Not All Police Are "Good Guys"

As much as I admire most police officers and other law enforcement agents (And, their departments/agencies) there is a too-large minority of both individuals and organizations in that “work” who do NOT meet with my approbation as they grow and have grown too powerful, too far beyond the control of the People, too forgetful of the fact that the “common people” also have rights, powers (eg In most of the USA, the ability to buy and keep-at-hand modern weapons) and a strong desire to NOT be abused.

Politicians and those who elect them should be specially aware of the following statement (Adapted from Jack Vance's The Demon Princes:

“As soon as the police slip out from under the firm thumb of a suspicious and careful legislative body, they become arbitrary, merciless, a law unto themselves. They think no more of justice, but only of establishing themselves as a privileged and envied elite. They mistake the attitude of natural caution and uncertainty of the civilian population as admiration and respect, and presently they go about their land with superior fire-power and a megalomaniac tendency to use such. Citizens become, therefore, not masters but servants or slaves. Such a police force becomes merely an aggregate of sanctioned criminals, the more baleful as their power and actions are sanctioned by the Law. For this sub-class of police operatives and their like agencies, humans are not understood in terms other than objects to be dealt with at the convenience of these overly powerful persons.

Citizens' desires or dignity mean nothing to them.

If such a police officer kills a civilian, it is a “regrettable circumstance”. HOWEVER, if a citizen kills a police officer, all hell breaks loose and all other police business comes to an effective stop until “someone” is arrested (Or, killed by the police) for that offense. All too often the rights (eg To no searches of private homes without judicially approved warrants) of all the People are ignored. All too often, any captured suspect is subjected to physical abuse (To the level of torture) or “killed while attempting to escape”. Such police consider any attack OR even lesser opposition to their desires and intolerable presumption!

Better a hundred unchecked criminals that the operations of such a police force!”

Examples of this type of “police work” include the FBI at “Ruby Ridge” (Where an unarmed woman, holding her infant, was murdered by an FBI sniper) and all of the Federal authorities at the “Branch Davidian” compound near Waco, Texas (Where Janet Reno, the USA's, Democrat Party, Attorney General ordered an assault resulting in the deaths of many children and non-combatant women when the ongoing siege would have resulted, in time, to the surrender of the people there to face the probably unfounded criminal charges which might have been brought against them.) Too many local police department (eg Milwaukee) have too many examples (eg The beating of Mr. Frank Jude, Jr.) of such abuses.

Therefore, keep a doubtful and analytic mind open as to any requests for the increase of police power in this land!