The police department of Catlettsburg, Kentucky, decided to add a new decal to the hoods of their patrol vehicles in support of the “Blue Lives Matter” “movement.” They chose a stylized skull.
Source: http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/article134722264.html
http://io9.gizmodo.com/kentucky-police-remove-punisher-logo-from-cop-cars-afte-1792720736
Let me repeat that. Their police department added huge, prominent, stylized skulls to the hoods of their patrol vehicles. A f---ing skull. On police vehicles.
How unbelievably inappropriate and tone deaf can you get? The only time that shit should ever even remotely be considered appropriate on government uniforms or liveries is on military decals from elite combat units. It is wholly inappropriate for government officials who are supposed to serve and protect, not oppress and execute. If your policing emblems include skulls, it’s time to ask if you’re the baddies.
Strike one.
Oh, but it gets better. You probably recognized the design (or read the headline ;) ). It’s the logo of Marvel anti-hero “The Punisher.” You know, the renegade vigilante who executes people he sees as scum without trial?
Kinda on the nose, there, Catlettsburg PD.
Strike two.
Police Chief Cameron Logan said it was a “warrior logo.” Which implies that he views his officers as warriors, which is not what police are supposed to be! (Also, this is totally an infringement of some kind on Marvel’s IP. I am not a lawyer and even I know that.)
He then went on to say of the logo of the murderous vigilante who operates outside the law: “That decal represents that we will take any means necessary to keep our community safe.”
Strike three, you’re out.
This guy should be fired. He’s completely tone deaf and apparently doesn’t understand the difference between fighting a war and policing a community. Again, IANAL, but these statements might even hurt his prosecutors in court.
At the very least, the decals have now been removed following the backlash. But putting them on in the first place was a disgrace to the nation.
Even more of a disgrace, however, are the anti-protesting laws and “hate crime for resisting arrest” laws being pushed in state houses across the country. In your daily calls to your representatives, don’t forget to call your state reps as well to push back against these unconstitutional laws.
-J.A. Benson
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