The other day, I went to the courthouse in Pueblo. When you walk in the front door, you have to go through a metal detector, and there’s a pathway roped off where you have to walk back and forth when there’s a long line. I’ve never actually seen a line of more than three people, but I figured there must be a line at some time.

On this day, there was no one there. It seemed like a waste of time and foolish to walk back and forth through the circuitous pathway, with no one in line, so I ducked under the rope. The sheriff’s deputy told me that I have to go all the way through the line, “for his safety.”

I’m not always very good at coming up with things to say; I just laughed at him. He relented on making me go back through and start over, but said that if his sergeant had been on duty, he would have made me go back to the beginning. I can’t imagine anyone has ever actually attacked this old fat boy sitting on a stool.  I should have asked him how many times he’s been attacked.

The taxpayers hired cops (at least that’s what they claim) to protect us and our rights–not to make us walk back and forth in a non-existent line because they’re worried about their own safety. I want cops to be as safe as possible, but I expect them to put their safety after our rights, and after the safety of the public.

Law enforcement is a safe job. Garbage men have a more dangerous job. Feel free to look it up for yourself. This guy is just on a power trip like so many other cops.

Why is it that we as “free” people of this society have to be extra sensitive towards cops and their safety?