By: Michael A. Baker
Former Vice-president of the Inland Police Officer's Coalition (non-sworn).

On January 07, 2000, just barely a year after the tragic shooting of Tyisha Miller in Riverside California, the Chief Of Police of the Riverside Police Department announced he would step down. The on duty street patrol officers were informed of this decision with a transmission from the Chief to their mobile computer terminals, which he then simply signed, “Chief Carroll, 10-7,” the Police code for out of service. And once again, Socialist Liberalism crushes another hapless victim.

THE LOCAL LIBERAL PRINT MEDIA SETS THE NOOSE.

It’s truly unfortunate because the Chief, by and large, found himself in an extremely difficult, racially and politically charged, situation, a mood and atmosphere fueled endlessly by the biased, one-sided reporting and editorial commentary of the local area newspaper concerning the controversial shooting incident. The Press-Enterprise newspaper, ever since it was acquired by Houston based Belo Enterprises, has taken an obvious and extreme turn to the ideological left. The paper has quickly degenerated into a left-wing propaganda machine bulging at the seams with big-government, statist liberals and authoritarian elitists. As national liberal politicians and personalities descended on this community to exploit the death of this young women to advance their own agendas and anti-Christian social philosophies, the editorial and reporting staff has walked lock-step in line with these peoples’ demands and ideologies.

As these national personalities brought their vast political pressure and high profile personalities to bear on the Police department and the Chief, and as they partnered with local race-based Socialist activists in organizing countless demonstrations throughout the city’s downtown area and at the steps of the Police department, the political force on the Chief was evident and undeniable.  First the four officers directly involved in the shooting were fired, then their supervisor soon afterward. Then, two more officers who were accused of making racially insensitive comments were (disciplined) fired. The feeding frenzy was on.

And still, to this point, no one has offered, including the Chief, any other tactical strategy or method that the street patrol officers could have employed to gain entrance to this young ladies locked, idling vehicle, as she sat there in medical distress with a loaded gun in her lap. Moral within the department hit rock bottom because of the ambivalence of the Chief; applications for employment in other departments by officers on the force increased.

CAUGHT IN THE VICE.

Within this roiling fiasco, the time came for Sergeants to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Three individuals were selected to be promoted--two minorities and a women. It came to light, through notes that were taken at the meeting with the Chief and his Captains to discuss the promotions, that both the City Council and the Chief, under the obvious pressure from these Socialist activists, had made these promotions based on race, and not qualifications.

State law forbids promotions based on race and gender.

Seven white Sergeants lawfully filed discrimination claims against the department and city. The local paper “dutifully” reported the complete mess--even though they were a main impelling force behind it. And godless Socialism leaves the inevitable result in it’s fetid, festering wake, as Chief Gerry Carroll, the Chief of Police for the Riverside Police Department, with the impending State level investigation generated by this, wisely stepped down.

I laughed at one Press-Enterprise article as they scrambled to justify what the RPD Chief did, saying: “. . .it is generally illegal to hire someone because of their race, age or gender, even if the new hires make the work force more diverse, experts say. Those who get jobs or promotions must be the best qualified.”

“Generally” illegal? How about just “illegal”? If the COP had promoted three White individuals over three more qualified minorities, the hypocritical liberal press would have been calling for his head, but when the COP is kowtowing to their coercion and pressure and gets caught promoting based on race, the law, something the Chief of Police most certainly should be upholding, becomes suddenly vague, subjective, and muddied. Such is liberal thinking. As long as it suits their purposes.

YET ANOTHER FAILURE OF SOCIALIST UTOPIANISM.

What was the COP’s tactical error? Simple. Something evident to anybody who possesses any semblance of objectivity or integrity of heart. The COP and the Riverside City Council caved in to these Socialist activists’ political pressure. In a situation like this, with militant, professional activist demonstrators employing threats, coercion, and intimidation in the streets, it’s a hard road to take in choosing to stand for the truth, principle, and true equality. In a nation were race has become an easily manipulated emotional issue to exploit for political gain, very few people, of any racial background, have the backbone to stand up for what is right and true in the face of these exploiters. The snarl of “racist!” or “bigot!” has become the new PC club to beat over the head of anybody who opposes these peoples’ political ideology. And thus we see, it has little to do with racial equality or justice, and much to do with political expediency and lust for personal power.

A letter I sent to the Press-Enterprise, but of course was never printed, stated this:

Editor-The Press Enterprise:

An interesting quote in a recent Parade magazine (9/05) by Gabrielle Kirk McDonald, president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslovia--the court in The Hague, Netherlands--concerning the horrific atrocities in the Balkans and where the blame lies. In part: "I know that, although there were some ethnic tensions, people where living in relative harmony," McDonald says. "What we've seen is the engineering of these old hatreds for the benefit of the political aspirations of leaders whose greed for power and territorial gain led them to incite hate. . . ."

Interesting, because we've seen the same tactics being used more and more by various individuals and groups, not only throughout America, but closer to home in the Pacific southwest and Riverside County as well. As in the Balkans, the inevitable result will be unavoidable.

Yet, in light of this ominous eventuality, as I talk with people of many different ethnic backgrounds out on the streets of our county, I find that the vast majority of them have firmly decided to refuse to let these race hustlers of every ethnic background wreak their havoc, to estrange and ruin their many deep multiracial friendships and compatible lifestyles. To which I always say: good for you!

WHAT LIES IN THE FUTURE FOR RIVERSIDE COUNTY.

. . . .And indeed, the nation. This racial turmoil, conflict, fear, and mistrust between the races in America isn’t going to change in the near future. Not until people, and most importantly, Christian people, open their eyes and from an all inclusive Biblical worldview (no “race” in the spiritual realm), refuse to be manipulated by politicians, race hustlers, and self-serving demagogues.  Socialism as a political philosophy, and the militant, activists trying to promote it today in America, is an undeniable historical failure, contrary in every way to everything this nation was founded on.

Socialist utopians, in their elitist and deluded belief that the corrupt heart of man can be manipulated by legislative decree--more intrusive, paternalistic government; the chains of oppression, are the core problem behind much of this social anarchy. It is written, “. . . where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”  But man, once again in rebellion against God and His revealed Word, seeks to solve his problems through his own finite and skewed wisdom and logic--abandoning integrity, principle, and truth. Damaged, wrecked lives are the inevitable result.

Just ask the ex-Chief of Police.

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