protecting_the_cops dafremen I don't believe that police should have the right to search our cars or our persons without a warrant specifically stating what they expect to find in our cars or on our person. These are illegal searches..in violation of the Constitution. They say its for the safety of the officers. But think about this: In 2006, state and local law enforcement agencies employed nearly 1.1 million persons on a full-time basis, including 732,000 sworn personnel (defined in the census as those with general arrest powers). These agencies also employed approximately 105,000 part-time employees, including 46,000 sworn officers. 75 police officers in a nation of 300 million people died..out of 778,000 sworn personnel. That means that a cop has a better chance of buying a large prize lottery scratcher ticket, than of getting killed on the job. Of the 75 police officers killed, only 30 of those were shot. 22 died in automobile accidents. 11 died of job-related illness. 5 were struck by automobiles while outside of their own vehicles. 4 officers died in motorcycle accidents, two were killed in helicopter accidents, and one officer was killed in a bomb blast. The odds? 10,339 to 1. And that's in a job that involves criminal activity..remember? The percentage of the American population that dies performing law enforcement duties every year, on average? 0.0025% And that is why the other 99.9975% of us are forced to let them search our pockets? That's why we are forced to let them scream at us? Shine lights in our eyes and intimidate us? That's why they use tazers on us? To protect them from losing...well..less than the national average. On average our country loses 0.79% of its population to all causes every year. It's safer to be a cop than it is to be a civilian in this country. The statistics don't lie. I believe that a police officer, or a highway worker, or a meter maid, or a bus driver should never get protection from risk at the cost of our freedoms. It's absurd to create laws that allow cops to demean us and perform illegal searches of our pockets..simply because they are afraid they might die. If you feel that your job is too dangerous..get a different job. That's what the rest of us do. Police: Don't tell the people you supposedly serve that they must be less free, less protected by their Constitutional Rights..so that you can feel safe in your job. If you don't have the courage...be a baker. Be a security guard. Be a homemaker. Don't be a cop. Cops need to face risk in a free society. Because in a truly free society, there are all sorts of people, with all sorts of notions out there. It's scary..for sure...but it's freedom..and that's what Americans are supposed to stand for. Our cops should care more about Freedom than their lives. Legislation should never pass which restricts citizens in favor of public workers. Freedom is what we are promised. Freedom is what we say that we value. Freedom must be preserved at all costs. 080513 ... dafremen By the way...on average..62 people die from lightning strikes every year in the U.S. That's only 13 less than the number of cops killed. We're talking about the odds of being struck by lightning here.. 080513 ... Lemon_Soda I would want you to read that on the floor of congress. 080514 ... Funky Francis Dafreman, thank you for this. Now *this* is a useful rant. Well done! 080514 ... daf Just typing what comes to mind. Useful hasn't always been a priority. Sometimes whim takes precedence over utility with me. I'm weird like that. But thanks. And yes, I'd love to meet some politicians. I've got something for them. 080514 ... They call me Truth In the name of security we have given up many aspects of our individual freedom. There was a revolution before, to free people from prejudice and forced restrictions. Laws used to discriminate against race, orientation, gender, belief structures were abolished because people decided that they would no longer allow their government to define who they should be. But now we freely give our freedoms away. They no longer restrict us. They use fear as a catalyst to cause us to restrict ourselves. 080514 ... Lemon_Soda Or perhaps...which I think is the case for many...that the relatively small amount of suffering we endure is an exceptable price for the freedoms we volunteer up by taking no action. 080515 ... Strideo The "war on drugs" is oft used as an excuse by the authorities to pry into our private lives and search our property and it is justified by the puritanical belief that all drugs are bad and all illegal drug users need to be punished. I myself believe that MOST drug ARE bad but it is not my place to use force to determine the actions of another human being so long as that other person is not violating the rights of another. All I can do by my ethical standards is attempt to educate, inform, and persuade without deception, coercion, or violent force. Our jails in America are clogged with non-violent drug offenders and I think that is wrong. Studies have shown that if you want to reduce drug abuse the most cost effective measures are to provide education and offer free treatment rather than criminal punishment and incarceration. As for violent drug offenders, I do believe that when a person violates the rights of another then they should receive appropriate punishment and I believe that the fact that they were under the influence of drugs should serve as no excuse. People should be held accountable for their decisions. ... 080515 ... . Right on, Strideo! Also, it's good to see you back again. 080515 what's it to you? who go blather from