Replies

In my Grandpa's day, there were rolling bandits with BARs attacking banks up and down the Midwest. Cops acted differently. In my father's day, there were riots, bombings and more terrorism in the 60’s and 70’s than we can imagine. Cops will still held to a higher standard.

Yes, the drug gangs are bad. But the local sheriff of my home town used to have a Thompson in his car. I am old enough to remember it. It was from the days of Al Capone. That guy dealt with drug running biker gangs (lots of fun stories with that one), what is called human trafficking now, and your normal compliment of small town crime ranging from stray cats to domestic abuse.

He behaved with integrity and never escalated a situation just to do so. The new cop, recent grad, wears BDU’s, pulls his gun out for every traffic stop (Nebraskans are well armed), and treats everyone like a criminal. Yet crime has been down for a long time (meth slowed down to a trickle, and opiods are easy to get so few things with that).

There have always been bad men with guns. Looking at the stats, it was often worse in those “revolver” days than now. For one thing, we don't hang cattle thieves from the bridge anymore (I miss the West). For another, your typical gang banger doesn't wander in with a BAR in 30.06 and shoot up the place.

Cops have changed. The old chief in my home town worked in New Jersey for most of the 80’s. Did a lot of interesting things with people that they write books and movies about now. Still treated people like they were, well, people not enemies or targets.