Why do cops deserve more respect than people in other professions?

[Sleel]

You and I are probably not going to agree on this.

You seem to think that having respect for an office means being uncritical and subservient. I don’t. You can criticize the job the person does in serving without being rude. They deserve the use of a title the same way that a university professor or PhD holder deserves to be called “Professor” or “Doctor.” They don’t have the right to insist that you use the title, but a polite person would. Using a title doesn’t mean that you are acknowledging that they are above you, it just means that you are using the proper term of address for the office they hold.

[furt]

@acsenray

No, you should address the president of the United States as “Mr. Bush” or “Sir,” which is exactly the same degree of courtesy you would offer any other member of the democratic community.

You will, of course, note the fact that the vast majority of American citizens over the last 220 years have disagreed with you.

[Acsenray]

@Sleel

You seem to think that having respect for an office means being uncritical and subservient.

I think you’re completely missing the point I am making. I am saying that in a democracy, prime importance must be given to the notion that public servants work for the people and thus are in a subordinate position and everyday courtesies should be consistent with that.

I don’t. You can criticize the job the person does in serving without being rude.

I seem to recall saying that one should not be rude. I seem to recall saying, repeatedly, that one should be courteous. My point is that there is a difference between courtesy and deference and that in a democratic system, a citizen should never offer deference to an office holder because the officer holder is the employee and the citizen is the employer.

They deserve the use of a title the same way that a university professor or PhD holder deserves to be called “Professor” or “Doctor.” They don’t have the right to insist that you use the title, but a polite person would.

These are completely different matters. First of all, there are plenty of people (on this board) who don’t believe in using such titles. I’m not one of them – I gladly address people as “doctor” or “professor,” but it’s a completely different context. Those holding the public office are in an extremely important symbolic situation and the ideals of democratic egalitarianism must be paramount in such cases.

@furt

You will, of course, note the fact that the vast majority of American citizens over the last 220 years have disagreed with you.

And this proves what, exactly, regarding my opinion on this matter? There are a number of issues on which I would say that the vast majority of American citizens over the last 220 years have been wrong, some on much important issues than this one. I believe that surveys routinely show that the majority of Americans, when it comes right down to it, don’t really believe in notions such as freedom of expression.