When is it okay to attack the police?
This is not a question of whether or not it's a good idea, but under what circumstances it becomes 'okay' within the common framework of libertarian anarchism (AKA voluntaryism, free market anarchism, etc.)
I am conflicted on the subject and it troubles me - allow me to explain. If you're reading this, you're likely as aware as I am of the atrocities carried out by law enforcement every day in the United States. They quite clearly commit, in the scope of their duties, rights violations ranging from confiscation of property, to denial of bodily freedom, to bodily injury and disfigurement. Too often, they use deadly force against unarmed victims. In a vast majority of these cases, the confrontation was initiated by them, in the name of non-crimes. All of this, taken with the overwhelming prison population and the unspeakable acts carried out by the US government overseas, is very clearly organized crime writ large - I think one can rightfully view US law enforcement, from federal to municipal, as an occupying hostile force.
So why am I so revolted by the idea of attacking cops?
I'd most certainly have no moral issue with fighting Russian, Chinese, or any other variety of foreign soldiers occupying my homeland. I'd have no qualms with shooting Waffen SS or Gestapo dead in Europe during the second World War. However, when it comes to American law enforcement, or even the hypothetical US soldiers in a martial law scenario, I become morally, or perhaps just emotionally, uncomfortable. After Micah Xavier Johnson's ambush in Dallas, Texas where he killed five cops, I found myself not only groaning over the the practical implications, but also sad because the cops who were shot weren't the ones guilty of the most recent high profile cases of police brutality. They were very possibly "innocent" in my mind, and I still feel this way. And that's where I caught myself - if you held all these things constant, and applied them to Nazis or foreign soldiers, my apprehension vanishes.
Why? Help me understand if I'm being morally or intellectually dishonest, or holding misplaced emotions. I am without a doubt making some sort of error here, and I desperately want to see it.
The line is self-defense. This includes you, your personal belongings, your family, friends and strangers who can't defend themselves. And the means have to be adequate of course.
It's ok to fight when the other party attacks. That covers potential invaders and cops, but both only in the moment they commit violence. Killing for revenge shouldn't be an option anyway.
I disagree with going somewhere else to fight "bad guys" the same way I wouldn't attack a policeman out of the blue.
Did you ever watch The Sopranos? Tony seemed like a pretty decent family guy and tough-but-fair boss. Right up until you watched him beat someone to death.
When police carry a gun, they are brandishing the means to kill you. When they carry a badge, they are declaring they can do it with immunity. When they wear body armor, they're pointing out that they can't be hurt by your own gun. And when they wear the uniform, they proclaim that if you do try to resist their aggression, they will call hundreds or even thousands of their gang members to ensure you never see another sunrise.
So when you say "...sad because the cops who were shot weren't the ones guilty of the most recent high profile cases of police brutality" I think you're forgetting that the badge and the uniform proclaim them as members of the same tribe who intent to inflict harm on the innocent just as readily as their comrades who actually did.
They are a threat of violence by their nature and practice.
Now, whether they all understand that is a different matter. Sadly, they largely don't.
Clearly you're not a violent individual. Hopefully that's the case with most of us. It's difficult justifying spilling the blood of innocents, as it should be, and having these reservations regarding cops should be no different. After all, there are men & woman behind those badges. That being said, perhaps a little different perspective might help. Cops represent the heavy hand of the state. That is their purpose. Numerous court decisions drive this home, along with the fact that as the heavy hand, the state is who they protect and serve, not the people as we've been led to believe. Many court cases also remind us that as the heavy hand for the state, they are under no obligation to respond to people when called (911). That is a service they provide at their discretion. The state created the US Citizen and is at war with them, as they are enemies of the state. The lowest rung on the political ladder. Calling them slaves would not be inappropriate. By the same token, calling cops jack boots would likewise be appropriate. In my mind, the good badges wouldn't stand by & watch the abuse of innocents, even though they're taught that those innocents ARE the enemy, so they are just as guilty of the same abuse. To me it boils down to this...US Citizens are such by way of contract with the state. So the real question becomes: does one really want to war withe state via contract? Or seek a peaceful inhabitance upon the land of their birth, thereby nullifying any contracts and ceasing to be the enemy? After all, gov'ts #1 job is to preserve and protect private property from any enemies of the state. They use cops for that, not peace officers. That was a long winded way of saying i believe your moral compass, in this regard, is just fine lol.
The answer to your question "When is it okay to attack the police?" is always the same answer to, "When is it okay to attack a plumber, a gardener, a housekeeper...?
The best explanation I have ever heard regarding this topic was produced by @larkenrose.....
Make a video.... Because no one will believe your side of the story.... Unless you have proof. #guiltyuntilproveninnocent
Well written
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