Public Safety over the Purge

The Purge is a series of TV and films depicting a World in economic collapse followed by rising social unrest. An elected government establishes a totalitarian regime and creates an annual 12 hour Purge which becomes the basis for the series. The Purge is an event wherein all crime becomes legal while police, fire, and emergency medical services are suspended for the duration of the purge.

We are obviously a long way away from such a horrific situation - I hope!

But these days it seems society is teetering towards the edge of a similar precipice. The potential of lawless society should terrify to everyone.

Consider present day Haiti, Yemen, Somalia and Afghanistan; countries that have essentially devolved into gang infested civil war zones. Others like Venezuela, Brazil and Mexico are struggling to stave off similar situations following years of government corruption, cartel wars and lucrative, out of control organized crime.

Even so called developed nations are showing serious signs of duress as their institutions show signs of cracking under growing economic uncertainty, lack of political leadership and social decay.

Admittedly, a real world Purge may seem absurd, ridiculous to even consider. BUT...there are some alarming themes in the films that are eerily playing out in real life.

A recent RCMP report noted the air in Canada these days and across the World for that matter is thick frustration, falling public trust and a sense of rising anger.

What's fueling this discontent?

There is no shortage of answers. Affordability. Housing. Future prospects. Failing healthcare and many more but for the purposes of this article let's focus on public safety.

We seem to be in a perfect storm of declining respect for authority, a politicization of law enforcement, and a justice system that has forgotten about victims rights in favor of criminals has a large part to do with it.

Police, once revered as the guardians of our streets, now find themselves under constant public scrutiny. Accusations of brutality, often sensationalized by social media and amplified by a biased media are casting a long and dark shadow over the job.

Politicians, ever sensitive to the next election cycle, prioritize avoiding offending special interest groups over upholding the law. This has created a chilling effect where officers hesitate to act for fear of public backlash or, in a particularly toxic twist, accusations of racism for simply doing their jobs.

The result?

Public trust evaporates, criminals grow bolder, and the very fabric of law and order begins to unravel. Without decisive action to restore respect for both the police and the rule of law, we risk leaving our communities even more vulnerable.

Protests, a cornerstone of free speech, have become breeding grounds for unrest. When allowed to devolve into violence and destruction without consequence, it fosters a sense of "anything goes." This unchecked anger spills over, creating a society simmering with resentment.

The justice system likewise seems to have lost perspective and balance. We see criminals treated with kid gloves, their actions downplayed or excused with a "social justice" labels despite the implications and cost to society.

Victims are left feeling unheard and disregarded. Toronto Police's now infamous suggestion that citizens should leave their car keys at the front door to appease home invaders is a prime example of this misplaced concern.

Why are we surprised when crime victims don't even want to call police because they know that "nothing will be done".

Law-abiding businesses are stuck in a Kafkaesque situation. Now to be honest I never heard of Kafkaesque until I did the research for this article but it certainly describes how I think most people feel today.

Kafkaesque is a situation that is nightmarishly complex, bizarre, illogical, and often menacing. It comes from the works of Franz Kafka, a 20th-century author known for writing novels that depicted characters trapped in surreal and oppressive bureaucracies. I think good ole Franz may have been talking about present day Canada.

A key aspect of Kafkaesque includes an underlying sense of threat or danger, even if it's not explicitly stated. Retailers who defend themselves against robbers with violence face harsher sentences than the perpetrators themselves.

This sends a chilling message to law abiding citizens: defending yourself might be worse than the crime itself.

The situation isn't helped by a political climate that openly criticizes and undermines the police. Bullied mayors and hostile city councils create a climate where disrespect for law enforcement thrives. This lack of leadership emboldens criminals, leaving the public feeling increasingly vulnerable.

If we are to avoid a societal breakdown, a course correction is desperately needed. We must support police, while ensuring accountability. Politicians need to govern, not pander. Our justice system must prioritize the safety of law-abiding citizens and hold criminals accountable.

Let's not sleepwalk into chaos. Let's rebuild respect for authority, the law, and for each other. Only then can we create a society where everyone feels safe and secure and ensure the Purge remains what it should be - fiction!