The Unknown Insurgency
Gregory Hood, American Renaissance, August 21, 2019
Last Wednesday, a man wounded six Philadelphia police officers during an eight-hour armed standoff, during which he fired over 100 rounds. The shooter has a long and lurid criminal history. President Donald Trump tweeted that he “should never have been allowed to be on the streets” and urged a “long sentence.” This is strange advice from a president who signed criminal justice reforms to reduce prison sentences.
Police responded in large numbers and cordoned off the area. Residents reportedly “laughed and yelled” at besieged policemen, threw things at them and shoved police. Officers looked like an occupying force patrolling a Third World country. The story quickly faded from national news coverage.
Residents harass & throw objects at @PhillyPolice responding to active shooting
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 15, 2019
Mayor Jim Kenney called for gun control. “Our officers . . . don’t deserve to be shot at by a guy for hours with an unlimited supply of weapons and an unlimited supply of bullets,” he said. It’s doubtful gun control would have changed anything, but it fits the mayor’s ideology. He often criticizes Donald Trump, declaring last month that the president comes “from hell.” Last year, Mayor Kenney posted a video of himself dancing after a judge ruled the federal government must provide funds to Philadelphia despite its declaring itself a “sanctuary” for illegals.
Needless to say, I think @janeslusser and @PhillyMayor are pretty excited about today’s ruling affirming Philadelphia as a Sanctuary City. pic.twitter.com/gdnnjZT9ps
— Steve Preston (@StevePrest) June 6, 2018
The corporate media have been writing hostile articles about Philadelphia police. The city recently pulled 72 officers off regular duty after journalists found “inflammatory” social media posts, and the city council promised hearings. (Samples: Surveillance video shows an armed, would-be robber backing out of a liquor store after a clerk pulls a gun. Comment: “Should have shot him.” Another: “They said ‘fuck the police,’ so I said fuck your 911 call, I’ll get to your dying home boy when I finish my coffee.”)
In June, Commissioner Richard Ross, a black man, promised at least “several dozen” offenders would be fired. The Department had axed 13 by July 18.
District Attorney Lawrence Krasner said some officers who were guilty of evil posts would be put on a list preventing them from testifying during trials, even though police testimony is often crucial for a conviction. This may seem extreme, but justice is often secondary to racial considerations. In Michigan, a judge overturned a murder conviction because a juror reportedly said something “racist” during deliberations. Reporters went to the juror’s house; he denied making the comments and claimed to be a Democrat.
Mr. Krasner could be trying to avoid similar reverses, but he might just hate the police and want fewer convictions. Before he was elected, Mr. Krasner was a civil rights lawyer who sued the police 75 times, called law enforcement “systematically racist,” and defended clients such Black Lives Matter and Occupy Philly. When he won election — with $1.45 million in Soros money — his supporters chanted “F*ck the FOP [Fraternal Order of Police]” and “no good cops in a racist system.” Black Lives Matter organizer Shaun King praised Mr. Krasner for dropping marijuana possession charges (regardless of weight), cutting sentencing time, and shortening or eliminating probation.
Mr. Krasner credited “brilliant policing” for the relatively successful end to the standoff. Brilliant policing? When six officers stop bullets? Presumably all that mattered to Mr. Krasner was that the perp surrendered unharmed.
The city is increasingly ungovernable. Many residents despise the police. Local businesses have started closing early after a mob of “teenagers” rampaged near South Street after Fourth of July fireworks. Journalists report a “spike in crime.” Twelve people were shot over the weekend. Philadelphia’s 2018 homicide count, 351, was the highest in a decade.
Nationally, activists are also attacking Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] officers and buildings. On July 12, anti-ICE protesters trespassed at a detention center, desecrated an American flag and raised the Mexican flag. On July 13, self-described “anti-fascist” Willem Van Spronsen attacked an ICE facility and was shot to death. The national press mostly ignored the story; Spronsen’s group had received earlier favorable news coverage. The attack encouraged anti-ICE activists, many of whom praised Spronsen’s violence and “martyrdom.”
In July, the Jewish group Never Again Action blockaded ICE headquarters, stopping employees from getting in or out. Recently, activists blocked the entrance to a Rhode Island ICE facility. When a truck tried to enter, it struck several protesters, leading to widespread media coverage sympathetic to the activists.
Antifa have publicized the names and locations of ICE agents. At a recent protest, an activist threatened an ICE contractor and bragged about knowing where his children live. Earlier this week, police arrested a suspect accused of shooting into an ICE field office in Texas.
There is ever more anarcho-tyranny. The politicians can’t or won’t protect those they expect to enforce laws. In response, men in uniform will either resign or just do the minimum. If the government won’t protect the police, it certainly won’t protect us. And the government seems eager to disarm us so we can’t protect ourselves.
