[hfr]

" ... considers himself to be at war with the population his department ostensibly protects and serves ... "

That's the scary thing. It seems the police forces nationwide, at all levels of government, have begun to see themselves as a separate class, different, above, and isolated from the population they ostensibly serve.

That level of isolation, and self serving insulation injures the concept of responsible government this country is founded upon, enshrined in the Constitution.

[hfr]

Responsible government means accountability to authority.

These people are accountable to whom? Themselves and no one else.Sheriff, Police, Prosecutors, Judges, politicians - they effectively form a distinct class that is separate from the general citizenry.

That is the problem, the only eventual authority of resort is diffuse: a difficult to coalesce public opinion that barely motivates a supine citizenry.

That is exactly why Franklin said, "A republic, if you can keep it."

[tacticalogic]

That's the scary thing. It seems the police forces nationwide, at all levels of government, have begun to see themselves as a separate class, different, above, and isolated from the population they ostensibly serve.

The politicians are the shepherds, they're the guard dogs, the bad guys are the wolves, and we're the sheep. Anything that doesn't behave like a sheep but isn't a shepherd is a wolf. They're here to guard the sheep for the shepherd, but mutton can still be on the menu for dinner if some sheep should come an unfortunate end.