Sheriffs are probably the worst elected office we have. Imagine being able to become chief of an entire county’s law enforcement without needing a degree or even experience, just get a bunch of idiots to vote for you by saying “tuffoncrime” enough times.
Then you get a gun and a badge and a car, and you can make all your stupid racist friends “deputies” and pretend it’s the Wild fucking West.
Having elections for sheriffs betrays the lie so many tell themselves that police are neutral arbiters. That they are there to follow and enforce the law fairly.
If that were true, it would be a technocratic and apolitical office. It would be appointed by a bi/nonpartisan committee or some such.
Having it be an elected office is way more honest. That it is a political position. That people want the police to be political and enforce political ideologies. They do not want disinterested police. They want their political enemies bound and beaten and their political allies shielded.
I guess I need to decide whether or not I prefer my fascism to be cryptic-flavored.
Sheriffs are probably the worst elected office we have. Imagine being able to become chief of an entire county’s law enforcement without needing a degree or even experience, just get a bunch of idiots to vote for you by saying “tuffoncrime” enough times.
Then you get a gun and a badge and a car, and you can make all your stupid racist friends “deputies” and pretend it’s the Wild fucking West.
Worse yet they are one of the political offices where candidates run unopposed frequently. And most sheriff’s are white men with single digit percentages for female and non-white sheriffs. So they are even less representative.
Having elections for sheriffs betrays the lie so many tell themselves that police are neutral arbiters. That they are there to follow and enforce the law fairly.
If that were true, it would be a technocratic and apolitical office. It would be appointed by a bi/nonpartisan committee or some such.
Having it be an elected office is way more honest. That it is a political position. That people want the police to be political and enforce political ideologies. They do not want disinterested police. They want their political enemies bound and beaten and their political allies shielded.
I guess I need to decide whether or not I prefer my fascism to be cryptic-flavored.