These days, watching the news on television has become the Bataan Death March, Rodney King Riots, and a good European soccer melee rolled into one.

Now the latest installment is the defacing, toppling and destroying of Confederate statues.

It’s all painful to watch.

OK folks, listen up: Destroying historical busts does nothing. Your mayhem is a futile gesture. So, you toss a concrete Jubilation T. Cornpone into the bay. Wake up! You’ve done nothing but sink a statue.

It doesn’t change things. The best you can hope for is that you’ve created an artificial reef that will attract fish.

For the most part people are tolerant, maybe even supportive of those who protest. We here were a shining light. Peaceful demonstrators, bullhorns, tired voice, feet like barking dogs, dehydration, hunger, hecklers.

Last weekend, it all went off without a hitch. Well, there was the kid on a motorcycle who snatched a Confederate car flag off a pickup, broke the flag and roared off like some type of Peter Finney (remember “Network” when he said: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.”)

The motorcyclist sped away, the Silverado driver cursed and gestured. There was a tumultuous uproar emanating from the cab as the driver realized he was trapped in the one-way street maze that is downtown Cumming.

And nationally it got more rollicking this week when officials in Seattle condoned the establishment of a “cop free” zone. The police gave up the ghost on a precinct that was paid for by sane folks whose taxes funded the building, maintenance and operation of the precinct.

Please help me out here: Anyone out there think that makes sense in the smallest way?

If anyone enjoyed ‘Princess Bride’ like I did, I think it’s time to send in the Brute Squad.

Defund the police? I say: Defend the police!

No one who has a smidgen of grey matter between their ears wouldn’t have been sickened by what happened to George Floyd on that Minneapolis street. But that police officer wasn’t all police officers, by a long shot.

Last time I looked, police officers, firemen, teachers, politicians are all human. OK, maybe not politicians, who are a different species.

Most are good, but some are not.

Let’s make sure, under any necessary means, that police are honorable enough to police the police.

To me, it looks like a tough job that pays little and would scare the bejesus out of anyone who values their life.

From my chair, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office people are pretty darned good. I think they could use a little reward for doing their part in making sure there was no civil disobedience here last weekend. I think the car flag was the only mayhem.

Until I “defunded” the news, our cops were way better than “their” cops, no matter where there was.

I’m sure a “thanks” from those they serve and protect is way more than warranted. In the last week, I have pulled over to a deputy every time I’ve seen one parked.

Folks, please be assured: They beam when being thanked. From now on, when I see a uniform in a restaurant, it’s on me. Super-size that one for the guy with the gun and the weight of being a protector on his shoulders.

I promise when I see a cop, they’re eating free. Their money’s no good. The south precinct is getting doughnuts.

Fellas, do a good job of weeding out those who don’t deserve to wear your same uniform.

We need you, maybe not now, but there will be a time when we do.

I cringed when I saw on the news from other places bottles, bricks and firebombs being hurled towards people. Some survived, others didn’t.

These were people who wanted to make it to their driveway and hug their kids.

When do we get to defund the “criminals?”

 Mike Tasos’ column is published every other weekend. Comments can be sent to miketasos@earthlink.net. He is also on Facebook.