"IT'S THE LAW"
Had an interesting conversation with two policemen while out shopping earlier...
As I passed, I saw that they were moving an old woman on who was committing the heinous crime of 'begging'.
I stood there, watching, as they read her the riot act, and watched her as she struggled to pick up her blankets before shuffling on... As she was leaving, I followed her, put my arm round her, told her not to worry, and gave her a few pounds, with the policemen looking on. Then, as I doubled back and walked past them, I noticed that they were frowning at
me... so I stopped... and the conversation went something like this:
Me: "What's up officers? It's not illegal for me to give money to people in need, is it?"
Them: "No it's not mate, but it's illegal to beg."
Me: "Illegal? ... What if that was your mother"?
Them: "It's illegal to beg".
Me: (To the taller one who was grinning). "I don't understand how someone who is supposed to be here to protect and serve our community can behave in such a way, mate".
Him: "I'm not your mate".
Me: "You're not mine either, I'm just reciprocating your own spurious parlance".
Him "What"?
Me: "I'd rather starve than do what you're doing. There can't be any justice, so long as you just blindly enforce what you call "law". You should be ashamed of yourselves."
Then they just walked away slowly... no explanation. No attempt at justification. Nothing.
As they faded into the middle distance, my thoughts were that the quote "For pity is the virtue of the law. And none but tyrants use it cruelly". would have been wasted on these two soldiers of justice.
