Very Good Dialog Going Here Folks
First, let me congratulate most here for having conducted a very informative and reasonable discourse on a very important issue. That we have those opposed - may I say strongly opposed - to certain police tactics and also have some well spoken, experienced LEOs participating is very encouraging and gratifying.
As I think I was the first to use the word 'Gestapo' in this thread, let me call to your attention the exact context in the following quote:
My use of the term was carefully considered and chosen because it conveys concisely all that can sometimes be wrong with law enforcement and with laws and those who make them. Again, NOTE THAT I WAS CAREFUL TO STATE THAT I WAS NOT CALLING OUR LEOs BY THAT NAME. The use was in the context of cautioning LEOs to continue to use their own judgment and common sense when doing their jobs instead of letting their zeal to perform well and please superiors supersede those considerations. I worked to get the attention I was after, but, apparently, some who read it were unable to read anything but a pejorative instead of the other carefully chosen words.
First, let me congratulate most here for having conducted a very informative and reasonable discourse on a very important issue. That we have those opposed - may I say strongly opposed - to certain police tactics and also have some well spoken, experienced LEOs participating is very encouraging and gratifying.
As I think I was the first to use the word 'Gestapo' in this thread, let me call to your attention the exact context in the following quote:
.My stance against the use of NKW and SWAT was a visceral thing, unrelated to informative data, until I started reading this thread. That there are now 50,000 NKW's and God only knows how many 'announce and enter' warrants annually is an abysmal black eye on the criminal justice system. All of you in LE risk becoming like minions at the lower level of the Gestapo who followed the direction of their superiors and left the thinking and value judgments to others. (NOTE: I did not here nor do I ever called LEOs the Gestapo; I merely point out how slippery some slopes are.) This issue - the increased militarization of LE - will indeed make LEOs the enemies of law-abiding, decent citizens if it is not stopped on constitutional grounds.
My use of the term was carefully considered and chosen because it conveys concisely all that can sometimes be wrong with law enforcement and with laws and those who make them. Again, NOTE THAT I WAS CAREFUL TO STATE THAT I WAS NOT CALLING OUR LEOs BY THAT NAME. The use was in the context of cautioning LEOs to continue to use their own judgment and common sense when doing their jobs instead of letting their zeal to perform well and please superiors supersede those considerations. I worked to get the attention I was after, but, apparently, some who read it were unable to read anything but a pejorative instead of the other carefully chosen words.