IN ENGLAND THE LONDON POLICE SERVICE WANTS ALL FREEMASONS COPS TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES
Well, this is odd and coming out of left field (for those on the Eastern Side of The Pond, this means unusual to say the least, and is a reference from American baseball). Apparently, London’s Metropolitan Police Service is looking to force any and all police officers as well as civilian employees to identify themselves as members of the Freemasons or any of its associated orders. Huh. Who knew that there could possibly be any reason to want to know of any possible conflicts of interest involving public servants (cops, civil servants) who are members of a totally secret society? Maybe it’s nothing to sneeze at in terms of privacy concerns. I’m a little torn. But it’s causing some controversy in England.
BUT THE FREEMASONS ARE CRYING FOUL, CHALLENGING LEGALLY FOR “RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION”
Freemasons do have a saying that’s not secret, which essentially amounts to that they’re not a secret society, but they’re a society with secrets. I have no idea what that means. But then again, I’m not a member of the Freemasons, either. But the secret society order, or society that keeps secrets secret, isn’t taking the situation lightly. It filed papers in London on Christmas Eve, claiming that the Met’s new policy is, essentially, “religious discrimination” directed at Freemason coppers (cops, if you’re a Yankee like me). The order also says that those behind the new policy move are “whipping up conspiracy theories” about Freemason cops, and about the order in general.
Related:
THERE’S A REAL CONFLICT HERE BETWEEN SECRET SOCIETIES’ SECRETS AND PRIVACY
But I can’t help but note that Freemasons, while they keep their secrets secret (as they have for literally hundreds of years), broadly proclaim they are just an order that promotes charity. And while that sounds nice (and I’m saying that as a Presbyterian, myself) it seems inadequate as an outsider to know why everything else about the order is… secret. But to be fair, I don’t know, and neither do you. In England, there are only (we think) 440 Freemasons cops in the Met, with maybe about 1,200 Freemasons cops in all of England. As a privacy advocate myself, I tend to hope the order’s member cops don’t lose theirs. As a citizen who’s not a member, and therefore an outsider, I can’t help but wonder.
Lest it be forgotten here, it’s worth noting that the Met surveyed police in general and two thirds of the respondents said Freemasons cops should identify themselves. It’s not clear how widely applied the survey was…. But it’s also worth noting that in December, New Scotland Yard announced it was placing the organization on its ‘declarative associations’ list for its staff, giving it the same status as previous criminal convictions.
As for that last? Um, what? What the hell does that mean?
Maybe it’s a secret.
