Police departments can’t find enough qualified applicants. Probably because they don’t pay shit, expect long hours, and hold a strong commitment to such rules as no home made porn. Our beloved baby boomers are retiring in record numbers–hopefully to die soon–and too many youngsters have been busted with the lethal pot, forfeiting forever their hope for a decent life or employment in the thin blue line. And, not wanting anyone who can think, and therefore decide half the laws they are meant to enforce are absurd, the most intelligent applicants are barred from applying.

What to do? What to do?

Anaheim, California seems to have found a balance. Or so they hope. They scour grade schools looking for kids as young as eight years old to recruit. They’re looking for troubled youngsters and, once they find them, apply them to a military basic training program. Listen, (please click on the ‘listen’ link) on NPR. The kid, towards the end, crying in the background. He’s doing flutter-kicks. I was 19 and in the army doing those and I wanted to cry.

Eight year olds should be playing on the play ground. They shouldn’t be training to serve and protect. And they damn sure shouldn’t be subjected to army basic training discipline. And why are they being yelled at, trained in the discipline of “eyes front” and “dress and cover”? Because their parents signed them up.

Hell. In a hand basket. Here we come.