If I have to choose between showing mercy for criminals who have no regard for innocent people vs. cops who show little/no regard for criminals, I will come down on the side of cops every single time. Of course, I do hope that cops use discretion and maintain their composure when dealing with suspects and criminals, but I also understand that they can make mistakes, and that they are dealing with the dark underbelly of human society, which will definitely cloud their perspective.
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CA Renter – you seem sweetly unaware that people who like pushing others around (or worse) are disproportionately attracted to positions of authority. (Look at the history of the BTK killer, for example, or the ongoing issues with security guards). The more benefit of the doubt that you give them, the more attracted the bad actors are going to be. We want it to be very clear that being a police officer is not a license to play fast and loose with other people’s Constitutional rights.
And just to be clear, I don’t think all police officers are bad. I also don’t think all bartenders are alcoholics, but it has a certain appeal . . .
