The Vietnamisation of Law Enforcement:

By:  Dale Weckbacher

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

NKJV

Jesus made this statement while walking with eleven of his disciples.  They were on their way, after eating the Passover meal, to the Garden of Gethsemane.  The reason there were only eleven disciples with Jesus is that Judas was in the process of betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:47).  Jesus knew that He was about to demonstrate the greatest expression of love possible and not just for these eleven disciples but also for everyone past, present, and future in the world.  The United States and most other nations on earth also have men and women that love their nation and its people so much that they too are willing to lay down their lives for them. 

This past Sunday we honored those that were lost during the vicious attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1942.  President Roosevelt stated in his address to a joint session of Congress the next day that the day would be remembered as a day of infamy.  (1)  Unfortunately, as time has passed, December 7 also passes each year with fewer and fewer people taking time to honor the fallen heroes that died that day. 

In the days after President Roosevelt’s address, the U.S. Military confronted the axes powers of Japan, Germany, and Italy with one goal in mind, winning the war and defeating the enemy.  Unfortunately, since that time, wars have become political and the thought of total victory has gone away.  I remember growing up during the Vietnam War era.  Every evening during the evening news, viewers saw a scorecard showing how many of our brave heroes had died.  Instead of fighting to win, soldiers, and their commanders were concerned about the image portrayed by the media and not offending the enemy or the citizens at home with the brutalities of war.  This politicization of the war led to the United States pulling out of the War in Vietnam before achieving victory, leading to the fall of South Vietnam on April 30, 1975.  (2)

Instead of staying in the fight until achieving victory, which in this instance would have been the surrender of North Vietnam, President Nixon embarked on a policy of Vietnamisation.  This policy involved the gradual replacement of US military personnel with Vietnamese military.  However, since the enemy, North Vietnam remained, they were able to overrun the South Vietnamese army using 180,000 NVA troops armed with massive Russian material support.  (3)

The main reason for our early exit from Vietnam was the media’s ability to use real time reporting, something not possible during previous wars, to bring the horrors of warfare into the living rooms of people each evening on the 6 O’clock news.  The nightly barrage of war footage caused the nation to become war weary, demanding we pull out.  Media real time coverage of wars has changed how wars are fought.  (4)  Wars are no longer fought to achieve victory but are fought to make political points.  When there are no more political points to gain, we pull out without achieving victory, placing our brave soldiers, and citizens they swore to protect at risk. 

The real time coverage of the riots in Ferguson Missouri is having a similar effect on how many in the public view law enforcement.  There was a time when a majority of people respected law enforcement officers in uniform.  Granted, there have always been bad cops just as there are bad people in all professions.  However, in no other profession are we asked to throw all people in that profession under the bus, as we are expected to do with all police officers and members of the military who daily risk their lives to keep us safe.  Now, every time an officer is required to use his or her weapon to defend themselves and the public, he or she has to face the very real possibility of causing a riot or losing their job.  This is especially true if the officer is white and shoots a minority giving race baiters ammunition to advance their racist agenda.

Perhaps the greatest danger however in politicizing the actions of law enforcement is that it may cause officers to hesitate for a split second when finding themselves in danger.  This moment of hesitation gives criminals additional time to harm the officer and escape, leaving a dangerous criminal on the streets seeking out additional victims.  If you are reading this and believe this is not going to happen I want to refer you to the recent attack on a border patrol agent near the Ajo Station of the Tucson Sector on the U.S. Mexico border.  (5) 

The agent suffered multiple head fractures from Carlos Manuel Pena-Nieblas as he bashed the officer’s head in with a rock.  The agent, perhaps apprehensive about using his firearm instead deployed intermediate weapons, which include pepper spray and his baton.  These weapons were ineffective and caused what could have been fatal injuries to the agent while allowing the perpetrator to escape.  (5)  Let us pray more law enforcement officers do not become apprehensive in using deadly force when endangered and instead continue to perform their duties of protecting the citizens they swore to serve. 

The only way for Jesus to save mankind was to lay down His life for our sins.  Law enforcement officers and first responders can find themselves in a situation where the only way to save the citizens they swore to protect is to also lay down their lives.  However, this should not be the norm.  So let us insure they have the resources and are allowed to carry out their sworn duties without having to fear political ramifications for their actions. 

1. Tube, You. Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Pearl Harbor Address. www.youtube.com. [Online] You Tube. [Cited: December 9, 2014.] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqQAf74fsE.

2. History Learning Site. The Fall of Saigon. www.historylearningsite.co.uk. [Online] History Learning Site. [Cited: December 9, 2014.] http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/fall_saigon.htm.

3. History, Alpha. The fall of South Vietnam. alphahistory.com. [Online] Alpha History. [Cited: December 9, 2014.] http://alphahistory.com/vietnam/fall-of-south-vietnam/.

4. Dunn, J.R. The Media Have Changed War. www.americanthinker.com. [Online] American Thinker, January 29, 2007. [Cited: September 25, 2014.] http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/01/the_media_have_changed_war.html.

5. Darby, Brandon. UPDATED: ILLEGAL ALIEN BASHES BORDER PATROL AGENT IN HEAD WITH ROCK, AGENT SEVERELY INJURED. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, December 6, 2014. [Cited: December 9, 2014.] http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/12/06/BREAKING-Illegal-Alien-Bashes-Border-Patrol-Agent-in-Head-With-Rock-Agent-Severely-Injured.