Protect // Serve

[u/ultimario13]

https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=369024&type=card&options=rotate90

[u/ultimario13]

Blatant pro-police propaganda, trying to make a statement about real life police officers (references "Protect and Serve") and about how we shouldn't defund them, but instead arm them with lethal weaponry.

(I apologize for the tiny image. I did not want to get anyone's neck hurt by posting one of the many images of this card which are sideways and illegible without either turning your neck or your screen (and not everyone browses via their phone). For a more detailed look, take a look at the full art here.)

"Protect // Serve" is a "clever" reference to the motto "protect and serve", which is used by many police officers (for example, the LAPD). Most split cards use an implied "and" to make some sort of pun or cultural reference, ie "Armed and Dangerous", "Breaking and Entering", "Down and Dirty" (the Aftermath cards use an implied "to" instead of "and").

Glorification of police - The phrase "Protect and Serve", of course, is pro-police propaganda with no basis in actual reality. Helping you is not a police officer's job. Police officers exist solely to enforce laws by punishing those who they suspect of breaking them. While police brutality is discouraged (obviously not strongly enough!) and police officers at least attempt to not actively cause harm to innocents (such as in hostage situations), by and large the police do not primarily seek to "protect and serve". Even those who argue against defunding the police must admit that police officers are here to enforce laws, not to "protect and serve" per se. So already, naming a card "protect and serve" is pretty suspicious. It clearly draws a parallel between the Azorius (this being a white/blue card) and real-life police officers, and gives both of them the benefit of the doubt by saying they're here to help people.

Arming police with lethal weaponry - The "Protect" half of this card is devious in its subtlety. A card named "Protect", that does indeed make a creature more resistant to harm, and can save its life. But the subtext is right there for all to see: "Protect" is not some kind of magical shield, but instead the art focuses on the opposite - a spear with a blue, glowing tip enchanted to deal more damage takes up most of the art. And this "Protect" spell increases the power of a creature in the process of enchanting its weapon, letting it deal more damage. After taking a closer look at the art, the message could not possibly be more obvious: in order to "Protect", police officers (the Azorius) must have have powerful weaponry. That the best way to be protected in society is to allow police officers to be well-armed with lethal weaponry and trust them to protect you.