Go ahead and defund the police, but get ready for vigilante justice
Those who are calling to end or radically alter the way this country is policed don't have a good grasp of American history.
There was a time when vast swaths of this country were not policed, or were extremely under-policed.
In the late 19th Century, just three Deputy U.S. Marshals — Bill Tilghman, Chris Madsen, and Heck Thomas — were responsible for patrolling what would later become the State of Oklahoma. Their exploits are legendary.
For most Americans living outside of the large eastern metropolitan areas at that time, justice simply didn’t exist unless they meted it out themselves.
The first American police department wasn’t established until 1844 in New York City.
Boston and Philadelphia didn’t follow suit until a decade later.
These early departments were modeled upon the British police — the forerunner of the London Metropolitan Police was formed in 1789 — but they did not have detectives and were more concerned with preventing civil disorder and deterring thievery through visible patrol than investigating and solving crime.
In the West things were different.
Law and order were late in coming.
As a result, groups of citizens would band together to combat a specific threat — usually cattle rustling, horse thievery or a murder spree.
These extrajudicial citizen groups were called regulators, although today they would certainly be called vigilantes.
In Western towns without a police force, businesses would fund some of these vigilance groups to protect their property at night when the shop owners slept.
Nationally at this time, state governments granted authority to local businesses to create their own police forces — such as the Coal and Iron Police of Pennsylvania — which were accountable solely to the local CEO.
These “police departments,” which were routinely used as strike-breakers, further eroded public confidence in law and order, and were little more than vigilantes themselves.
Then, as now, when civil society broke down, Americans chose to arm themselves.
Firearm sales surge
There has never been a proliferation of strange and unique defensive weapons in this country like the original firearms surge of the late 19th Century.
Everyone wanted a weapon, and there was a weapon for everyone.
Manufacturers created pocket pistols, dirks, daggers, bludgeons of every kind, vest-pocket pistols, single-shot knives, ring guns, knuckle-dusters, and much more.
They created these products to meet a growing demand for personal security, which the government was incapable of providing.
When we think of this time period, most people picture the lone gunslinger, armed with a Colt SAA revolver strapped to his thigh. The truth is that nearly everyone carried a weapon back then, although most were concealed.
To go about unarmed was something most Americans were not willing to do, especially in a large city or west of the Mississippi.
Although the number of defensive shootings did not approach the levels portrayed in popular films, they were certainly not uncommon.
If law enforcement was even present — if the killing was even investigated — the official findings were something akin to: Found dead body. Removed same.
Americans learned then that they were responsible for their own security — a mindset some of us still have today.
History repeats itself
Today, we do not need to use hypothetical examples to show what Americans will do when they believe civil society is breaking down.
Look at what has happened in Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago and other cities where police were overburdened, or for political reasons stopped responding.
Business owners turned to armed citizens to safeguard their property — modern day vigilantes by definition.
vigilante [ˌvijəˈlan(t)ē] noun — a member of a self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate.
I make no moral or ethical judgement about the use of these armed men. Given the alternative who could? What small business owner wants to see their livelihood looted and burned?
My point is simple: This is just the beginning.
If defunding law enforcement becomes gains more traction, history has shown us vigilantism will increase.
We may soon see more than just a few well-armed men guarding stores.
Firearm sales surge again
One of the best ways to gauge the real state of the union is through firearm sales.
When public trust and confidence in government is high, firearms sales usually decrease.
Lately, we’re seeing month after record-setting month of gun sales, according to FBI NICS data.
Ammunition has tripled in value — if it can be found at all.
Ammunition components — especially primers — are incredibly scarce.
And there are an estimated 8-10 million new gun owners.
One doesn’t need a Ph.D. to see the historical parallels.
When confidence in government falls, weapon sales increase.
Personal responsibility
When Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., famously tweeted: “No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can't be reformed,” I wasn’t surprised.
I certainly wasn’t bothered by it.
Most members of the gun community made the decision long ago that they alone are responsible for their own safety and security.
Some of us train every single day to prepare for an armed encounter, which we pray will never come.
It’s what we do.
We enjoy it.
Come what may, we’ll be fine.
I would love to have a brief chat with the folks who are tearing our Republic asunder.
I only have one thing to ask them: I’m ready for what comes next. Are you?
As always, thanks for your time.
Lee
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If this kind of mayhem comes to my town, I want to hold a sign out front of a burning building that reads, "You voted for this."
Excellent article! What's sad is that in the areas of unrest, the rioters get babied, and heroes like Kyle Rittenhouse get vilified. It's bad enough that the poor kid's life has been scarred by what happened, but he also has the burden of lawsuits, etc.
The passage of Florida's "Anti-Riot" law is a step in the direction of protecting the people that may need to defend themselves. I have to laugh when those against it say it will "restrict First Amendment rights" because people won't want to show up at a protest because it may turn violent. Huh? People can't protest until they're given a guarantee it's ok to get violent?
As a matter of perspective: I'm a recovering Liberal. In my younger days I attended many protests and peace marches. There was *never* violence. As a matter of fact, all protestors were told by the organizers that the most severe action we should do is "civil disobedience" by way of sitting down and letting the cops drag us off. How times have changed!
One last note: ammo prices have come down a bit. I've been pretty lucky to score ammo for "only" double the price I was paying a year ago. I imaging value will go up again when it becomes currency (I'll trade you two 9mm and one 45 ACP for a cup of coffee, burger and fries).