[Bubba Ho-Tep]

It just baffles me how someone who is in favor of freedom and individual liberty--and concerned about tyranny, totalitarianism and other forms of oppressive government authority (so concerned, in fact, to spend time on a site like FreeRepublic)--can reflexively jump on the side of the police in every single incident involving allegations of brutality of misconduct.

Because, although they're unlikely to admit it, they're glad that the police are roughly handling--and sometimes killing--criminals. Because they fear crime and they believe that this sort of police behavior will never touch them. That's why, anytime one of these incidents occurs, there's a rush to find anything bad that the victim did. Because then they deserve it.

[Conscience of a Conservative]

Because, although they're unlikely to admit it, they're glad that the police are roughly handling--and sometimes killing--criminals. Because they fear crime and they believe that this sort of police behavior will never touch them. That's why, anytime one of these incidents occurs, there's a rush to find anything bad that the victim did. Because then they deserve it.

I agree 100%. One of my very favorite quotes from any Supreme Court case (and yes, I have "favorite quotes" from Supreme Court cases) is from Justice Frankfurter's dissent in U.S. v. Rabinowitz:

It is a fair summary of history to say that the safeguards of liberty have frequently been forged in controversies involving not very nice people.

Worth keeping in mind in any of these cases.