With law enforcement officers under attack in the media over the last few years, Texas natives Doug Deason and Justin Keener hope to change the perception of law enforcement within their state and throughout the nation.
Recently, Americans for Public Safety, based in Austin, Texas, was founded by these two men, and is committed to standing for those wearing badges and robes–and even private citizens fighting for their communities to be safe. Another major part of their mission is to back those running for office who support and respect law enforcement.
“The First Amendment protects our right to assemble and peacefully protest, but it does not protect criminal behavior,” Kenner told Newsmax, “A crime is a crime no matter what political ideology a person is motivated by. That being said, the level of violence and property destruction in the summer of 2020 was significant, and fueled by woke prosecutors who refused to prosecute. Looking the other way when such crimes occur promotes a culture of lawbreaking. APS was founded to reverse that and restore respect for law enforcement and the rule of law.”
The nationwide violence following the death of George Floyd in 2020 brought the nation to standstill in the middle of Covid, as a police officer named Derek Chauvin was accused of killing Floyd. A video emerged of Chauvin appearing to put his knee on Floyd’s neck, after Floyd was apprehended on charges of using counterfeit money. This led to violence in cities throughout the US, as protests led to the destruction of businesses, and selected acts of destruction such as setting fire to Washington, D.C.‘s historic St. John’s Church.
This movement continued with police being mistreated and slogans such as “All Cops are Bastards,” (ACAB) and “Defund the Police,” were uttered. .There was almost no consideration for those who had law enforcement in their families or how they could show that not all cops are bad.. This type of rhetoric also does not just affect those in the world of law enforcement. When places like Austin, Texas elect District Attorneys supported by leftist billionaire George Soros,, many of those DAs will release criminals who have been accused of raping and murduring people–even if they have been arrested multiple times.
“When I speak with law enforcement, there's a few things I hear,” Keener told Newsmax, “They want to be respected for the work they provide. They want the tools and resources necessary just to do their jobs,.
Deason and Keener both hope that their new organization can make others consider the idea of law enforcement as not being political, but rather as a moral obligation to help others.
By backing politicians who respect those who keep communities safe, Deason and Keener plan their organization to be active on both the federal and state level. Keener says they will be working on legislation in state capitols, and this in turn could help President Trump to continue taking action at the federal level on public safety.
(Mary Barnes is assistant to John Gizzi at the Newsmax Washington Bureau).
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