Biden's Mixed Message on Police

Hat tip Police Magazine

President Biden has shown that he can put his foot in his mouth even when issuing written proclamations. To mark Police Officer Memorial Day and National Police Week, he has issued a proclamation that praises police on the one hand and while slapping them in the face with the other.

"This year, we also recognize that in many of our communities, especially Black and brown communities, there is a deep sense of distrust towards law enforcement; a distrust that has been exacerbated by the recent deaths of several Black and brown people at the hands of law enforcement.  These deaths have resulted in a profound fear, trauma, pain, and exhaustion for many Black and brown Americans, and the resulting breakdown in trust between law enforcement and the communities they have sworn to protect and serve ultimately makes officers’ jobs harder and more dangerous as well.  In order to rebuild that trust, our State, local, and Federal Government and law enforcement agencies must protect constitutional rights, ensure accountability for misconduct, and embrace policing that reflects community values and ensures community safety.  These approaches benefit those who wear the badge and those who count on their protection."

( I wonder if there will be complaints from people who consider themselves "brown" because the proclamation has chosen to capitalize "Black" while not capitalizing "brown". But I digress)

I don't know who drafted this proclamation for Old Joe because he obviously didn't draft it himself, but I wonder if he even read it before authorizing its release. If he wanted to trash police, he could at least find another occasion to use this kind of language. You don't do it on this occasion. It's like issuing a proclamation to mark the date of John F Kennedy's assassination (November 22) and talking about his extra-marital affairs.

Biden would have done better to simply ignore the day and the week and say nothing. Our police are beleaguered enough without being reminded that they must also now deal with a president and an administration that doesn't have their back. Biden has filled his administration with anti-police types, so it is hardly a  surprise that someone in his White House made sure that this paragraph was inserted.