True Criminals: The Thick Blue Shield

          

            The criminal justice system has been notorious for being a profession based on kinship; this may seem as if there is some giant orgy of incest taking place, however, any reasonable person would quickly dismiss this notion.  Still, the fact remains that a lot of policing jobs are attained because of some relative’s connection with the area’s finest men and women in blue.  This course of action usually suggests that people become police officers because of a homage that they find to be necessary, a form of contemporary feudalism.  In addition to these generational connections there is a code to be honored, it is this code that will be discussed and presented in the reality and not a fictitious fashion that the participants and textbooks discuss vaguely. 

The “blue shield” analogy is an idea that posits the act of not reporting or doing something that would involve getting another member of the Blue Team in trouble, even if it requires the use of insidious and pretentious activities.  Lack of integrity is certainly a virtue is this gesture, which in turn makes the officers who are engaging in this behavior criminals, criminals that use their position as a means of escape, or as some may call them impostors or phonies.  A disgusting form of action like this is the reason why the “fuck the police” attitude has survived and even maintained its merit.  Who wants to call the police for assistance when they are known for having similar characteristics that are found in society’s liars or con-artists -- criminals?  An argument about how not all police officers participate in these activities does have validity; however, with the negative collateral damage blanketing them (as in most other cases in society, not only policing) the genuine police officers lose their voice.  For a clearer understanding of this think of the debate on legalizing drugs, for example, marijuana is illegal and many citizens still use this substance with some responsibility. Yet there are negative stereotypes (addict, criminal, vagrant, laziness) that blanket the rest of the responsible users, thus making the situation or actions of the responsible people seem less credible.  Furthermore, the covering up and protecting of fellow officers seems to be condoned by the other components of the criminal justice system, especially in the courts (how can they not, it’s their extension into the community).  Somehow the courtroom professionals use the propaganda of what policing is supposed to be and administer minor sentences or silly punishments because of the “service” that the officer is involved with (the authentic and proper policing methods).  This is a slap to the face of the American civilians and conveys the idea that the criminal justice system is a monarchical element in society, one more fallacy added to the list of many in this country.   Lastly, the idea of a brotherhood is a positive quality, but when the connection is used to get over on the standards that most others have to live up to it becomes a mild form of police terrorism.