Opinion I.  Equal opportunity not equal rights.   Manning the barricade was a pudgy, uniformed officer standing no more than 5'1" tall. This was a line officer, not an auxiliary or a crossing guard. I could tell by the uniform, shield, and holstered gun. As I jogged past the barricade, I wondered just how many of New York's miscreants would be deterred by this short, out-of-shape example of New York's finest. Not many, in my opinion.

Good thing this barricade -- at Broadway and Academy Street -- was mostly a community relations thing, you know, for show. Matched by another set of saw-horses at the other end of the block -- at Academy's Seaman Avenue intersection -- the barricade was erected several months ago when the police decided to escalate the crackdown on drug traffic by establishing a physical presence. Fortunately, the tactic seems to be working! (And the precinct commander, who is no dummy, consistently assigns his least formidable officers -- the oldest, the youngest, the most overweight, etc. -- to these Academy Street barricades.)

But what doesn't work, for me at least, are court-ordered quota systems that fly in the face of reason and common sense and put short, pudgy people in uniform to fight crime. Will democracy in general and civil liberty in particular collapse if the police population doesn't mirror the citizenry it protects? When did the common good become subservient to the complaints of a few "minority" loudmouths with lawyers? And now that we've put this short, pudgy target on the street, who protects it? Would you want to be its partner?

I've jogged past this barricade with its contingent of Keystone Cops almost every day since it was erected. But it was hard to go by yesterday without being angered by a system that puts incompetents on a police force. Yesterday, a veteran officer was killed in the line of duty, leaving behind a wife, children, friends, and a mantel full of commendations for bravery and excellence in service. It's no benefit to him or his family that he'll be getting an inspector's funeral. And it's no comfort to his short, pudgy partner that despite her best efforts the drug dealer they were trying to arrest overpowered her and used her service weapon to kill him.

Like most people, I'm a bit of a bigot personally -- there are certain people with whom I'd prefer not to associate -- but I'm a staunch supporter of equal opportunity. Everyone should have the opportunity to apply and be accepted for any job they're qualified to do. I just don't think anyone has the right to be accepted on any basis except qualification. And that short, pudgy officer -- who will need a lifetime of therapy to deal with the loss of her partner because of her incompetence -- had no right being a cop. Not if the job of cops is to prevent crime and protect the populace.

You may not agree with my opinion about the make-up of our constabulary, but I know you'll agree with my thoughts on the tortoise and the hare.