Jedi, Not Stormtroopers: A Star Wars Fan’s Defense of American Police.

Over the past several months, many in the Star Wars Twitter community have taken up slogans such as ACAB (All Cops Are Bastards) in expressing hatred for the officers of our police departments.

Obi-Wan Kenobi would be quick to point out that “only a Sith deals in absolutes.” Is it true that some cops are bastards? Yes. So are some doctors, some teachers, and some parents. And is every one of us a bastard from time to time? Certainly.

Another epithet frequently thrown at cops by Star Wars fans has been that “they are just like Stormtroopers!” But are they?

Stormtroopers were military personnel deployed to enforce the tyrannical will of the Galactic Empire, without regard for individual rights or liberties.

You would never find Stormtroopers coming to the aid of a woman beaten by her boyfriend or a child injured in a car accident. And Stormtroopers never, ever waited for a search warrant or read someone their Miranda rights.

But there was a group tasked with being “keepers of the peace” in the galaxy far, far away. People who were sent to de-escalate potentially dangerous situations and negotiate peaceful resolutions. And occasionally to risk their lives to protect the innocent. Those were the Jedi.

Were the Jedi perfect? No. Could they be bastards sometimes? Yes. Was the Jedi Order in need of reform? Certainly.

But the Jedi were mostly good people who served the public under a strict code of conduct and did far more good than bad.

Could the American people benefit from certain police reforms? Yes. But does that mean our cops are bastards? No. Cops spend the vast majority of their time responding to 911 calls. Calls for help. Help with big problems and small problems.

What makes something a police issue? The truth is, anything that no one else wants to handle gets dumped on our police. They are the last resort. And the paramedics and social workers won’t go anywhere until the police have made sure it is safe first.

Most cops never have to fire their gun in the line of duty. And the vast majority of those who do are found to have been acting appropriately in the immediate defense of life, someone else’s or their own. It’s a hard, dangerous, and absolutely essential job.

The Jedi had their problems. So do the police. But the Jedi made the galaxy a better place, and the cops make America a better place.

So, from the bottom of a Star Wars fan’s heart, I thank all the cops out there for their service.

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