Altruism and Enemy Combatants

What is an enemy combatant? Is it a terrorist or is it an overzealous officer of the law in this or any other country? When zeal becomes more than a passion and insists upon controlling your emotions it can become dangerous to cross someone like this. I’m sure you have seen a cop look at you in the eyes and have a very serious grimace on his face. Sometimes you have to wonder if that cop would love to throw away the laws on the books and take you out and beat you to a pulp. Forget about a civil society and forget about right and wrong, maybe, just maybe he would like to be Bull Connor and turn the dogs out on the blacks, or these days the Arabs. If this cop who wants to do this joins the military or work as a private contractor and assault and torture in Iraq or Cuba, he can.
The rush of adrenaline is the most dangerous facet of law enforcement. You read the reports and watch the news and they talk about the religious nuts of Islam who follow a corrupt form of their religion, and then you see the actions of corrupt police officers and you have to wonder if you are safe anywhere. Several times I have overheard and I have been told directly by police officers that they can hold me for twenty-four hours on mere suspicion. Suspicion of what I asked and I was told with a smile, just suspicion. Watch the footage of the Rosenberg’s being lead out to the press in handcuffs and you see several officers rush out to be by their side. One steps lively over and takes the arm of Julius Rosenberg. The men leading out Lee Harvey Oswald, those officers that appear on CNN these days want notoriety and they crave attention. How many times I have seen officers rush to the scene of an accident that could easily be handled by one officer, they rush to the scene and feel the adrenaline. Once I rode by an accident and two young officers turned to look me in the eye as I drove by slowly to keep from hitting anyone, and their look was a look of just plain meanness. One of the officers while looking me in the eye unbuckled the strap over his weapon. What was he thinking?
What defines a terrorist these days? Someone who believes in Islam or someone with dark skin? Jesus had dark skin didn’t he? Would we place Jesus in Abu Grahaid? He had long hair it is believed and he dressed in robes. What is not a terrorist these days is a corporation, or a government, or the actions of the government. In history no one has suffered more than those who did not have the power to make the rules. No one suffered any more than those who were helpless when it came to the enforcement of the rules could not refuse this action. Those who cannot take a corporation to court, those that are refused treatment, those that cannot say I feel that justice was done. Altruism is more than a word and more than an action, and we as a people deserve the compassion and devotion, every one of us.

- Chris Mansel