Karen: It’s not just the cops who “take care of their own”: the practice permeates the entire political establishment (which is why neither you nor I received a multi-billion dollar bailout when the “big boys” did. It is also quite evident in the media’s handling of the Trayvon Martin killing: as terrible as that event was, it would have received virtually NO attention had this young man been shot, under the same circumstances, by a government cop. It may be one of the intended — but disguised — consequences of all this reporting and opinionizing to call into question the practice of alternative systems of crime prevention (e.g., Neighborhood Watches, private security firms, self-protection by individual homeowners, etc.) leaving this function in the hands of the state. What will become of the state’s monopoly on the use of force if individuals can protect themselves? This is not to excuse Mr. Zimmerman’s alleged actions — private parties are no more justified in committing wrongful acts against other persons than are state hired-guns — but may explain the amount of time spent on this incident when contrasted with the recent killing of 17  civilian Afghans (Did I miss Al Sharpton’s take on that act of mass murder?).

The Best of Butler Shaffer