Critics should ride along with the cops

Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, has found issues regarding police officer interactions with mentally disabled people (“Probe critical of police dealings with mentally ill,” Tuesday Review-Journal). She believes this to be a breach of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Years of education are necessary in order for someone to be capable of evaluating an individual’s mental state. Does Ms. Gupta honestly believe a police officer should be able to ascertain a person’s mental state, be it impairment, anger or — worse — criminal intent? The officer’s only obligation is to intervene when a disturbance occurs and to arrest any individual who is a threat to himself or others.

Professional assessment would be appropriate after public safety has been restored.

It would be beneficial to make it mandatory for agency heads charged with analyzing police procedures to ride along with patrols once a week for a one-year period.

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Our flag can’t come down from the pole and control what people do or say. Only the heart of a man controls what he does or says. Those who don’t live up to the ideals should be called out, not our flag or our national anthem. Under the umbrella of the Constitution, the flag and anthem are why we can peacefully protest, what we have fought and even died for. All for the ideals of America.

Finally, some food for thought for the young QB: “No greater love hath a man than to lay down his life for his brother.” educated enough to know not to vote for a liar, thief and traitor in November.

I’d like to tell Harry Reid what to do with his education and arrogance.