Public Unrest

Unfortunately in the news some Maryland County police are in trouble for beating a student after a University of Maryland vs. Duke game. Not cool. But it reminds me of an earlier day with the Maryland State Police. As my blog readers may know I came out of the Maryland State Police Academy in 1977. I was assigned to the Salisbury Barrack.

One evening a "bull" session broke out in the radio room where the desk Sergeant was talking about the "good old days". The Sergeant was a rather rotund fellow, old, with bright red hair. He began talking about how the MSP was heavily involved in riot control at the University of Maryland during student protests of the Vietnam War. There was a lot of national TV coverage of student protests across the country. The Sergeant was sitting back in his chair talking about all of the tear gas, the number of arrests that were made, the amount of damage that was done, etc.. I had only been at the Barrack for several months and I chimed in "Yeah that was really something."

The Sergeant swung his gaze to me and said, "What are you talking about Boy, you weren't there. You just got out of the Academy."

"Oh I was there sir."

"Bullshit."

"No really I was. And I really thought a lot of you guys too. All that water we poured off of the student government building on yours heads, the water balloons we threw at you . . . and you guys NEVER got mad. In fact I still remember some Troopers rendering first aid to some of the students who had gotten hurt during some inter-student fighting . . ."

The Sergeant's face began to turn as red as his hair. He was not amused in the least. I was kidding of course, the riots at the University of Maryland happened when I was in Junior High School. But I never let on that I was kidding. I looked him right in the eye as he rose slowly from his chair and left the room. He was close to retirement at that time. And you know, he never spoke to me again unless he had to.

Yeah those were the good old days.