Read a few criminal cases. Its criminal law regarding the use of force and compliance with a peace officers directives.
Constitutionl rights protect citizens from the misapplication of the law. Most police offices do NOT misapply the law, or our system of keeping the peace would not work, nor would it be the exemplary force it is nationally, admired by the rest of the world. Try seeking police assistance in places like Thailand or Mexico and you would quickly understand what I am saying.
It is your duty to comply with the directives of officers in dangeous situations , and there are very few instances where resisting or preventing such police work on the part of a citizen are justified. Those that are become notorious. Try what you advocate some time, like not following an officers directive on a highway at a car accident and see what happens!
“Most police offices do NOT misapply the law, or our system of keeping the peace would not work”
Says You? What has changed in fifty years where LEO’s are no longer your friend, The Damocrats have infected law enforcement just as they have our schools.
You need to wake up!
"It is your duty to comply with the directives of officers in dangeous situations ..."
Perhaps, in a "dangerous" situation it is the citizen's duty to comply, but the judgment of the officer in his claim that it's a dangerous situation should ALWAYS be open to question and review after the fact. This is not the same force you served on and I've seen too many cops abusing their authority when no such situation exists. I've seen cops create a situation and attempt to taunt a young kid to mouth off. I've seen it with my own eyes and I have 4 sons from 17-25 who are pulled over on a weekly basis on bogus claims about either 'loud exhaust' or 'couldn't read your plate' or 'your body kit is illegal' even one last week that said (and I quote) "I could see that you were ABOUT to weave in and out of traffic" (about to? wtf are they also psychic?).
"Also the reason we have tasers is that there is little respect for the law these days, or indeed for any authority, young people are not socialized to respect authority anymore, in school or at home."
While there is some truth to young people not being "socialized" as you call it to respect authority, to some small degree it's healthy to teach them to question authority when that authority is being misused. I think of the case in what was it Indiana? where the kid video taped an officer threatening to make up charges to arrest him on just because he questioned the officer's claims of speeding? More to the point, very, VERY few officers these days (including state troopers where I live) behave in a manner that warrants any legitimate respect. Sure they can command fear but that's not respect and it's not deserving of respect.
"Most police offices do NOT misapply the law, or our system of keeping the peace would not work, nor would it be the exemplary force it is nationally, admired by the rest of the world."
Sorry dude, this is not the force you served on. (oh and apparently officers' don't like to be called "dude" either as I've had my kids threatened for doing that as well). Daily I watch Connecticut state troopers drive 80mph on I-95. Every single day. I watch city cops use their emergency lights so they can just drive through a traffic light and then watched as they pulled into the police headquarters and casually sauntered into the office. Even seen one do this and turn (I kid you not!) into the local donut shop!
We have half a dozen members of the New Haven police force caught visiting prostitutes while on duty. Less than a month ago we had 4 officers who framed two brothers in NYC for selling crack or heroin (I forget which) supposedly made the sale directly to the officers involved but video tape proved the officers and the two brothers never had any contact whatsoever! All four of them gave sworn statements describing the date, time and location of the fictional buy before knowing there was a video taped record of that exact spot on that exact day and time. They simply picked two people to frame and were on with their day. We have at least 3 members of the Norwich CT city police caught dealing drugs. We have a state trooper in prison right now for murdering his wife and trying to frame another officer.... shall I continue? And I'm neither an expert on the topic nor someone who makes any attempt to track such instances. I'm just a regular Joe and these are real instances I can recall just from the local news. This is not the force you were on so many years ago.
And I'm sorry to break the news, but it most certainly is NOT my duty to obey any particular command by an officer who hangs out with the bunch described above.
Cheers,
Lloyd