DATELINE March 11, 2013:
"Law and Order"
By: Scoop Biggers
I have been thinking quite a bit of late about all of the press the various local sheriff's department have been getting, and that applies whether you are talking about Nankipooh, or up near the Nantahala. It seems that during hard times ,citizens are more concerned than ever about "law and order".
It reminds me of my own experience in law enforcement. I was a member of the School Safety Patrol back when I was in the sixth grade at Nankipooh Elementary School. As we called it back then, I was a Patrol Boy, in charge of the biggest street crossing in front of the school, which was the Fortson Road, a Muscogee County main thoroughfare headed north out of Columbus on its way past Nankipooh toward Fortson, Georgia.
One day when I was "on patrol", two boys crossed the road north of my crossing, where there was no cross-walk, which was strictly against the rules. I raced up to them, and after a brief struggle, I was able to "collar" them and haul them back to the school. There I brought them before the Vice Principal, "Old Lady" Powell, who was also the sixth grade teacher, but was in charge since the principal had gone home for the day. After learning that I had used un-due force in apprehending the two suspects, she released them and took my Patrol Boy's badge from me.
The next day I was arraigned before Nellie Smith the School Principal. Nellie told me that she was going to return my badge, but that I had been up for promotion to sergeant, and under the circumstances, and also to appease "Old Lady" Powell, the promotion would be given to someone else.
Now when she heard that my badge had been returned, "Old Lady" Powell was outraged, and declared that as extra punishment, I would not be allowed to appear on the local TV station the following week, where our sixth grade class was scheduled to preform a demonstration of square dancing. Now this was quite a blow to me, since the class had been rehearsing for this big event for more than six months. After that, my career in law enforcement was never the same. I was bitter because everyone in the sixth grade was on TV except me, and I never made officer in the Safety Patrol either. Who knows, if I had made sergeant in the sixth grade, I might have been promoted to lieutenant, or maybe even captain in the seventh grade.
Now I am reminded of this story because I realize how hard it is to enforce the law, and stay within the boundaries which maintain the safety of the citizens, and also insure the peace. However, I remind those in law enforcement of their responsibility to do their job according to the law, and also in the best interest of the citizens. After all, you never know when "Old Lady" Powell might be watching, and come for your badge. She was called "Old Lady" Powell because she was the meanest teacher in Muscogee County. But who knows, she might also have been the best teacher in the county.
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"Just my opinion"
Scoop Biggers
(If you like this article, forward it along to others. The Nankipooh Enquirer needs all the coverage it can get!)
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