Los Angeles County is huge, home to almost 10 million people. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (“LASD”) is proportionately large, employing approximately 18,000 people, roughly 60% of whom are sworn deputies, with the rest holding civilian roles. And among those 18,000 people, someone in the LASD really loves the mullahs. That love led to a pro-mullah media post that was deeply disturbing, although the post-post scramble was amusing.
It all started when the LASD, in the wake of the U.S. strikes on Iran’s main nuclear weapons sites, loaded a social media post across multiple platforms that began with the words “Our hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran.” The post then explained that, “[w]hile this tragic event occurred overseas,” the LASD was on it, “closely monitoring the situation alongside our local, state, and federal partners.”
What?! That was just shocking and surreal. The LASD shouldn’t be saying anything about foreign policy, let alone announcing that it’s “closely monitoring the situation,” as if it’s working in tandem with the U.S. (or maybe the Iranian) government to develop a post-strike strategy.
Once the word went out, the LASD quickly reissued its tweet without the first sentence. However, it continued to assure residents that it’s on the case with American foreign policy matters:
At a certain point, the LASD realized that no amount of editing could save that message, so it deleted the whole thing and offered an apology for its “offensive and inappropriate social media post...” The apology explained that the “post was unacceptable, made in error, and does not reflect the views of Sheriff Robert G. Luna or the Department.” It added the obvious point, which is that the LASD does “not comment on foreign policy or military matters.” It also promised an “internal review.” However, it did not say that the person who put up that post will be found and fired. That’s a significant omission:
Regarding the claim that the pro-Iran tone “does not reflect the views of Sheriff Robert G. Luna” ... maybe, maybe not. Luna is a Democrat, and the Democrat party has gone full mullah. The same people who cheered when Hillary boasted about killing an elected foreign leader—“we came, we saw, he died”—are in deep mourning because Trump dared to attack a nuclear weapons program aimed at the United States. At this point, when it comes to supporting America versus Iran, Democrats have rendered themselves suspect. So, while we don’t know Luna’s views, we do know what the Democrats think...and it’s wildly anti-American.
This story is now in wait-and-see mode. I can’t believe that the LASD doesn’t already know who put out that post. What matters at this point is how the LASD handles the culprit. Will it be a simple bureaucratic makeover—“Steps are being taken to strengthen our social media oversight protocols”—or will someone find him or herself looking for a new job?
Public domain image (edited).
