A Strong Man Of Character*sniff* *sniff* someone get the flasherbunny a tissue...he feels peed on and suffers from tent envy. *sniff*
ROFLMAO!
One thing about you RINO lovers- you are funny.
Just not intentionally so.
In case you didn't get that, I mean you people funny in a "laughing at" way, not a "laughing with" way.
All Rudy is really doing in this little section of speech is restating a few well known truths in the context of law enforcement. First, there's no question that the "community" holds less power over individuals today than in the past. A sense of community, "social capital," was what helped keep kids in line, discouraged them from deliquency, kept them in school, etc.
Second, the idea of "authority" is often misunderstood. "Authority" and "authoritarianism" are not the same thing. "Authority," as many philosophers point out, lies in the hands of followers, not in the hands of leaders. Authority occurs when people voluntarily and on a limited basis suspend their judgment in favor of that of someone else.
Third, I think Rudy was speaking in the context of crime and law enforcement, not in a broad civil liberties sense. But regardless, there is truth in the idea that even in a free society, people cede some of their liberty in exchange for being able to live in a civil society. And yes, Ben Franklin was not entirely right on this point.
A Strong Man Of Character