By Dr. Alexis Artwohl

Alexis Artwohl, Ph.D. is a law enforcement trainer and consultant. She writes for a variety of law enforcement publications and is co-author with Loren W. Christensen of the best selling book Deadly Force Encounters: What Cops Need to Know to Mentally and Physically Prepare for and Survive a Gunfight. Dr. Artwohl can be reached via her website at www.alexisartwoh.com.

One of my favorite bumper stickers is this: Enjoy your freedom? Thank a vet. Truer words were never spoken. Warriors in the military purchased our freedom in the Revolutionary War and paid interest on it in the War of 1812. They freed the slaves and held our nation together in the Civil War. They have gone to defend the USA and other countries from brutal totalitarian aggressors in two World Wars, the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and now the War Against Terrorism. Without warriors willing to put their lives on the line our nation would never have existed, much less survived.

What makes a warrior great?

There are many qualities that make a great warrior: personality, talent, courage, training, dedication, and others. When we think of the great military heroes in history, certain names always rise to the top, such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, and Hannibal. However, for the purposes of this discussion I would like to propose one of the great military heroes for our modern age: George Washington. Washington was not a great military genius like the others. However, he embodied a trait that would have astounded these other military geniuses, and he gave birth to the hope of freedom for a nation and a world: He was offered supreme power and he turned it down. After the war, there were those who still did not believe that this new idea of a representative democracy could really work, and they urged Washington to be, for all intents and purposes, the new King of America. He declined their invitation. He did, however, agree to become the first President of a government for the people, by the people, with liberty and justice FOR ALL.

The Democratic Ethical Warrior in the military

Our founding fathers, in their wisdom, and supported by the military warrior who led the birth of our democratic nation, wisely realized that, human nature being what it is, it is far too dangerous for ultimate power to reside in the hands of any one person or group of people. Yes, George was a great guy and he would have been a kind, benevolent and ethical king, but what about the next king who assumed power? What if he was a power-mad asshole?

How many power-mad assholes have slaughtered millions and caused untold human suffering to puff up their own egos and get all the goodies and glory for themselves and their minions? Some of these were military geniuses whose battles are still studied in modern war colleges. Sure, they may have been successful warriors, but their ethics did not meet the modern standards we must adhere to if we are to achieve stability, peace and freedom in our war-weary planet. Washington, in his infinite wisdom, supported not giving all the power to him but instead endorsed, along with our other Founding Fathers, the tripartite system of government, wherein the executive, judicial and legislative branches must share the power and be accountable to each other and the people who elected them. That way no one can grab too much power because sooner or later assholes will inevitably come along and abuse it unless the system automatically keeps them in check. Washington’s greatness was most eminently embodied in his willingness to give up personal power to ensure the future freedom of the people he had fought for. He was not just the Father of our Country, but he is the role model for all Democratic Ethical Warriors, the new spiritual and ethical standard to which all warriors must aspire if we are to avoid the abuses of the past.

This sharing of power by all citizens, including all warriors, in a democratic country can be messy, inefficient and noisy at times. However, Winston Churchill summed it up best when he said, "Democracy is the worst form of government in the world; except for all the other forms." Our nation is far from perfect but our successes as a democratic society have turned us, in an amazingly short time, into a nation that provides individual freedom and a standard of living that few other counties enjoy.

As a military brat I grew up living in foreign lands. These were great experiences and I enjoyed the countries I lived in, but as a person, and especially as a woman, this experience of seeing the world outside the USA has made me forever grateful for the freedoms I enjoy here in America that were purchased so dearly by our warriors. In many areas of the world, women and children are second-class citizens, sometimes virtual slaves. However, the fundamental principles of democracy have allowed the USA to move beyond this profound injustice. Yes, there are still strides to be made, but as a woman I thank all the warriors who fought to preserve democracy so it could mature and make me a full-fledged citizen.

Today’s Democratic Ethical Warriors not only support and protect women as fellow citizens, they also welcome them into the Ranks of Warriorhood at home and abroad so they can make their own contribution to keep our precious freedoms intact. America’s Democratic Ethical Warriors are members of the most powerful military machine the world has ever seen, yet they do not control our government, instigate coups, grab power, or oppress the citizens they could easily overcome. We are truly fortunate to have them protecting us from foreign threats and from themselves.

While the military defends democratic freedoms primarily from foreign threats, law enforcement defends the citizens from internal threats. There is only one reason we have law enforcement officers who are armed and authorized to use deadly force if necessary: human predators, which include murderers, rapists, child abusers, gangbangers, domestic violence devotees, terrorists, professional criminals, cop killers, and a host of other violent, sociopathic, and deranged individuals who are only to willing to take everything from us, including our lives, just because they can. If it were not for these predators, we would not need armed police officers authorized to use force, even deadly force. If there were no predators we would still need traffic enforcers, animal control officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and the whole range of other emergency services personnel to respond to planes crashes, natural disasters and the whole range of other FUBAR things that can go wrong in this world.

But the one reason we have armed cops on duty 24/7 is because we do have predators, and we count on cops to protect us when the predators pick us out of the herd as their next victim. When these predators make their next vicious move, who needs to confront them? Officer Friendly? Officer Social Worker? Officer DARE? No. Although these valuable and useful roles appropriately occupy the vast majority of police officer behavior, when the violent predator is ready to spring only Officer Warrior will save the victims, and the victims are sometimes the officers themselves.

When I first started training police officers and talked about the officer as warrior, I was shocked when some police personnel would tell me, "We don’t like to use the word ‘warrior.’ We don’t think it’s appropriate and will encourage officers to use too much force." That still happens and I still totally disagree with them. This denial of the warrior role is dangerous, destructive and only contributes to use of force problems. But do not get me started on that, as that is a whole other article.

Police officers have the scary power to deprive us of our freedom and even our lives if the situation calls for it. So how is it they defend it?

Freedom from Predators For every predator who has been righteously deprived of his freedom for the crimes he has committed, there are now all his potential victims who have the freedom to live their lives without becoming his prey. The average citizen does not think about this much and rarely appreciates or understands this gift that law enforcement gives them. They too, are in denial of the vital role that the Officer Warrior plays in helping to ensure a peaceful life free of violence and perpetual fear. The idea of Vicious Predators and Warrior Officers engaging in a life and death battle in your neighborhood is too scary for most people to acknowledge or think about.

Some "experts" on crime claim that police activities do not reduce crime and point to other socio-economic causes as the primary factors. I think that is total baloney. Yes, it is true that crime is a complex problem that has many socio-economic causes that need to be addressed. However, even if all those socio-economic problems got fixed, the human population will forever have a certain percentage who are just assholes, and only Democratic Ethical Warriors can stop them. If you do not believe this, try this mind experiment: Imagine that an evil genie appears on the six o’clock news tonight and announces that at midnight all law enforcement personnel will suddenly disappear, never to return. Then at midnight, this actually happens. By half past midnight the predators would be gleefully roaming the streets and all decent citizens would be cowering in their homes hoping not to be their next victims. Within a short time, America would look like those sad, lawless countries where roaming bands of thugs ride around in their "technicals" dominating the landscape and abusing the citizens at will.

Once in a group debriefing done after an officer was killed in the line of duty by a predator, officers were justifiably complaining how hard it was for them at times to go out and risk their lives for the civilians who have no appreciation or understanding for what they do. One of the SWAT officers in the group was a professional and dedicated warrior who had answered for himself that critical, spiritual question every warrior must ask: "What does it mean to me to be a warrior?" His comment was this: "I know that our fellow citizens, even my family, friends and neighbors have no clue how dangerous the streets can be and all that we go through to keep them safe. But you know what? Their cluelessness actually makes me feel good because that means I’m doing my job. They don’t have to think about predators because I take care of that for them. I do it because I can and it needs to be done. I don’t expect their understanding or appreciation. I only need that from myself and my fellow warriors." This dedication to service, because it needs to be done, not for glory, personal power or riches, characterizes the Democratic Ethical Warrior. Yes, recognition and appreciation are sure nice, but that is not what it is all about. It is about something bigger than you.

My stepson, Scott Butzer, is a new young warrior firefighter who recently went to New York and attended the 9/11 memorial service. He described being overwhelmed by the awesome spiritual sense of being part of something bigger than him, the sacred call to service and potential sacrifice in his role as protector of his community. He already gets it. It is something that only other warriors can understand as he found out when he tried to explain it to his friends who have not been called to service. His lifelong friends did not get it, but my stepson felt an instant connection with all other public service warriors at that moment when the warrior spirit showed him what his call to service really meant.

Freedom from oppression Sometimes officers will arrest a suspect who is an immigrant (legal or otherwise) and they are surprised when the suspect freaks out from mortal terror of the officers themselves. Why are these suspects so terrified of the police? Because in many countries the police are the scary people who come to take you away in the middle of the night for no probable cause, never to be seen again. That is it. You are gone. No attorney, no phone call, no civil rights or legal protections, no trial, no appeal, just gone and presumed dead. The police officers who do this are not held accountable for their behavior. In fact, it is their job. They have free rein to oppress, brutalize and kill citizens until the next dictator comes along and either kills them or hires them so he can put his own police in their place to start the next round of disappearing citizens who are not deemed politically correct by the current regime.

However, in our democracy police officers are sworn to serve and protect their community. Not the latest dictator. Not even the latest elected politician. Their community. Democratic Ethical Warriors are held accountable by the community, by each other, and by their own personal warrior code of ethics. Our democratic system will not let any one person or group of people grab too much power, including the police.

Have there been abuses at times? Sadly, yes. But police misbehavior in our country is seen as an aberration both within and without the profession, and the vast majority of today’s officers are Democratic Ethical Warriors who see themselves as true protectors and defenders of the clueless citizens under their care. They follow in the tradition of our first great warrior George Washington. They may be powerful individuals with great warrior skills, but they know that power belongs to the community, not to them. They are only borrowing it to serve and protect the community then pass it on to the next generation of warriors when it is their time to retire. They have nothing but scorn and contempt for aberrant cops who brutalize citizens and act like bullies, and they are increasingly willing to report these abuses and hold other cops accountable. We are truly blessed that we can conduct our lives without the constant fear of cops showing up the middle of the night to help us do a magic disappearing act.

From listening to the liberal media and the ranting of the professional cop bashers, you would not think this is true. From watching cop movies and TV shows, you would think cops are trigger-happy barbarians who shoot every other suspect they encounter. Ask the average citizen this: "What percentage of all police calls for service result in the use of any kind of force?" You will often get answers like "Twenty percent," "Fifty percent," "Most of the time." However, research done by the International Association of Chiefs of Police shows that less than one percent of all police calls for service result in any use of force, much less deadly force. Of course, Democratic Ethical Warriors quietly going about their job of serving their community and resolving the vast majority of threats without any use of force is boring. It does not sell tickets or attract viewers.

What might happen after the tiny percentage of times police are forced to use force, especially deadly force, by uncooperative suspects who are literally calling the shots? The professional cop bashers sometimes come out of the woodwork, howling that police are brutal racist thugs who routinely shoot and beat innocent people for no reason. That is always sure to get them a sound bite on TV that might further their political careers.

"Investigative journalist, Heather Mac Donald, wondered if this were true and wrote a book on her findings titled Are cops racist? How the war against the police harms black Americans. Her conclusion: Law enforcement as a profession is not racist and is not brutal; racial profiling is a myth, and the minority suspects who get arrested and/or shot are engaging in criminal behavior, and the police are just doing their job.

She takes this one step further and points out that cop bashing has gotten so bad that some cops and agencies are now reluctant to hold minority predators fully accountable for their behavior. Concerned that their attempts to proactively pursue and arrest minority predators will not be seen as "politically correct," arrest rates have gone down and violent crime has gone up, especially in the minority communities since minority predators prey primarily upon minority victims.

The cop bashers, instead of helping the minority communities avoid the alleged constant abuses of so-called brutal cops, are instead harming these communities by obstructing the work of Democratic Ethical Warriors and encouraging the predators to be even bolder in their criminal activities. Kudos to Heather McDonald and other responsible members of the media who are open-minded and courageous enough to find out what is really true and report it.

This is not to gloss over the real problem of the small percentage of bad cops, including racist cops, who do abuse their power. All professions have their bad apples. Police misconduct must always be taken seriously and the cops who violate the "serve and protect" code of the Democratic Ethical Warrior must be held strictly accountable.

As I write this article my husband, retired Assistant Chief Dave Butzer, is on a nine-week mission in Kosovo to teach community policing to the local police. He had no idea what to expect when he got over there. What has astounded him the most is the very positive reception he has gotten from the local citizens. Clearly identified as an American, he is touched to have many of them wave, smile, and say "Hello American!" and even thank him for being there. They don’t speak English, but they have learned enough to say that. They actually like him as an American and as an American cop. He said that after 27 years working in a liberal city where he and his fellow officers were frequently portrayed in a negative light by the media, and rarely shown any appreciation from the clueless citizens they protected, it is wonderful to experience this recognition and appreciation of his role as a Democratic Ethical Warrior. After years of brutal repression, secret police, and warfare, the citizens of Kosovo are happy to have Americans there as protectors and role models. Unlike too many of us here in America, they do not take freedom and democracy for granted.

Before he went, we were discussing his training mission to Kosovo with community policing expert Nancy McPherson. She had done community policing consulting overseas years before. She said that although she and her team went over with a curriculum to teach the nuts and bolts of community policing, they never got to it. Instead, they spent all their time simply talking about human rights. This concept, so fundamental to our country and our constitution, was sufficiently foreign to them that the nuts and bolts of applying it were way beyond where they were. They were still struggling to make a philosophical leap that we made 200 years ago.

Sgt. Rocky Warren, a police warrior colleague, recently sent me an e-mail rejoicing in the safe return of his son from military duty in Iraq. He said, "Sean is doing well and is very proud of what they accomplished in Iraq. Despite the biased garbage you hear in the media (which frustrates his Marines to no end) the citizens in Iraq love them. The Iraqis often give a thumbs-up sign, and shout, ‘Bush good! Saddam donkey’ whenever they see the Marines. Women and children especially walk along with the Marines on patrol wherever they go."

I believe we are at an interesting point in global history where the world is facing a choice: Continue with the usual cycle of despots, dictators, and the "I’m much better than you are" ethnic hatred, or embrace the principles of freedom, democracy and respect for diversity that characterizes our imperfect but dynamically successful society. As usual, Democratic Ethical Warriors in the military and law enforcement are already leading the charge to protect the citizens of the world and let them have the choice of which way they want to go. Some pundits scornfully call this "American Imperialism." I call it giving people, who have known only brutal repression and no civil rights, a choice. The despots and terrorists will continue to prey on them until Democratic Ethical Warriors from all democratic nations step in between the citizens and the predators and say, "Enough."

The exporting of the democracy, freedoms and civil rights that Americans and other democratic nations enjoy to the oppressed citizens in less fortunate countries is a process that will not be completed in our lifetimes. All the despots, dictators, oppressive monarchies, terrorists, and other power mongers will not easily give up their personal power. They are no George Washingtons. But thanks to Democratic Ethical Warriors hopefully people in all nations can someday drive around with bumper stickers that read:

Enjoy your freedom? Thank a vet. Thank a cop.

Artwohl, A. & Christensen, L. (1997). Deadly Force Encounters: What Cops Need to Know to Mentally and Physically Prepare for and Win a Gunfight. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press.

Christensen, Loren W. (2002) Crouching Tiger: Taming the Warrior Within. Wethersfield, CN: Turtle Press

Gilmartin, K.M. (2002). Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement. Tucson, AZ: ES Press: www.emotionalsurvival.com

Grossman, David (1995) On Killing. New York: Little, Brown and Company

Grossman, D. & Christensen, L. (to be published) On Combat. Brassey’s Inc.

IACP: International Association of Chiefs of Police (2001). Police Use of Force in America. Alexandria, VA: IACP

Jetmore, Larry, F. (1997) The Path of the Warrior. Looseleaf Law Publications, Flushing NY

Rose, D. & Warren, R. Paradigm of the Moral Warrior: Reasons and Justifications for the Warrior of the 21^st Century. Warren and Rose Consulting. www.rockywarren.com