Grudging Acceptance

I've noticed in a couple of gun and political blogs that they hate the government, but love the cops.

Dears, the cops ARE government.

Just like government, I want the smallest number that actually gets the job done and I want that job narrowly and clearly defined.

Because it's such a position of trust, when those narrow boundaries are exceeded I want the punishments to be swift, severe and irrevocable.

I understand the nature of government and two things are certain about it.  It always seeks to grow.  It always uses any capability it has access to.

It will break the law to grow and use those capabilities.

To keep the growth in check, the citizenry must be vigilant.  They've got to vote the issues.  They've got to be involved in the candidate selection process, not just the election.

When the government (and police) exceed their narrow boundaries in a republican government, it's the people's fault for letting it happen.

If the world was a perfect place, we wouldn't need any cops (or government for that matter).  But the world isn't a perfect place.  Anarchy is a world of might-makes-right and endless vendetta.

The thing to always bear in mind is that our government exists to secure our unalienable rights and nothing more.  Always remember that it does so only with our consent.  You'd think that four days after Independence Day I wouldn't have to sit here and remind people of that.