Ruminations

It should never be illegal to photograph or film uniformed police.  Hey, if they're not doing anything wrong, they have nothing to worry about; do they?  Besides, it's what they tell me when they create some new violation of the 4th Amendment...


Speaking of the 4th Amendment:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

I notice there's not a "except when we think someone might destroy evidence" or "unless it's drug related" or "if they might be terrorists" exceptions listed here.

The "let yourself be arrested and then let the courts sort it out" argument is the exact wrong tack here.

This is about rights.  "Let your rights be violated and the courts will sort it out."  But they won't, will they?

To the Fraternal Order of Police: Things that make my rights more secure and your job harder is a feature, not a bug (I lost the attribution for that line).

I've seen video of the Pima County Sheriff's raid that resulted in the death of Joe Guerena.  There's no way they went from bright sunlight to positive threat identification in a darkened house in the time between the door being knocked in to when shots are fired.

I maintain that the rules of engagement for the police should be far more strenuous than those of the private citizen.  There should never be a situation where the police have shot someone where I would be convicted of murder and they are not.  Because an officer is not an individual while in the line of duty; I support that there are situations where a policeman is guilty of murder where I would not be as a private citizen.  Cops are not people while doing their duty, they are The State.  If any given cop, deputy or trooper doesn't care for this, they can quit and find a job elsewhere.

I am sick to death of hearing about my employees telling me that I am making their jobs harder so I can't.  Officer, you work for me and I want your job to be harder.  You work for us, we don't work for you and making your job easier is making you a fascist.