Prairie Grove Officer James Page Claims he is Fearful for his Safety?
As discussed in the News Section of this website, Officer James Page has reportedly stated the following to a local newspaper:
“I believe that Mr. Puryear is intentionally trying to intimidate me,” Page said. “Knowing that he is a gun activist, I am fearful for the safety of myself and my family.”Simply put, that is ridiculous. I have not threatened any violence against Officer Page or his family, and would never do so. That is just not the kind of person that I am.
To be clear, I do care about putting a stop to Officer Jame Page's improper actions. It is a matter of principle to me, as every law-abiding citizen should be free to travel down the road without a police officer wrongfully intruding into their life and writing an undeserved ticket in retaliation for being asked for their name and badge number. This is also a practical concern for me as I will be a passenger or driver in Prairie Grove again, and do not wish to be wrongfully stopped in the future. As an attorney, I also feel a ethical and moral duty to take action here. At the swearing in ceremony to become an attorney in Illinois, I and every other Illinois attorney took the following oath: “I do solemnly swear that I will support the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of attorney and counselor at law to the best of my ability.” I take that oath seriously. Officer Page's action have violated the rights set forth in the United States Constitution and State of Illinois Constitution, and I will not turn a blind eye to that fact. For all those reasons, it is my goal to seek justice for Officer Page's wrongful actions.
But justice cannot be accomplished using violence. The use of violence to resolve disputes is the polar opposite of justice. Instead, justice is only accomplished within our legal system. Were I to use unlawful means to seek vengeance for Officer Page's misconduct, I would be morally, ethically, and legally wrong.
Finally, this situation with Officer Page is not my highest priority in life. Leaving aside the fact that I would not physically harm Officer Page or his family for the reasons stated above, it should be obvious that I'm not going to throw away my life by engaging in violence. I love and enjoy my daughter, my wife, my work, and my hobbies too much to do so.
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