ANTI-COP? — The Weekly Opine

Police officers might be surprised at who doesn’t have their back. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Who is on whose side?

During the past several years, there has been debate about who is for, and who is against, the police. The current cop litmus test probably was fueled by the murder of George Floyd. However, the drawing of lines is nothing new. I remember the late-1960s, when the Establishment (including the established media) tossed and turned because the Black Panthers openly carried and openly disliked the police. In a twisted, guilt-by-association leap, the assumption was that all Black people disliked the police (some did, some did not).

Not to be left out, many young people were ascribed as cop haters (some were, some were not). Especially, young people on college campuses, and others with long hair living in places like Haight-Ashbury, were presumed to be anti-police. Of course, images of cops beating and – at Kent State – shooting young people didn’t help.

Newsreel of cops turning fire hoses on peaceful, primarily Black protestors and unleashing dogs on peaceful, largely Black protestors is unforgettable. Video of Chicago cops pummeling mostly White, youthful protestors in Grant Park during the ’68 Democratic convention remains indelible. These clashes are seared in the minds of anyone old enough to recall them.

Fast-forward to the 21st Century, and the images are no less grotesque. Thanks to cameras that double as phones, we are no longer dependent on the media to capture disturbing footage of bad cops misbehaving. The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin finally awakened the nation, forcing even skeptics to admit that what happened was wrong. It is undeniable that cops unjustly killed many citizens before Chauvin murdered Floyd in the spring of 2020.

And the stench of rogue cops committing murder continues to this day (with many of the cops receiving minimal, if any, punishment).

Truth revealed?

The everlasting narrative offered by conservatives is that progressives are soft on crime and do not support the police. (Admittedly, progressive’s push to defund the police was dumb, both practically and optically.) Conversely, the theme goes that the Republican Party is tough on crime and is unwaveringly loyal to the police.

Are Fraternal Orders of Police nationwide aware of what their man Trump says about military veterans? (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

I bring this up today because of Trump comments recently affirmed by John Kelly, who served as Trump’s chief of staff and is a retired U.S. Marine Corps general. Speaking exclusively to CNN, Kelly confirmed a litany of disturbing, yet not surprising, comments Trump made regarding those who serve in the U.S. military.

As Trump’s longest serving chief of staff, Kelly was privy to Trump’s stupidity firsthand. Among other things, Trump said out loud:

· The men and women in uniform who defend the United States are “suckers,” including those wounded in combat, tortured, or captured as POWs.

· Trump recoiled at being seen in the presence of military amputees because it “doesn’t look good for me.”

· Trump said those who gave their lives to protect American freedom are “losers” and refused to visit their graves during the 75th anniversary commemoration of D-Day.

Trump’s disrespect for Gold Star families was on full display during the 2016 campaign, disrespect which followed his sick-minded comments suggesting John McCain was not a hero because he (Trump) likes “people who weren’t captured.”

All of which raises the question, is Trump anti-cop?

Despite ranting against Black Lives Matter and opining that cops should shoot Antifa protestors, and not objecting to police unleashing tear gas on peaceful protestors in Washington, D.C., Trump’s sordid comments about the U.S. military make you wonder: What does Trump think of cops who are killed in the line of duty? What does Trump think of cops who are maimed while serving their communities? Trump certainly was anti-cop on January 6, 2021, when he directed a mob of thugs to pummel U.S. Capitol Police.

Does Trump believe heroic New York City firefighters (who knew full-well that death was a distinct possibility) are “losers” and “suckers” for bravely running into the World Trade Center on September 11?

Repeatedly, we hear from former insiders who’ve been burned by Trump (e.g., Michael Cohen) that Trump cares only about himself, that loyalty is a one-way street. I can only conclude, then, from John Kelly’s firsthand account regarding Trump’s disdain for members of the military, that Trump views police and firefighters with the same dismissive, disrespectful regard, at least those injured or killed while protecting others.

I am also left to conclude that MAGAs, evangelicals (a.k.a., fake Christians) and feckless Republican politicians who remain loyal to Trump, are in lockstep with Trump’s outrageous and offensive opinions regarding America’s military.

Come November 2024 the military, cops, and firefighters should not forget they are Trump’s (and some Republican’s) “suckers” and “losers.”