Right is right and wrong is wrong. That’s the way things are, and that’s the way the law stands. If you don’t like the law, get it changed.
What am I talking about? The Republican National Convention that was held here in Philadelphia. The police were professional despite tons of picketers, protestors, and even domestic terrorists. Oops. Did I call someone a bad name? If so, great! If not, I have a few other words in mind, but they aren’t appropriate in this column.
Philadelphia police officers were trained for much of what they could expect - and as it turned out - much of what was done to them during the convention. They were hit, spit on, cursed at, insulted, mocked, and even had a form of acid doused on a female cop.
Many times during the week, but mainly during the first two days of the convention, the cops had to hold their ground - much like soldiers in combat. At one point, on Tuesday evening, a protest in downtown Philadelphia brought a crowd of several thousand, to a point where traffic was a mess. Police were not going to let traffic come to a total standstill, and aerial views of the crowd showed a mob of people and a distinct blue line. That blue line was Philly’s finest - at their best. It was their moment of glory, though they didn’t know it. For them, I’m certain, they were still standing in the middle of the proverbial fire. They were being tested. When they came out of the fire, however, they came out glistening. They successfully passed the test with flying colors.
The Philly cops exhibited levels of personal and professional restraint that many people cannot believe it’s the same police force we see here each and every day. I’m included in that group.
What’s really sad is that these same Philadelphia cops had to make arrests - arrests that should not have been necessary.
During the convention and the many protests, many police cars were damaged. I’m talking about tires being slashed. I’m talking about windows and windshields being smashed. Let’s not forget about the cars that had the interiors completely trashed, including all communication and controls. I never read in the U.S. Constitution or the Bill of Rights anything that would allow this kind of activity. Why? Because it isn’t protesting - that is called domestic terrorism. This is the kind of activity you would expect from some foreign terrorist organization.
While we’re looking at the domestic terrorists, let’s not forget about the ones that grabbed many cops riding 10-speed bicycles and hurled them. Even the police commissioner, who was on a bike, was tossed. In fact, he was toppled and his bike dumped on him. Was there any need for that? Not as far as I can tell, and not as far as anyone else - excluding the cops - can tell.
Then there are the terrorists who decided to take trash dumpsters and push them into city streets, topple them, and ignite the mess into balls of fire. Yes, I can see their protest in that. Such a statement they were making. That must have been the silent protest group from Pyromaniacs International.
About 300 people were arrested. They were held at one of the oldest prisons in Philadelphia, which has been shut down for several years. The prison, well, one portion of it, anyway, was opened just for these fine people. During their tenure at the prison, many refused to cooperate with police, including providing name, address, or even be fingerprinted. So they sat in the prison. When guards came to take them to court for their arraignment, they stripped naked and threw fecal material at the guards. Excrement. Human waste. Yes, that’s what these fine domestic terrorists are - human waste.
Since I could care less about these examples of domestic terrorists, I have no idea how many are still in the prison. A local judge just told them to give their names and be fingerprinted, or their bail will remain extraordinarily high, and they will not be released for a long, long time. I wonder if there’s any way to lock the prison and forget about them being in there.
These terrorists are sitting in the prison complaining about the poor treatment they are receiving. They are complaining they don’t have access to their drugs for AIDS, asthma, and so on. You know, it’s funny. They want to be treated as humans, but they won’t cooperate with authorities - especially with the people who could help them. Do I feel any sorry for them? Not one bit. Let them rot. These terrorists have already caused millions of dollars in damage - not counting the thousands of dollars of police overtime - all paid for by tax dollars provided by Philadelphians.
I salute the Philadelphia Police Department, the police commissioner, the Philadelphia Fire Department, and the many protestors who came to do their thing at the convention, but remained within the legal bounds of protest. I salute our mayor, John Street, for staying out of sight during the protests and convention, which probably helped ease a great deal of tension. Anytime he is gone, things are quiet.
My final salute is to the terrorists who came. I wish you all the finest on your trip to hell - and if you don’t make it to hell, come back to Philly. I have a nice Louisville slugger. Next time, guys and gals, stay at home and trash out your own town - we don’t want you.
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"Domestic
Terrorists Strike Philly Convention"
