled as such.

Best of luck to the Boston police. You are screwed, you are going to pay through the nose for that woman's death. If you let them burn down the city, you will be demonized because you didn't do enough. Every time you arrest some drunk jerk, they will scream police brutality and the media will be there to tell their story. Finally, when your officers get hurt in the line of duty, no one will rise to your defense, and tell the populace to show due respect to your ranks. I personally think that society takes some sick pleasure in seeing police get hurt. Why would anyone want to be a police officer?