This is a story that tells not only about the difficulty that home-schoolers have with law enforcement but also it gives a little bit of insight into the tyrannical and egotistical nature of too many of those who wear a uniform and a badge. I post this true account in order to shine the disinfectant of light on the corrupt nature of too many cops. I haven’t posted it before here because my Son was a little traumatized by what I am going to recount. He is now at an age where he is way past all of that. I, however, remain royally steamed about all of this.
This happened approximately five years ago during the winter months. Anthony had been given the job of keeping the Church sidewalks clear so that government school students could use them going to and fro to their educational internment camps. Since we had received a good amount of snow in the morning Anthony was out snow-blowing the sidewalks about an hour before the inmates were released from school. While Anthony was doing this I was a stone’s throw away in the Church in my study.
While Anthony was snow-blowing a squad car pulled up and the Cop belligerently demanded to know why Anthony was not in school. It seems that the officer was convinced that Anthony was a truant. One would have thought that the officer might have thought it strange that someone would have spent his time skipping school in order to clear sidewalks. Be that as it may, the Cop, copped an attitude from the word “go” w/ Anthony presuming his guilt. When prodded on the question of “why he wasn’t in school,” Anthony finally responded to the question w/ a question of his own. He, politely but directly, asked the rude guy in the squad car, “if it was any of his business as to whether or not he (Anthony) was in school.”
That response flipped the Cop out. He immediately got out of his car and roughly pushed Anthony against the squad car in order to “pat him down.” After patting my Son down he threw Anthony in the back of the squad car. Now, keep in mind, that this was Anthony’s first encounter w/ the police. This was a 15 year old kid who had no idea what was going on or what was being done to him.
Once the officer returned to the vehicle Anthony repeatedly pleaded w/ the Cop to drive the 30 yards to the Church in order that the officer might talk to his father who was in his study. The Cop refused all these appeals, opting instead to make half a dozen radio calls to see whether or not anything could be done to force Anthony into the government schools. He called the Cop at the local High School (which is right across the street from where Anthony was blowing snow) to come and identify Anthony as a student. When the High School Cop couldn’t confirm Anthony as a truant the Cop called the Intermediate Eaton County School District to see if anything could be done to force my Son into their concentration camps they call schools. He also called the local Cop Shop to see if anything could be done to that end. He did everything he could to try and force a situation where Anthony would be compelled to be enrolled at government school and all this only because Anthony had the temerity to ask him if the Cops interest in Anthony’s school attendance was any of his business.
All of this took about 45 minutes to accomplish. 45 minutes of sitting in the back of a squad car, a stone’s throw from the safety of his Father. 45 minutes of having no earthly idea where any of this was going.
Finally, once the Cop realized there was no way to force Anthony into the government schools and that there was nothing he could do with him, the Cop finally decided to listen to Anthony and drive into the Church parking lot to see if I was indeed in my study.
I was.
The Cop came to the door and knocked on it. I keep the Church door routinely locked because I am the only one in the Church and my study is secluded enough from the rest of the Church that people could go in and out without my knowing. Upon hearing the Cops rapping I went out and inquired through the door what the problem was. The officer demanded being let in but as I was alone and as he was 6’5” and about 350 pounds and was wearing a gun I would not let him in until he told me what the problem was. I don ‘t trust Cops and I am not in the habit of letting large armed men into buildings I am alone in unless I know them or unless I have a weapon of my own.
Finally, he informed me that he had my Son. Immediately I burst out the door fearful that Anthony had been hurt in some fashion. I demanded to know what was going on. When the Cop finally told me his considerably revisionist version I was, to put it mildly, outraged, and let him know that in no uncertain terms.
He made some kind of comment about “seeing where he (Anthony) got ‘it’ from.”
The frustrating end to this story is that we complained to the police and never received an apology for the behavior for this all too common behavior. Further, HSLDA, who we paid insurance premiums to for years for just such an eventuality, refused to send any kind of letter asking for redress of the situation. They insisted that it “really wasn’t a school related event.”
One can tell that five years later I’m still roiled about this whole event. My Son was minding his own business and instead of presuming the best the bully Cop presumed the worst and felt like he was threatened by a kid asking him, after he had already been belligerent himself, if he had any authority in the issue that was being demanded.
Their attitude comes from the fact that they are now called “Law EnFORCEment”. They are no longer peace officers. If you don’t already know William Norman Grigg, over at:
http://freedominourtime.blogspot.com/
is constantly blogging about our “protectors”. They’re even moving out here, WY from the Midwest, East, and West Coast and fouling our police departments. We need to fire them all and just keep the Sheriff, some deputies and have men step up to the plate again to fill in the gaps. Police are glorified meter maids and tax collectors with a decidedly nasty disposition, they are like guard dogs, not trustworthy, expensive to feed, and hard to get rid of. What where we thinking when we allowed them to become our masters as well?
Wayne B
Thanks Wayne,
I love Will Grigg!
“He, politely but directly, asked the rude guy in the squad car, “if it was any of his business as to whether or not he (Anthony) was in school.”
The entire situation might’ve been avoided if the son had responded with a rhetorically wiser choice.
That is true Joshua. And Anthony and I covered that.
Having admitted that though … the Cops militant opening salvo was completely out of order and his response to a kid minding his own business was likewise maniacal. Anthony was unwise to answer like that but that does not excuse one iota of the Cops behavior before or after the answer.
Thank you for your observation.
Bret,
For some reason I read this as a general story and not your own! In my experience most cops are very edgy on an initial encounter. Just today I walk out of a classroom and two cops are standing in the hallway. I say “hi,” then one of them says “How are you?” in a tone that really means “You might be and probably are that maniacal suspect I’m looking for.” Usually in such a case you’re dealing with an egotistic alpha male in a position of power who’s daily deals with the devilish and the insane.
On another occasion a cop pulled me over at night on a curvy road and was belligent, claiming that I was trying to speed away from him. This guy was practically yelling. He eased up when I told him that I was just trying to find a spot to pull over and was merely driving home from church.
I used to trust cops, back in the ’80s, but with the sharp moral decline I don’t trust anybody initially. Can’t afford to.
Joshua,
I’m w/ you there. Yesterday somebody flagged me down while I was out in a rural area on my daily bike ride. In reflection I couldn’t believe how paranoid I was. I found myself thinking … “This guy is going to mess w/ me and I don’t have a weapon on me.” Turns out he only wanted directions.
Twice now you mentioned that you didn’t have a weapon on you. I’d remedy that. I no longer go out unarmed, and have never been asked whether I am armed. Don’t worry about the “authorities” they have bigger fish to fry. Your picture depicts an above average size, you should be able to conceal either a 1911, or what I favor, a XD45 with the 10rd mag installed to keep it concealed better, the standard capacity 13rd mag can be in a pocket. JMHO.
Wayne
This story absolutely made my blood boil.
It made my blood boil as well.