I see a definate shift away from Peace Officer to LEO, and a profound shift to the “Us vs. Them” mentality.
Being in competitive shooting, I meet most of the local police at one time or another. Off-duty, you couldn’t tell that the older officers were policemen…the younger cops couldn’t be anything else.
And don’t let F.U. Shakespeare fool ya. In the 70’s, he was at best one step away from an Anarchist. Or was that the Antichrist?
I keep getting those two confused…
That’s life Baron – in a few short decades I’ve gone from anarchist to anachronism.
But… but… didn’t the Master himself put this commonly believed idea to rest?
So when they harass your particular demographic there was just no justification but now that you’re clean cut let them screw around with who they will?
IMHO society is starting to give up the idea that we can ever magically solve its envisioned problems… easier to close the eyes and go through the motions telling ourselves we’re doing something.
I was being a wiseguy LostOne.
My bigger point is one that we seem to agree on: that harrassment can seem more benign when you’re immune to it.
As I said, I have encountered police harrasment. It mostly occurred a long time ago, when my appearance fit a specific visual demographic. (And Baron_of_Graymatter is basically correct about my political leanings during that era – the Baron and I go back a long time – but unless cops have ESP, they were stopping me because of how I looked).
I now have colleagues who have never fit any such demographic. And I often differ with them over how much police intrusion is acceptable. I find this especially true with respect to immutable things like race and gender.
I had hoped my last sentence made my point clear – that I seem to fit the stereotype of voting Republican more often as one grows older and acquires more money (and less hair).
Not the first time my brilliant wit has fallen flat. :smack:
Regarding the issue of crooks becoming nastier: I was born in 1959, so the era I’m comparing with today almost falls within the period Cecil admits was more peaceful (late 40’s-early 60s). And my small West Virginia hometown may have been a few years behind the national curve in such things.
Not that it’s an excuse for harassment but why do people who dress in a style that that is designed to shock and otherwise thumb its nose at societies conventions then wonder why society reacts to them as if they are an outsider?
Dinsdale
There was an attitude of “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” And you could easily avoid police attention by keeping a low profile and minding your own business.
IMHO ignoring the small stuff leads to more big stuff. I think it sets a bad image if the only time you see the police in your neighborhood is when they show up with a big blue army in battle armor to bust in on the local crackhouse.
Baron_of_Graymatter
Off-duty, you couldn’t tell that the older officers were policemen…the younger cops couldn’t be anything else.
That could just be a function of age. If TV and movies has taught me anything about the police, I’m sure the older officers (who are “too old for this shit”) were just as big loose cannons when they were rookies.
I just want to mention that I am annoyed by the irony of my friend and I gettting cited in NYC for open containers because the police were cleaning up all the drug addicts that hang out in front of his appartment.
:smack:
Reading it now it seems so obvious.
I have to agree with your points (especially the wiseguy bit)
Also… you can’t begrudge me my first oppertunity to quote the Perfect Master! 
IMHO the fact that an officer can stand and watch a crime being committed, and be under no obligation to do anything, is the prime reason people don’t trust cops. When you leave it to the individual’s discretion whether to enforce a law or not, there is no law. There is the opinion of a single individual as to whether what he witnesses is ok, or whether the ‘perp’ should go to prison. Granted, once you’re arrested, you have a chance to defend yourself in court. And the cop knows that too. If you get arrested, it’s because the person arresting you did three things: 1) Saw or believed they saw or are willing to say they saw someone do something that could be considered illegal, if someone were to ask them. 2) Decided they did, in fact, WANT to do something about it. They don’t have to, we know that. 3) Decided that, if someone did ask them WHY they chose to arrest this person, they have the appropriate answers ready and they believe there is a reasonable chance the ‘perp’ will be punished. If these three things are not done, the ‘crime’ never actually happened. It’s been deemed ‘legal’, by the only definition that has meaning anymore: You aren’t arrested for it.