I respect the average LEO as much as he/she respects the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Amendments. which in most cases is next to nil. the American people, as a whole, are simply not going to give respect to organizations that enforce the law but do not obey it.
law enforcement is not like pro basketball, or barbering, or interior decorating. bad law enforcement costs lives. unfortunately, many police departments have a "What, me worry?" attitude. we critique NBA players, the Postal Service, and how our neighbors mow their lawn; yet those are inconsequential activities compared to no-knock raids, perjury (both on warrants and on the witness stand), driving-while-ethnic traffic stops, etc.
as for the FBI's clues about the supposed child molestation, that bullcrap came from the ATF, who knew which of Reno's buttons to push in order to get authorization for the full-dress military invasion. and the BDs were armed because they got an anonymous phone call (some claim from an ATF agent) that they were going to be attacked by anti-cult extremists.
hell, if we're going to go after a secretive cult with an established track record of child molestation, lets go after the Catholic Church. they fit most criteria for a "cult": the Church claims to be the one and only terrestrial intermediary between man and God; fixations with icons and statuary; secret communications with worldwide "cells" using encrypted messages; many well-documented cases of child molestation by Church leaders. who is next; rural snake-handling Baptists? Hasidic Jews? Coptic Christians? an old saying come to mind; is your church BATF-approved?
"When Hitler attacked the Jews I was not a Jew, therefore, I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the Catholics, I was not a Catholic, and therefore, I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the unions and the industrialists, I was not a member of the unions and I was not concerned. Then, Hitler attacked me and the Protestant church--and there was nobody left to be concerned."
Martin Niemoller (1892-1984) in Congressional Record 14 October 1968, p. 31636
[This message has been edited by Ivanhoe (edited February 09, 2000).]