I believe strongly that attacks on police officers are attacks on the law itself. Police officers are the living embodiment of the law, and that is why we, as a civilized society, mourn their deaths at the hands of the lawless. I've always felt this way, and have gotten into a few arguments with fellow liberals about the cost of police funerals.

But this idea is not what the NYPD is fighting about. They want the mere possibility, the imaginary potential of a wallet, a toy gun, or a man who's larger than themselves to justify pretty much any damned thing they do to protect themselves. (Imagine if firefighters decided they'd only enter structures where they know there's no risk.)

Worse than that, they delivered a massive insult to the elected civilian leader of their city on the day of Officer Ramos's funeral by turning their backs to Mayor DeBlasio's televised image.

What a bunch of spoiled children. What a bunch of selfish, angry toddlers to throw such a tantrum at a public event.

Are we supposed to buy into their self-justifying narratives that no cop, anywhere, is ever at fault for anything? Do they not understand the very concept of civilian oversight?

Once again, NYPD Bill Bratton shows his disloyalty by publicly justifying their actions:

"They really do feel under attack, rank and file officers and much of American police leadership, that they feel that they are under attack from the federal government at the highest levels," Bratton said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"So that’s something we need to understand also, this sense of perception that becomes a reality," he said. "We have a lot of talking we’re going to have to do here to understand both sides of this issue. This is not a one-sided issue."

"Not a one-sided issue"? No sane person treated police brutality as a "one-sided issue." It was the police who did that.

Mayor DeBlasio, fire Bill Bratton. Discipline the rank-and-file who showed such massive disdain for your authority.

And then, make sure a copy of this is pinned to the wall of every precinct:

N.Y. ELN. LAW § 17-110 : NY Code - Section 17-110: Misdemeanors concerning police commissioners or officers or members of any police force

Any person who, being a police commissioner or any officer or member of any police force in this state: 1. Uses or threatens or attempts to use his official power or authority, in any manner, directly or indirectly, in aid of or against any political party, organization, association or society, or to control, affect, influence, reward or punish, the political adherence, affiliation, action, expression or opinion of any citizen; or 2. Appoints, promotes, transfers, retires or punishes an officer or member of a police force, or asks for or aids in the promotion, transfer, retirement or punishment of an officer or member of a police force because of the party adherence or affiliation of such officer or member, or for or on the request, direct or indirect, of any political party, organization, association or society, or of any officer, member of a committee or representative official or otherwise of any political party, organization, association or society; or 3. Solicits, collects or receives any money for, any political fund, club, association, society or committee, is guilty of a misdemeanor.