In another thread, dealing with Dominique Strauss-Kahn's arrest and arraignment for (allegedly) raping a hotel maid, one commentor questioned the veracity of the victims's complaint. One of the replies to him, from DesertRhino, said:
...in my experience, men who are actually the most lethal of all, exhibit an easy grace about their personal skills... They manage to be mature enough to understand that most people are not nearly as strong as they are. They even realize that protecting those weaker types, is the very reason why the warriors exist.It occurred to me that a lot of the complainers about too-agressive police have this standard in the back of their minds.
I spent 25 years as an infantry officer and led men in combat. I understand the importance of the warrior ethos and warrior spirit. But that ethos and spirit must be held in check to ensure that its force is only used against a legitimate enemy. When that restraint is lost, soldiers become criminals and leaders must protect both the soldiers and the innocents from that scenario.
That constraint is even more important in the civil sphere. The powers granted to the police must never be abused and their duty to protect the public must stand paramount. I have seen too much evidence that some of our law enforcement officers have forgotten this, especially in SWAT type organizations who may lack proper leadership.