Opinion | Wilhuff Tarkin: Calls To Abolish Stormtroopers Do More Harm Than Good
by Wilhuff Tarkin
Mr. Tarkin is a Grand Moff and the Governor of the Outer Rim Territories.
These noble heroes put their lives on their line every day to protect and serve our galaxy.
Like many proud patriots of the Galactic Empire, I was distressed to learn of the deaths of Owen and Beru Lars on Tatooine. As governor of the Outer Rim Territories, I value the well-being of every Imperial citizen, and any loss of life is a tragic affair.
Although initial reports at the scene of the crime implied that local nomads known as “Sand People” were responsible for the deaths of the couple, there is new holovid evidence recorded by a neighbor that Imperial stormtroopers may have killed them in self-defense during a routine investigation. Rest assured that this incident is being thoroughly investigated — and the witness thoroughly interrogated — while the officers in question are on paid leave. No matter who is responsible, justice will be served.
The Lars killings are the latest incident of law enforcement allegedly using excessive force in the line of duty. However, I am perturbed by recent calls from communities to “abolish” or “defund” our galaxy’s stormtroopers as a result of cases like this one. While the new holovid evidence does not show Imperial troopers being violent, it does depict Mr. and Mrs. Lars being uncooperative with officers during questioning. This incident serves as a reminder of how important it is for every law-abiding citizen to comply with law enforcement. If you aren’t a rebel, you have nothing to fear! Our stormtroopers are here to protect and serve you.
That is precisely why calls to “abolish stormtroopers” are so harmful. The majority of stormtroopers are loyal Imperials who put their lives in danger every day in service of the galaxy, and they should not be subjected to the anti-trooper bigotry that is increasingly commonplace. While there may occasionally be officers who abuse their power, it would be irresponsible and dangerous to throw out the entire system because of a few bad starfruit.
Just imagine the chaos that would result from not having stormtroopers in every community of the Outer Rim Territories. We are on the outskirts of the galaxy, far from the Core systems. During the days of the Galactic Republic, the worlds of the Outer Rim were often neglected by those in power. Crime was rampant. It was only after I put together an anti-piracy task force that law and order began to be restored, and the dream of true security was finally secured with the election of then-Chancellor Palpatine, our current Emperor.
Calls for more “transformative” public safety are well-intentioned, but we must be careful not to throw the Wookie out with the bathwater. If stormtroopers are abolished and the Imperial Academy is defunded, who will keep you safe? Do you really want to go back to pre-Empire anarchy? With crime bosses like Jabba the Hutt smuggling contraband through local communities and rebel scum attacking our Imperial shipyards, we need our boys in white to take a firm stance against disorder. To do that, they need adequate funding and support. (This is why, effective immediately, every local precinct has been given at least one military-grade AT-AT walker to help combat riots and rebellion.)
“If you aren’t a rebel, you have nothing to fear! Our stormtroopers are here to protect and serve you.”
—Grand Moff Willhuff Tarkin
The stormtroopers serving the Outer Rim are among the most professional in the galaxy. All Imperial troopers go through mental health response training so that they are fully prepared to deal with citizens in duress. Critics have argued that the presence of armed Imperial agents only escalates mental health crises, but in practice our officers have been able to quickly restrain and arrest those who disrupt the peace. We also encourage all of our officers to set their blasters to “Stun”. While it’s true that in rare cases this can still cause seizures and death, it is the best way to deal with social disorder — for example, drunk citizens who are sitting in their speeder outside the cantina. Do you really want that person driving home?
It’s been said by former legislators that Imperial law enforcement is speciesist and protects the interests of humans over non-humans. This is simply false. The Empire protects all species, no matter how primitive. Our government and law enforcement are incredibly diverse: I recently passed a resolution requiring local bases to accept nonhuman applicants to the Imperial Academy, and the fact that a blue-skinned Chiss like Grand Admiral Thrawn can rise through the ranks proves that the Imperial Dream is available for all who work for it.
The Galactic Empire values peaceful protest. However, in these times of strife, we need our stormtroopers more than ever. There are groups out there that want to destroy what makes this galaxy great. It’s because of hard-working officers like the 501st Legion that we were able to capture corrupt former senator Leia Organa, who was caught smuggling classified information to outside agitators. Thankfully, Emperor Palpatine has proposed a new law declaring “rebels” a terrorist organization; this will give our stormtroopers new power to protect us from these violent extremists at any cost.
Some stormtroopers may occasionally abuse their power, it’s true, but the actions of a few individuals should not be used to indict an entire system of law and order. On some planets, officers and cadets are calling in sick en masse to protest this new wave anti-trooper prejudice -- a "white blight," so to speak. Do you really want that to happen on your planet? Most stormtroopers are very fine people. Recent “community trooping” initiatives have allowed officers to live in the communities they serve and have more constant interaction with everyday citizens. Not only have these innovative programs increased the number of arrests, they’ve also allowed people to see that, at the end of the day, while our stormtroopers may have a legal license to kill, they’re also just like you and me. They’re really good dancers, too!
Healthy debate is good for a society. However, we should be realistic and not fall for naive, utopian ideals. People must be protected from each other. Even Owen and Beru Lars had skeletons in their closet — there is evidence they may have been collaborating with an outlaw Jedi, and their nephew is currently a wanted fugitive. While their deaths are tragic, calls to abolish our stormtroopers are going too far. What’s next, defunding our Star Destroyers? We simply can't have a galaxy-wide public safety apparatus without armed stormtroopers in every community. There will always be isolated incidents of brutality: if that’s the cost of freedom and security, I’ll gladly pay it.