New York v. Tennessee

You’ve probably already seen the video of a mob beating up two New York City police officers. The incident happened about 10 days ago in broad daylight in Times Square, one of the most prominent public places and tourist attractions in New York. The video shows two officers apprehending a suspect who resists arrest and is wrestled to the pavement, and then several individuals attack the officers in the line of duty. Clearly one officer is kicked in the head twice by one attacker and another kicked him in the shoulder or neck area. The second officer is kicked first in the rump by one attacker and again in the back of the head by another attacker. A dozen individuals were involved in the melee by grappling and wrestling both officers in an obvious attempt to let the original suspect evade arrest. It was reported that both officers were treated for minor injuries and thankfully neither were seriously hurt.

It is disturbing to me that a mob on a street corner – any street corner, anywhere – would physically interfere with law officers who are doing their job under stressful, painful conditions. This was not a police brutality incident. The video shows a wresting match between the two officers and the suspect who’s resisting arrest trying to get away. There were no batons, guns, tasers or chokeholds involved. It looks like they were just trying to get handcuffs on the man. But there are two more things that are equally disturbing about this incident.

First, it is reported by various news outlets that the men who assailed the police were illegal immigrants. You may think what you please about immigration and the border, but entering the U.S. anywhere that is not an official port of entry is a crime. You can find it in U.S. Code Title 8, Section 1325. This law has not been changed or repealed by Congress. Rather, it has simply been ignored by the Biden administration.

A couple of years ago New York declared itself a “sanctuary city” for illegals. There are lot of people out here in the “fly-over” states, especially Southerners, who were lectured about our attitudes and called names by the big shots in New York, Chicago, L.A., and San Francisco. These are the same leftist leaders who invited this catastrophe into their communities, their parks, their public places. To those responsible for their own mess, it’s awfully hard not to say, “I told you so.”

New York and other States have no bail requirements so these thugs who beat up the policemen have already been released and are back on the street. I wonder how they plan to show gratitude for their new country that has given them a cell phone, clothes, free housing, free medical attention, free airfare, an ID that lets them bypass security at airports, and a loaded Visa card in exchange for violating our laws? Well, one of them who was arrested for taking part in the Times Square attack flipped the bird to reporters when he was released from custody.

Just a couple of years ago New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) was one of the name-callers of Southerners and other citizens with good sense who did not want an open border. She’s changed her tune a little now that New York taxpayers are paying through the nose for services for the tsunami of illegal immigrants. She sounded a lot like one of us in the “fly-over” states when she said recently about the mob attackers that authorities should “get them all and send them back.” Well, duh!

The second thing that disturbs me is that no one helped the cops. No one! They just walked on by. No one lifted a finger. I can’t imagine that happening in my hometown of Alamo, Tennessee without someone – or maybe five or six citizens – going to the aid of the cops. (Where’s my 20-gauge pump when you really need it?) And I believe there are hundreds of Southern and other towns across America where patriotic citizens would have happily rendered aid. God help us if Southerners have become as complacent and timid as New Yorkers. There’s a different attitude here than there, and a different law here than there. There you have no right to go armed and virtually no right or ability to defend yourself, your property, or others. There you must rely on the police to rescue you if you are in danger, but what happens when you need a police officer yet he’s the one surrounded by a mob? In Tennessee and many other States we have the right of self-defense and the right to go armed. I hope any citizen who aids a law officer in distress will be considered a hero. It’s not just a Southern thing.

The views expressed at the Abbeville Institute Blog do not necessarily represent the views of the Abbeville Institute.

John Avery Emison

John Avery Emison is a sixth generation Tennessean who holds a Ph.D. from Oregon State University and has worked for more than 15 years in environmental management in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

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