That gun-shooting neighbor is in custody...

I guess I have been lucky all these years. I can not recall a single Police Officer being rude, holding a gun to my head or any of the other complaints posted here. I have received a few traffic citations. I knew I was wrong. I think the big problem is citizens tend to argue and say how the Officer is wrong and this and that. Then the natural instinct might kick in for the Officer, become defensive when being attacked. Anyhow, I've never had any problems. Even received some big breaks for being honest.

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For those who fought for it, Freedom holds a special flavor the protected will never know.

Obivously, what happened there was wrong, but I refuse to believe that this kind of thing happens on a regular basis. When it does happen, it needs to be handled like any other crime.

One thing to consider as well is that there needs to be strict oversight. Be careful who you elect and make sure that someone is watching what they do and that all the power is not concentrated in one place. Like the saying goes, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

For the record, I actually somewhat support the legalization of drugs. I say "somewhat" because there are innocent victims of drug users such as children and spouses who end up getting abused, as well as those who have their property stolen by drug users trying to support their habits. I just don't know what kind of floodgate might open if drugs were legalized.

Another thing I might point out to Quint, is that in another thread on child abusers/molesters you said you would torture a person suspected of doing this to one of your own. How is what these officer did more wrong that what you said you would do?

If you were blowing off steam that's fine, but if you were serious, you actually are a hypocrite and no better that those officers.

To clarify I would only be beating the confession out of him after the toddler said Mr. X was doing act A and there was some sort of proof of it. Would that be hypocritical? Not in my view. Because I would be doing it as a private citizen. The incident mentioned above was being done by men under the authority of the state with the threat of penalties of the state. Some diaper sniper that molested my daughter would never make it to the legal system of the state.

I would also say that when a crime committed under the authority of the law and the state as happened in Campbell county happens it doesn't need to be treated like any other crime. It needs to be treated much differently and the penalties need to be much more severe. When such incredible power is given to people and they abuses it so egregiously, those who engage in such conduct must be severely punished.

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Respect The Cactus!

Good points, but if the police are doing this to protect the public at large rather than for their own benefit (I don't know what the officers' motivations were in Campbell Co.), what is the difference? You are protecting your child. They are protecting everyone's child.

Besides what are you going to do with his confession?

You may have the victim's testimony (they could be lying or mistaken) and you may have some "proof" (it may or may not prove anything) and you add to that a confession coerced from someone using physical pain (they could just be confessing to stop the pain).

Now what? You, as a completely biased person and in a highly charged emotional state, are now going to exact justice by killing them?

I think the problem lies with the the judges in this country. A jury convicts someone for a particular crime, then judges give the person weak sentences. It leads to a sense of vigilantism.

Since most judges are elected or appointed by an elected person, we need to be vey careful about who we elect.

Anyway, our system, while not perfect, is better than anything else I have seen and I would place my trust in the police officers of the U.S. over those in any other country.

I hear that. One memorable ride along back up (only one deputy on duty at night) I went on, a shiftless mooch grandson who had a penchant for smacking around and terrorizing the his grandparents had finally beaten his 75+ year old grandma so bad she had to be hauled off in an ambulance. Judge had let the guy off time and time again. VPOs and everything else but the judge just kept turning him loose. Lady ended up in a nursing home eventually because of it. Guy is still out running the streets. He's in jail about once a month for something or another. Public intox, OWI, warrants, some sort of assclownery. He does a month here or there but he jumps through the counseling hoops and never gets any real time from the judge. Just enough jail rehab and nutrition to get his health back to where he can be dangerous again when he gets out. He'll finally end up killing somebody someday.

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Respect The Cactus!