The death of Miriam Carey is one of those things that I cannot fathom. You can read Esther Goldberg's American Spectator report here. Goldberg asks why this is not a national tragedy.
I'm not sure exactly what happened or what the sequence of events might have been. A lot of people are defending the officers involved. Maybe they did what they had to do. I certainly want the President, Vice-President, Senators and Representatives protected. I want the Secret Service agents and other law enforcement personnel to go home to their families at the end of every shift. The political class, because they are public figures, naturally draw more attention, animosity, and ire from the public. They are at greater risk than I am. Since I am not a drunken, incompetent pervert I also probably have fewer personal enemies than most politicians. I can take of myself. The people in Washington really do need protection.
Still, on the surface, gunning down a mentally ill 34-year-old mother with no weapon other than her car, after the car was stopped (if that was the case) seems like something of an over-reaction.
I'm not a brave person, and I don't want to criticize those who put their lives on the line. There is, though, some risk inherent in the job of law enforcement, and a person who takes the job has to accept that. These officers are obligated to protect the White House, the Capitol and the people there in, but they also have a duty to the public in general, including confused, possibly delusional people like Miriam Carey.
Plus, this is not all that unusual. Back in August, we noted a similar case from November 2012 that took place in Cleveland. Over-reaction is bad, no matter where it happens.
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