Pirate's Cove

Republican police officers have been cancelled for less. There was the officer with cancer who fund-raised with a modified Thin Blue Line shirt. One hospital employee was butthurt. There was the Plain View Project which specifically targeted police officers who made Wrongthink posts, which resulted in, for instance, 200 Philly officers being disciplined. And so many other examples. Here’s an officer who was fired for making terrible remarks about a woman’s death. Is that cancel culture, or, just someone who really shouldn’t be in the position? Because some things are ridiculous cancel culture, and some are being responsible. Like this

Durham police chief faces scrutiny for deleted post about Charlie Kirk

Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews is receiving scrutiny for social media comments she made about the late Charlie Kirk.

A 22-year-old man is accused of shooting and killing Kirk on Wednesday at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.

In a now-deleted Facebook post on her personal page, Andrews said she’s outraged by people she knows who still support Kirk.

“I won’t stop being outraged at the way this man is being honored by people that I thought I knew,” Andrews wrote in the deleted post. “This man, who disguised himself as a Christian, shamed Black women like me, believed that gun violence was necessary to preserve the 2nd amendment, and created a culture of divisiveness through hate speech.”

Is that too bad? Should the Chief Of Police in a decent sized city be making political comments, even on her personal Facebook, about someone who was assassinated? Does it entice others to take matters into their own hands because the Chief made those comments?

Also, WRAL News asked (Durham mayor Leonardo) Williams if the city’s chief of police should make statements like she did on social media.

“That’s the most interesting question right now, because we cannot be selective on who gets to exercise the First Amendment,” Williams said. “I have been in the hot seat myself several times, speaking of my own capacity.

“I will say that we as public servants, we do have to be aware of the impact of our verbiage, whether it’s in our personal capacity or not.”

The 1st does not stop people from responding, and, it is the Government which can pass no law restricting it. Article I (Declaration Of Rights) of the NC Constitution states

Sec. 14. Freedom of speech and press.
Freedom of speech and of the press are two of the great bulwarks of liberty and therefore shall never be restrained, but every person shall be held responsible for their abuse.

It’s actually interesting, because “shall never be restrained” but “be held responsible”? By whom? Does the government have that authority in NC? Or, simply referring to the citizens? You’re welcome to say what you want, but, there can be consequences. As for “verbiage”, if it was acceptable then why delete it?

WRAL News obtained a copy of Durham Police Department’s social media policy.

“Employees should not assume that content on social media is private,” the policy states. “Members should monitor content on their social networking sites with the expectation that the information may at some point be viewed by City officials, supervisors, staff and co-workers, as well as members of the public, such as the media, defense counsel, criminal suspects and defendants.

“Members should consider the possible adverse consequences that social media content may have on their professional activities, such as future employment opportunities, credibility as a witness, and public as well as private reputation. Members are also cautioned to carefully consider the impact that social media content may have on their personal safety and the safety of co-workers.”

Perhaps the police chief should have considered this beforehand, because I bet she would discipline up to termination someone who wrote something negative about a Democrat murdered. How do you trust a police chief who has no problem showing her political bias?

Realistically, nothing will happen to her: Durham is a deep blue city. And, I’ve also said I hate cancel culture, but, that’s really more about going after minor things, for Wrongthink. There is a point where what people say or do is no longer cancelling, but, the reality of the position.