Brimfield police chief: 'Babble….on what America means to me'

BRIMFIELD, Ohio - "This babble does not reflect the views of….you get it by now." That's the start to a Facebook post on Independence Day by Brimfield Police Chief David Oliver.

"I believe we live in the greatest country in the world. When I am done typing this, I can get into my truck and drive ocean to ocean. Mrs. Chief would love the break. I can listen to talk radio as the hosts bash the government. I can turn on various news channels and watch people "occupy" various locations…and because my personal values do not mesh with the occupiers, I can speak my opinion about most of them needing to occupy a place in the workforce…and I do not have to worry about any government repercussions."

Oliver goes on to say while he feels it's become "unpopular" to go to church, "I can attend church, believe in God and read the Bible. I can sing loud if I choose…although that could be construed as disturbing the peace."

The chief -- and his Facebook posts -- have been widely recognized, usually because of their comic relief. On this July 4, we got to see yet another side to Oliver, though his same style of writing applies, coupled with powerful messages of truth.

"As a citizen of this country, I have responsibilities. I have rights; however, I must be responsible and understand my rights end when they infringe upon your rights. I have a right to shoot guns…that right will come to a screeching halt when a stray round interrupts your July 4th barbeque. I have a responsibility to shoot safely. Believe it or not, it is my right to expect other citizens to be productive citizens. It is my right to believe we should not have four consecutive generations receiving government assistance in the way of food stamps and discounted housing. It is your right to disagree with me, so long as you do it in a civil manner."

"I can believe drugs are a cancer to our way of life…you can believe otherwise and give me the 'protected free speech' middle finger- as long as you do so within the guidelines of the Supreme Court's free speech ruling… It is my responsibility to NOT punch you in the face when you give me the one finger salute…But I can think it."

And then comes an important message to parents from the chief.

"In my very humble opinion, some (not all) of those among us place rights over responsibilities as citizens. It is kind of like the government has become their parents…and they are 16. They need a car, some money, a prom dress, car insurance, cell phone, cool clothes and the credit card. The responsibilities, such as cleaning the room, doing dishes and mowing the lawn? No thanks. They would rather NOT…at least not now. This transcends into police work more than you could ever imagine. Thefts, drugs, violent crimes and lots of other issues law enforcement deals with comes from believing there are only 'rights' and no responsibilities…and, for some, if the two conflict, rights always are placed first."

"I believe, as citizens of this great country, we have responsibilities. Thanks for reading and Happy Independence Day……Chief."

You can follow Chief Oliver on the department's Facebook page by clicking this link: https://www.facebook.com/BrimfieldPolice