The three boys, ages 20, 19 and 19 who brazenly attacked police officers responding to their underage drinking party at Decatur early Saturday morning (June 25) should consider themselves lucky. If police weren’t highly-trained, disciplined professionals, sworn to uphold the law and protect the public, even when that public is trying to harm them, these boys may have never seen the light of morning.
The actions of the three boys epitomizes a society gone wrong. This goes way beyond resisting arrest. When underage youth prefer to attack police rather than surrender their illegal alcoholic beverages, that sort of behavior can’t be ignored.
Used to be, boys wouldn’t dare attack police — not necessarily because of what the police might do, but because of what their dad would do to them. Sadly, nowadays, some parents are harboring a “My kid can do no wrong mindset.”
They are self deceived and when their kid gets arrested, they shift the blame. “Oh, it must be the police. My kid didn’t do anything wrong.”
In a twisted entitlement mentality, apparently these three boys didn’t think the law applied to them. In their warped worldview, they apparently believe they have a right to drink alcoholic beverages; and, when confronted by police, whose duty is to preserve the peace, they were willing to challenge authority with violent aggression.
Television reports and the judicial system have been used to villanize police in recent years. Judges have been hearing wrongful death lawsuits, as those seeking vengeance, not justice, try to create martyrs out of criminals who assaulted police and perished in their attempt to seize a policeman’s sidearm. These three boys are lucky they didn’t suffer a similar fate.
If the consequences of their actions aren’t severe enough to deter them from this way of thinking, what crime will they graduate to next? Rape? Murder? Terrorism?
The citizens of Benton County have an opportunity to slam the lid on this type of behavior and send a clear message that they will not tolerate assaults on police officers. The Decatur community could start by forming a neighborhood watch and reporting underage drinking parties.
A few years ago, the Flathead County (Mont.) Sheriff’s Department formed an inter-agency underage drinking task force, including state troopers, game wardens, park rangers and more law enforcement. They put up billboards showing a pair of adults seated at a table surrounded by various half-empty glasses and beer bottles. With law enforcement standing behind him and his companion, the man at the table holds his head in his hands. The billboard read: “Considering hosting an underage drinking party? Consider us invited.” Adults, those 21 and older, who provide alcoholic beverages to underage youth can and should be held accountable.
Mark Humphrey is a former coordinator and chairman, as a civilian member of the inter-agency Big Horn County (Montana) DUI Task Force. He is also a youth advocate, traffic safety advocate and former public policy advisor and administrative assistant to the Big Horn County Commission.
Editor's note: What is especially sad about the story to which this editorial refers is that these young men had promising futures, all thrown away by a brief foolish act while apparently intoxicated. This is all the more reason not to think abusing alcohol or drugs just once or occasionally will have no negative results.
Opinions expressed are those of the authors.