Should our government decide “our democracy” is in imminent danger and it’s necessary to suppress dangerous insurrectionists like Catholics and soccer moms, would America’s federal, state and local police play along?

It has long been common knowledge Federal agencies have been stockpiling enormous quantities of mil-spec arms, ammunition and other gear. Agencies like the Railroad Retirement Board, Department of Education and Fish and Wildlife Service have automatic weapon-armed SWAT teams. Apparently, railroad retirees, federal education grant applicants and Trout are a greater threat to “our democracy” than anyone imagined. Let’s evaluate the real potential threat:

Federal Law Enforcement: these weaponized, politicized “public servants” likely represent the greatest threat. I’ve often written I suspect most FBI agents are honorable people. Unfortunately, there’s no way for Americans to determine which are and aren’t, and misplaced trust can be fatal. Which Feds are probably least likely to turn traitor? Perhaps the Border Patrol. Their level of disgust with the Mummified Meat Puppet Administration (MMPA) and all its Democrat/socialist/communist (D/s/c) functionaries is obvious.

However, all of them are chasing pensions, and all--little cogs in a vast bureaucratic machine--are used to going along to get along. They know what happens to people who don’t play along in thought, word and deed. Some will turn to the dark side to keep their pensions. Others because they want to be on what they think will be the winning side. Some because they like having power over others, and they’ll get pretty much life-and-death power. Under the circumstances we’re considering, some will comply because they don’t want to be shot or have their families threatened.

Yes. That will happen.

State Police: These are primarily mini-FBIs and state troopers. Even though such agencies are more militaristic than local agencies, far fewer will play along. They live among the people they serve, attend church with them, shoot with them at the local range. Their kids go to the same schools. They know everyone and everyone knows them and where they live. Even if they want to turn traitor, they know what locals will think about that, and what they’re going to do about it. At least some of these folks, though fewer than in the past, are veterans or serving in the National Guard, which also lessens the probability they’ll turn.

Image: Dodge City Peace Commission. Wikimedia Commons.org. Public Domain.

Local Police: These are county sheriff’s offices and municipal police forces. There will be a real blue/red divide, but it will be pretty much limited to large blue cities and red everything else. Blue city police chiefs, sheriffs, and their higher-ranking subordinates don’t get those positions unless they’re true believers, willing to do political dirty work. The only way one can make money in law enforcement is to become an administrator, as far away from enforcing the law as possible. In smaller, red cities, these negative tendencies are less pronounced.

Line cops tend to distrust and dislike such political slugs as much as the political slugs distrust and hate them. Higher-ranking types and those wanting those perks will be most likely to jump onboard the oppression bandwagon. They’ll be joined by others for pensions, power, and due to simple bloody-mindedness. As with the military, some line cops will play along, at least at first, out of a misplaced sense of duty, but that won’t last long, nor will they if they don’t quickly wise up.

As with our military, cops tend to be conservative. Duty, honor and integrity are part of their everyday lives, as are grooming standards. If a cop loses his reputation for integrity, his career is over. Americans don’t realize it, but cops actively apply the Constitution every day. They may not be able to quote chapter and verse, but they know how vital it is. Some of them are also veterans or members of the National Guard. They’re not going to be killing their friends, relatives, neighbors and the people they see every day.

How can we reasonably know this? Across the country blue states are passing unconstitutional gun control laws in blatant defiance of the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision. In places like Illinois, compliance with these laws is in the low single digits. Most, if not all, sheriffs have publicly announced they’re not enforcing unconstitutional laws, and the state police are smart enough—so far—not to push it and find themselves staring down the gun barrels of other cops. These are encouraging signs.

Arguably, the federal government would love to federalize all American police, but for the moment, that’s not happening.  

If things go bad on toast, it’s going to be ugly, but without near-universal military and police support for tyranny, the outcome is going to be bloodily bad for those who try to impose it. We can only pray they’re not sufficiently stupid to drive Americans to prove it.

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor and retired police officer and high school and college English teacher.  His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.