Why do we even need Police authority bullies in our society? Could we not police ourselves?
I always wonder how this society gave away so much power to the policemen, policewomen and sheriffs.
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Why do we even need Police authority bullies in our society? Could we not police ourselves?
I always wonder how this society gave away so much power to the policemen, policewomen and sheriffs.
There are about 800,000 active duty police officers in the US. Several have been found to be corrupt and abuse the power they have been given. I'm sure you are a fair-minded person and would not want to blame all 800,000 for the crimes of the few bad actors would you? We will always need good people with guns to protect us from bad people with guns. We have always needed good people with weapons to protect us from bad people with weapons. This has been true since the beginning of time. To think that this will ever change could be considered naive.
Why we need 800,000 active duty police officers? Sounds like way too many for tax payers to pay for their salaries.
I used to see it your way @chuck2u32, viewing the corruption and abuses of power as statistically insignificant anomalies to an otherwise reasonably functioning system. I won't delve into @doitvoluntarily response to you (even though I think it has a lot of intellectual merit to it), I just want to offer up something you may not have experienced/seen before.
Obviously I have no idea what type of news information you consume, but a source I have been following (for a number of years now) is http://thefreethoughtproject.com/ . I'm not sure if they have aggregate statistics on their website (I know this is something they were attempting to put together at one point), however, they do provide very detailed/follow up reporting on aggregated police misconduct (nationwide!) on a daily basis which, after reading/following for several years is actually quite horrifying. Instances of abuse of power, cover-up, repeat offenses, department shifting (between states), etc. Every single day, thefreethoughtproject will have literally a handful of reports on police misconduct. Multiply this by 365 days and we are looking at a very large number of concerns.
I'm not trying to say that every cop in America is a morally reprehensible person, a bad actor or a crooked cop per se. What I am saying is that there are STRUCTURAL problems that merit lots of attention and action if so-called "free people" have any hope of even holding onto that silly moniker.
Up until about 1900 there were few cops in the US. Most people that could afford them carried guns, and handled their business.
Here's the right question. Are you a good guy?
If you are, then carry a gun, and handle your business. Don't be lazy or a coward and hide behind the skirts of little girls that hide outside schools where children are being murdered.
The cops are the criminals, because criminals infiltrate power bases in order to commit crimes with impunity.
You won't. Neither will most Americans, but only criminals would. Take away the prize those criminals seek, a power base immune from accountability that police powers are, and crime will plummet.
Arm the people, and the criminals will flee. Arm only cops, and the criminals will become cops. That's what happened, and it's time to fix it.
Thank you for the reply. I think we should all be armed. I also think that anyone can snap and be a criminal. When someone decides to pursue a criminal endeavor, with everyone armed, their carrier change will be short lived. Criminals are selfish. They fear most for their own safety. That is why they prey on the weak or plot evil acts in advertised gun-free zones. What a criminal fears most is a bullet from nowhere ending his reign of terror especially when he is saving the last bullet for himself.
chuck, their job by definition requires them to harass and kidnap people on a daily basis over victimless crimes. So their job by definition isn't one that's "good" seeing as many laws on the books that they enforce are unconstitutional and unjust. Also, free people don't need an agency with a monopoly on coercion, that are exempt from morality, trying to "protect them"😄👍how can someone extort me and try to protect me at the same time?
they cant.
I agree with your view point over chuck's. Why do we still have police in our society then?
Thanks to you and @hanamana for the reply! Are we talking about anarchy? What about the people who cannot defend themselves against people who most would consider mean and evil? Self-policing requires a degree of self-discipline that simply does not exist in any society. Where in history has it ever been recorded that a group of people have ever evolved without the need to limit the power of people who choose to abuse others for sport or gain? Again, thanks for the exchange.