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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 10 things to know for Friday Ashland event will help people prepare for emergencies 10 things to know for Thursday Calendar: Thursday, Oct. 9 10 things to know for Wednesday Education Building + cooking + eating = learning Students to 'Read More For Jack Dorr' Budget committee members needed Fighting back against hackers SOU wants its students to love Ashland Environment Fires and forests evolved together, but now people are in the mix Marijuana growers are threat to salmon, biologists conclude Annual tour shows how to live green Taking action here, now on global climate change Garden serves up a feast fit for monarchs Business Ashland land use rule review continues From 'drug house' to spa Universal Rites Tattoo Greg Zyla: 1959 430 V-8 Thunderbird owner seeks information Silvio Calabi: Nissan’s Taxi of Tomorrow Politics and elections Ashland land use rule review continues Council backs bump in tax to support buses Travel expert touts pot legalization Videos of local candidate forums airing now on TV Election officials fine Richardson for late reporting of rent-free home State News Nation - World Obituaries Elizabeth Anne Jones Death Notices Lester "Les" Nugent No farewells were spoken Death Notices Sports Latest Stories Raiders blank Mountaineers, inch over .500 in league play Guthrie returns to Baltimore with history in the air Ashland eases past Eagle Point again, keeps streak alive Balanced Grizzlies shred Comets in MWL blowout It ain't over 'til it's over in the Pac-12 High school Ashland eases past Eagle Point again, keeps streak alive Balanced Grizzlies shred Comets in MWL blowout SOU volleyball team up to No. 11 Grizzlies keep rolling in MWL opener Pitcher Guthrie's donation boosts new field fund Southern Oregon University Raiders blank Mountaineers, inch over .500 in league play Ashland eases past Eagle Point again, keeps streak alive It ain't over 'til it's over in the Pac-12 SOU volleyball team up to No. 11 SOU offense looks to catch up with defense in final home stand Opinion Latest Stories Letters to the Editor, Oct. 10 City should revise its rules for murals Granlund cartoon: Carter faults Obama on ISIS Jim Brock: Whose fault is it, anyway? 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Our View: A delicate balance downtown ... Into the heart of darkness ... City should revise its rules for murals ... Our View: A delicate balance downtown ... Into the heart of darkness ... Jim Brock: Whose fault is it, anyway? By Jim Brock More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Jim Brock More Content Now Posted Oct. 9, 2014 @ 10:51 am By Jim Brock More Content Now Posted Oct. 9, 2014 @ 10:51 am » Social News Not all of us have lost faith in law enforcement. But it should be noted that this is a convoluted issue that will most likely be argued for as long as America remains a nation that protects the right to free speech. Being pro-police doesn’t mean giving every officer of the law your unfettered trust. That would be irresponsible. But labeling all law enforcement officials as corrupt, narcissistic and itching to shoot somebody would be just as irresponsible. Sadly, that very idea is tacitly thrown around by some media outlets –and sometimes directly stated by certain activists – in the wake of incidents such as the Ferguson (Missouri) shooting death of Michael Brown by a police officer. Cultural influences, many of which began during the activism of the 1960s, have contributed to our nation’s collective disdain for law enforcement. Who can forget the ubiquitous handle “pig”? Media coverage of police brutality, botched criminal investigations and agency corruption have only added to the fray. And social media only makes it worse when the wrong message overshadows the truth. In the interest of fairness, it should be noted that police officers don’t exactly have safe jobs. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, 48 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty “during felonious incidents” in 2012. That same year, 47 law enforcement officers died “as the result of accidents” that occurred in the line of duty. After a few hours of research to ascertain the number of people killed by police officers, I was surprised at the results. “Criminal justice experts note that, while the federal government and national research groups keep scads of data and statistics … there is no reliable national data on how many people are shot by police officers each year,” wrote Wesley Lowery in a Sept. 8 Washington Post article. “Officials with the Justice Department keep no comprehensive database or record of police shootings, instead allowing the nation’s more than 17,000 law enforcement agencies to self-report officer-involved shootings as part of the FBI’s annual data on ‘justifiable homicides’ by law enforcement.” Lowery reported that this “self-reported information from about 750 law enforcement agencies – hovers around 400 ‘justifiable homicides’ by police officers each year.” Up until 2009, the DOJ tracked “arrest-related deaths,” but it discontinued said activity, as the data “were widely regarded as unreliable,” the report said. I believe the larger point is being ignored. We live in a civilized society, albeit flawed, and in order to keep civilization in tact, we require laws and good men and women to enforce them. As much as I abhor cliches, I know for a fact that not all law enforcement officers are bad people. If they were, most of them would find better jobs with better pay and benefits – because it takes a certain type of person to risk his or her life to serve and protect the public. No one likes getting speeding tickets, and we certainly don’t like being berated by an officer or deputy with a bad attitude. But I would rather take the good with the bad than live in a society without police protection. But make no mistake – I believe law enforcement officers should be held accountable like the rest of us. Those who seek to abuse their power, for any reason, have no business serving the public. My opinions about the Ferguson shooting and the ensuing riot control have not changed, but much of that can be linked to a lack of leadership. I’m afraid to report that we haven’t seen the last questionable police shooting. But what do you expect from a country that loves guns as much as football? The facts speak for themselves when there are more places selling firearms than there are grocery stores in this country. While the NRA and other lobbyists continue to scare Americans into buying more guns, they are making huge profits. The statement “more guns means more protection” is counter-intuitive, and there is no logic to support that statement. There is nothing wrong with owning guns, but the guns aren’t the problem – it’s our fanaticism about them. That’s why we need good, quality law enforcement – men and women who are trained to fight bad guys – because let’s face it, not every American is Chuck Norris. Cultural influence has more power than any political statement. When our culture chooses civility over violence, civility becomes the norm. Perhaps we would see a drastic change in the perception of law enforcement and their vigilance of us if violence weren’t so ingrained into our collective psyche. Maybe it’s time we teach our kids the importance of civility. If we want to effect change, it starts with the individual. Ponder that! Jim Brock is managing editor of the Nebraska City News-Press. He can be reached at [email protected]. By Jim Brock More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Jim Brock More Content Now Posted Oct. 9, 2014 @ 10:51 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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