[jayswin]

Originally Posted by BlackEleven

There are a lot of threads where people are outraged at police action -- this one, the girl kicking her shoes at the cop, the cop tackling the cylcist and on and on. But the cops in those videos do deserve the harsh words directed at them. The cops aren't above or exempt from the law; they have to obey it like everyone else. And when those trusted with enforcing the law are breaking it themselves regardless of the intenions behind it or whether or not it was deserved, they sabotage the trust the public has placed in them.

I don't think there are as many 'anti-police guys' here as you think though. I think most people recognize that the cops are there for are own safety and protection and the vast, vast majority of them do their jobs bravely, silently and often heroicly. It's just that these actions don't make the news because their expected. Fair or not, we expect cops to act this way, so when they don't its a big story.

But that doesn't mean all cops are infallable. Just like there are good people among the general populace that make mistakes, there are cops that make them as well. Joe Average has to pay for his mistakes, so the cop does too. To always take the cops side is just as unfair as always taking the suspects.

Wow, you summed up my thoughts perfectly.