The Security
Man and Policeman in front of kiosk Wall Street, New York
G. Boersma
acrylics on masonite
36.7" in x 27.6" or 93,3 x 70 cm
2006
SOLD
Police As A Referee
‘Legal Mafia’ is how a friend of mine jokingly describes the police. He says they do the same things as criminals, but with one huge difference: they’re legal to do so. Although some policemen probably fall into this category, I wouldn’t go as far as calling them all mafia. That sure is a bridge too far to me.
No, there are good policemen out there. And they serve and protect. They do their best to keep criminals off the streets. To make their job a lot easier we as a people gave them certain rights nobody else in society enjoys. That way normal law abiding people like you and me walk the streets safely and everybody’s happy. Great!
But some policemen follow the law so closely that they neither serve nor protect anyone. By following the rules to the letter they don’t serve the greater good. It’s like a referee of a soccer game following the regulations so strict that he feels the need to blow his whistle for every little foul he sees. A foul is a foul, I know, but do you need to blow your whistle for every little thing? No, the game turns sour as a result.
A good referee does just the opposite. He sure follows the rules as well, but knows when to apply those and when not. He uses practical wisdom. The game keeps its flow so to speak and everybody enjoys the game. The players love it, coaches love it and the general public watching the game love it as well.
Policemen should be like this referee. Somehow I feel policemen like this are harder and harder to come by these days. I wonder why. I wonder why.
kind regards, Gerard
