<img class="size-medium wp-image-1021 alignleft" src="http://carolinacrossroads.news/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/we-support-our-police-300x198.jpg" alt="we-support-our-police" width="300" height="198" />This sign was recently observed at the entrance to a local business.

To be sure, there are plenty of bad guys and Law Enforcement stands between them and us. Their service is appreciated and in exchange they are well compensated.

The Police are our employees. They work for us. They are paid with our tax dollars.

Why does Law Enforcement now feel it needs a cheer leading squad? It's true that the Internet is brimming with horrifying, frightening videos showing Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) harassing, abusing, pepper spraying, tasing, beating, robbing, arresting, shooting and even killing innocent citizens. Yes, LEOs are also using unlawful technologies like 'Stingrays' to collect private information and data on <strong>every</strong> law abiding citizen.

Legislators pass tons of new laws each session, most of which are neither well thought out, needed or desirable. The legislative process does not ensure laws are Just, Lawful or Constitutional. "<strong>There are two things you don’t want to see being made, sausage and politics"</strong>.

Did you know most legislation isn't actually written by the legislators we elect, but rather by professional lobbyists in the employ of wealthy families and their large corporations? Even worse, our Legislators routinely vote for Bills they've never seen, let alone read? They simply do what they're told.

Despite warm and fuzzy titles (Patriot Act, Affordable Care Act, etc.), most laws are not designed nor intended to make our lives more secure, healthier or to promote general welfare and prosperity, but instead are carefully crafted to give wealthy, privileged elites and their powerful corporations control perks and advantages the rest of us can only dream of. Such largess is of course paid for by you and me.

Americans are not required to obey laws that are unlawful or unconstitutional, nor are LEOs empowered to enforce laws that defy the Constitution. LEOs take a solemn oath, swearing to uphold and defend the Constitution against enemies, foreign and domestic.

How many LEOs have ever read the Constitution they've sworn to uphold? How can one defend something that millions of Americans have sacrificed, fought and died to preserve, if they don’t understand what it is they are swearing to defend?

FBI statistics disclose that in 2014 alone $4.5 billion was <strong>stolen</strong> from the American people. Homes, cars, business assets and cash are being routinely <strong>seized</strong>, all without any charges filed or even the pretense of illegality or wrongdoing. In contrast, the FBI states that only $3.5 billion was lost due to actual burglaries. <strong>That’s right; according to our own FBI, the vast majority of thefts are being committed not by burglars, but by Police.</strong>

Is it any wonder Americans increasing view Police as dangerous predators. Should honest, God fearing citizens be forced to cower before those charged with serving and protecting us?

Police recruits are increasingly trained to view the American people as The Enemy? Are the Police allowing themselves to become mafia style enforcers, making sure we never forget who’s really in charge?

As if to spray gasoline on an already blazing fire, Legislators in Washington DC shower state and local Law Enforcement with virtually unlimited taxpayer funds to acquire gnarly war wagons, military style combat gear and unlawful surveillance devices like the 'Stingray'. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference between Police and Soldiers going off to war.

Departments are equipping vehicles with Dash Cams and LEOs with Body Cams in a stated effort to reign in such rogue behavior, supposedly introducing transparency and accountability. This sounds great, until you realize that Officers are able to selectively turn cameras <strong>on and off</strong> to suit their needs, and despite claims to the contrary, can and do edit footage, making sure their videos fit the narrative they want told.

We’ve attended community events, meetings and programs sponsored by the Scotland County Sheriff’s Department, and quite frankly, were very disappointed. There appears little understanding and even less concern regarding the role today’s County Sheriff is expected to play. Officers seem intent upon manipulating the public instead of doing the hard work needed to successfully resolve long festering problems. It's obvious that the training they are receiving is not intended to improve performance, but rather to enable them to better deflect the public's growing concern.

Our County Sheriff is taking hard earned federal taxpayer dollars to buy the latest gadgets, gear and surveillance devices. In return the Sheriff not only allows, but encoures Federal agencies to come in and do whatever they want in Scotland County with no oversight and complete impunity. This is extremely short sighted and dangerous. Our County Sheriff was elected to serve and protect Scotland County, not Washington DC schemers, scammers, kleptocrats and megalomaniacs.

We've made several attempts to contact Scotland County Sheriff Ralph Kersey regarding these issues, but have not received a return call or email response.

<strong>End of Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2</strong>

Like others, we wholeheartedly support Law Enforcement in the performance of their appointed duties, consistent with <strong>State and Federal Constitutions, </strong>our<strong> Bill of Rights </strong>and the<strong> Rule of Law</strong>.
<blockquote>"<em>Over the last several years, the United States has earned the troublesome accolade of being the most incarcerated population in the world. Nearly every fourth person behind bars globally resides in the United States. While a new report from the Bureau of Justice, a faction of the DOJ, indicates the number of American inmates recently increased, change might be coming — however slowly. In spite of this potential, the report also details how serious the problem has been — for at least two decades.</em>" <span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://www.activistpost.com/2016/01/1-in-36-americans-are-tied-up-in-the-prison-system-and-thats-a-20-year-low.html" target="_blank">Read more..</a>.</span></blockquote>
This article: http://www.activistpost.com/2016/01/1-in-36-americans-are-tied-up-in-the-prison-system-and-thats-a-20-year-low.html

<center><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vQtdaCIZxxk?rel=0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center>&nbsp;

<address>Related Articles:</address><address><a title="123" href="http://restlessboomers.com/will-you-have-enough-to-survive- &lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;p&gt;retirement/" target="_blank">123</a></address><address><a title="123" href="http://restlessboomers.com/baby-boomers- reinvent-to-&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;p&gt;retire/">123</a></address><address><a title="123" href="http://restlessboomers.com/will-you-work-until-you- drop/">123</a></address><address> </address>[polldaddy rating="8361352"]

&nbsp;
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #de030b;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,sans- serif;">We'd love to hear your questions or comments below. Thank you.</span></span></strong></em></p>
&nbsp;
<p style="text-align: center;">* * * * *</p>
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Fair Use Notice: This website post may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for news reporting, educational and other limited purposes only. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the US Copyright Law.</span></span></em>

<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">CarolinaCrossroads.News (‘CCN’) has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references CCN.</span></span></em>