Dragnet is a series that you might be familiar with if you’re old enough and enjoy classic radio or TV. The original radio series began in 1951, and the TV version ended in 1970. Also, there have been movies and reboots. The series was set in Los Angeles and starred Jack Webb, who played Sgt. Joe Friday was a detective in the LAPD. Friday’s sidekicks changed throughout the series.
Friday was well-known for his no-nonsense delivery and flat tone. Then there’s Friday’s trademark line, which lives on in the media folklore, “Just the facts ma’am.” In fact, he didn’t say it. He used variations of it. It was obvious that Bill Gannon or whoever was with him on Friday was only interested in facts and not speculation or opinions.
Recent police bodycam video of an arrest in a park near Doraville, Ga. from last May has been released. The man, his fiancee, and their children called the police after another man threatened them with a blade. I’ll refer you to this video rather than describe the whole incident.
Warning: Graphic language
The officers dealt with the situation very well. Any cop will tell you it’s very common for disputes to involve conflicting stories. Joe Friday is left with no choice but to enforce the law on the basis of the facts. What is most striking in the video is how the complainant breaks into tears upon learning that the man had threatened him and his entire family. He says he does not want to see the man arrested, he only wants to leave his family alone.
All crime victims wanted to be left alone. He was afraid that he would be perceived as racist because the suspect was black. He is protecting his family up until that point. The man has no hesitation in doing this, but as he watches the video, it becomes clear that he might have become a target of the outrage machine. Triple threats, including accusations, innuendo, and cancellation are too much for him to handle.
In the video, the man is never called a racist. Even the suspect, who is said to have pulled out a blade and told the man to die, did not call him a racist. Even the mere threat of being called racist was more powerful than a man holding a knife. This guy went from being an “alpha man” to a “zeta man” in less than one second.
It’s sad that his fears were justified. It’s not an excuse to stop protecting his family or regret calling the police. He could be subjected to all sorts of retaliation because he was concerned about his family. He could even lose his job.
This man was pathetic. This man was so pathetic that there was nothing to laugh at. It’s tragic that someone would choose to be victimized in order to avoid the capricious anger machine. In the same vein as recent furor about Supreme Court decisions, the fear of this man is indicative of the attitude of the Left. Media and governments, as well as the powers that be, recognize that it’s more profitable to label a certain group of people “lower class” and to continue to promote the idea that they are incapable of doing great things or acting civilly. The power-that-be do not wish to elevate blacks and they do not desire that black people elevate themselves. This is an attitude of exploitation.
Some might even call it racist.
