EKIP– Expert Club for Economics and Politics A Different Opinion
A clip, filmed on a phone by a scoundrel who is stalking police officers leaning against a police car, has been circulating on social media, garnering good-natured approval and quickly becoming a meme at least on par with the one-day Sofia fog.
The hero of the video, however, not only created entertainment for the hard-working, native Facebook audience, but also demonstrated civic behavior that any protester with a fat grant from America for Bulgaria could envy. Civil society can learn a lot from this follower of Henry David Thoreau.
Because he:
1. He takes pictures of law enforcement officers without any hesitation– something that, let’s face it, not many of us would do without a second thought. We all know how much they don’t like it, and our nameless hero not only does it, but he makes his presence known so he can be sure they’ll notice him. Civil disobedience takes courage.
2. He talks to the police as equals– even though he is clearly not a citizen with a heavy portfolio or strong connections in power, he is not afraid to have a conversation with them like anyone else, instead of trembling and servile. Knowing, as every citizen should, that the police are paid by him to serve him.
We all realize in one form or another that this service thing is far from the truth (especially if we have ever needed police) and rather masks the function of the Ministry of Interior as a tool of the monopolist over violence (according to Weber), but a consistently maintained fiction can also turn into change... After all, the majority of people do not think that taxes are theft. Nothing is impossible.
3. Tells the truth in the eyes of the authorities– not only does he wish the police a nice day, which demonstrates good manners, but he does not hesitate to tell them the truth, which we all have taken for granted anyway. Namely, that to a large extent, the work of many police officers is expressed in “seeking tips”. Or in other words, in pursuing minor transgressions that rarely pose a danger to those around them, but are easy to uncover and can bring a bribe. There is even data on the subject.
4. Is unapologetic in his civil disobedience – even when called upon to “come here for a moment,” the true member of civil society acts exactly like our hero. He or she does not submit to authority, but quickly withdraws from its attention in order to preserve his or her creative potential and time in this world, knowing that he or she has done nothing to anyone.
With a video clip that's under a minute long - such a strong demonstration of civic vigilance and self-awareness.
So, the next time you watch the iconic video, not only laugh, but also pay the necessary respect to a lone civil rights warrior.
He added that the hooks are being pulled in. They are leaning on the patrol car in the heat and are waiting for traffic violators.