imported post
CoonDog wrote:
Alexcabbie wrote:
The police are an absolutely essential element of defense of the community aginst BGs.
This great nation existed for a century before the widespread adoption of the local police forces. Until then, police were hired only in large urban areas.
The first local modern police department established in the United States was the Boston Police Department in 1838, followed by the New York City Police department in 1844. Early on, police were not respected by the community, as corruption was rampant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_enforcement_in_the_United_States
I imagine there would still be a demand for detective services, but I could do without the traffic revenue collection, the rights abuses, the war on drugs, etc., that is regularly observed in a patrol force. The truth is, people have done--and can do again--a great job policing their own communities. The adoption of police forces in practically EVERY community is a modern phenomena, and an unnecessary one at that.
I'll start by repeating my appreciation that smokingcrack357 is gone, perhaps now the discussion can be constrained to lucid arguements.
Alexcabbie, you have a point. LEO's do a job full time, that all of us are responsible for, yet have other priorities. Besides, I'm not sure if the idiots who fly down country roads on crotch rockets would obey my demands that they stop endangering other prople's lives, but they damn sure slow the F down when the county sheriff's deputy pulls them over. What are we citizens supposed to do to stop such behavior? Spike strips? (I'm not opposed to the idea, but you can bet you'd have problems after that)
CoonDog, you're right, there was nothing like the police state we have today. There was also little that could be done to stop serial killers, interstate organized crime rings (and now we have international crime rings) and general have a buffer in place to keep the dependency class from rioting everytime a "community organizer" convinces them they should be angry about not having the living standards of the Rockefellers. Riots still happen, but usually because of something the police are involved in, and quelled quickly.
In my neck of the woods, we have a decent Sheriff's Dept. You know enough not to be an a$$ on the county roads (if you're a local) and stay w/ +5 of the limit. They aren't there to generate revenue. In town it'salittle different, but when you don't lok like a meth addict, they usually ignore you rolling SLOWLY through a stop sign and looking around, (but not seeing the cop until it was too late).
While I totally agree that the war on drugs is worse than an abysmal failure as it has been waged, (in fact it may just make things worse) total legalization probably won't be much better in reducing use. The use is what leads to the problems cops are supposed to prevent. Users (not pot heads) tend to engage in criminal and destructive behavior. I've known once decent people who became paraniod lunatics, lost more money than many of us will ever make, and even their lives, to meth use.
Almost everyone I think has known a guy who was successful, and had great potential end up sitting in a garage at 3am listening to Blue Oyster Cult and taking apart a Microwave while wired of of their minds. Blaming everyone and everything except himself and his drug useage for the loss of his wife, kids, house, truck, dog, guns, bass boat, etc. Happens with alarming frequency, and I don't think legalization will "take out the cost and criminal activity associated with it's use".
We need a secure border first and foremost. The "assets" enforcing the drug war should all be shifted to inspection ofcargo, and monitoring all the traffic that crosses it.
Now to return to topic. WACO was enough for me. It wasn't enough aparently for %99.82 of the public. Then I saw 9/11 happen, and the %.18 I was art of lost their minds and bought into the insipid "truth movement" while I called a truce with the empire and signed up to help kill islamic jihadists. I have no regrets, and many of those %.16 were lunatics anyway. I now have a family, and even though it seems like the country is going fullfil Nikita Khrushchev's promise I don't know where MY LINE is. I suppose it's at my door. As Mel Gibson said in The Patriot: "I have a family, I don't have the luxury of principles".
I suppose when I know at the other side of the door awaits a force that will take everything precious away from me, or harm them no matter if I live or die, I'll draw the final line. However the people have been doing a great job resisting Khrushchev's agents lately. Hopefully all I have to do is join the mob and we can advance our own line.
