“This is how a religious inquisition starts,” the words messaged by a dear friend of mine, prompted by an article discussing how the Alabama senate voted to grant a Presbyterian church to establish their personal private police officers (the verdict is out on whether taxes will provide funds, I oppose that if they do). My concerned friend believed this was the crack in the door to witch hunts and torture courts. I remain skeptical of such results. Therefore, I believe churches may influence the way to privatized security and protection forces across the United States and world, which will be for the better.
But wait…
Many individuals and groups harbor an aversion to Christianity, based on a past of cruelty. But when one peers through the looking glasses of history, they will find that during the many horrors of religious exploitation, the church and government were unified. Let's not discount either that these were primitive ages; where peaceful civilizations on Earth were hard to find. It is easy for people to skip back to the middle-ages to claim times of evil, but it takes a colossal leap to skip over the horrific 20th century statist regimes. There you will find body counts by the millions, orchestrated by secular government systems to include such subjugations as: famines, gas chambers, labor camps, massacres, and ideological wars; enforced by “public” police (defined as policy enforcers).
Private is better?
Private protection companies provide advantages over public police forces. Private protection agents and their companies earn income through voluntary payments. This implies that if their services are inadequate, they will go out of business. Thus, there is an incentive to provide reliable, inexpensive and quality services tailored to their customers. Customers will rate protection companies based on their ability to perform, i.e., Did they capture the criminal, did they return the stolen bike, did they show up in the advertised time, etc?
A private protection force is less likely to have a shady court system which acts to defend their abuses and scandals from the public; something our public court systems are notorious for today. Consequently, if there was a scandal where the court systems protected a private protection company, customers could still vote with their wallets and bring about a dramatic impact on how their protection force conducts itself.
The consumer has choices, and with choice, comes competition. Competition which will lead to better services and lower prices. When applying the non-aggression principle (NAP) in private affairs, and assault and aggression are present, one gets to decide their response. Many people would prefer a protection company that provides a force that conducts itself with best practices to minimize violent interventions. Christians who follow the doctrine of non-resistance, may choose not to purchase a police force (their insurance premiums will likely rise), but they will still benefit from herd immunity, by having associations with colleagues and friends who pay for a protection company. Today, we are forced to pay for public police which have little incentive for quality, a lack of accountability, and no major differences in their conduct; to include the laws and policies they enforce for non-violent crimes, of which makes themselves the violators and criminals of peace.
Keep your Guns
Private protection forces have no incentive to confiscate your self-defense weapons. They would be more likely to provide self-defense course package deals attached to your membership, promoting the safety of you and your family. Safety courses would be beneficial for when customers are waiting for their protection force to arrive at the crime scene. Imagine a scenario where you and your family are eating at a restaurant when an armed robber enters demanding valuables. By texting “GUN ROB”, you instantly alert your protection company to your situation. You are then messaged the best protocol responses for this scenario to ensure your families survival. Privatization is the future of crime reduction and safety.
The Future is Private
The current system is corrupt and costing tax-payers billions of dollars, and countless lives. Henceforth, I call for you to think about where your money is going and the services you are receiving in return. Ask yourself, “is there a more harmonious approach to the processes we have grown accustomed to having.” On police privatization, I invite you to search the databases at mises.org, where you will find more in-depth explanations. Thank you for your time.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/11/alabama-church-police-force-senate-vote
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonresistance
