I started a thread yesterday on how innocent civilians are being treated like criminals because they are driving a white van. Many Freepers criticized me for questioning police tactics. I think it is right to question the police tactics being used here. There is a lot of hysteria out there and cops are being pressured to show the public (and media) that they are "doing something."
I wish they would just focus on the job at hand and tell the media to put away the cameras and mikes. That is, conduct no more press conferences and if there is something important to get out to the public, issue a press release. The press conferences have been as useless as White House press conferences. Nothing but a bunch of "I-can't-say-at-this-times" and "We-cannot-comment-on-the-specifics-of-this-investigations." A total waste of time.
Well as I said, I had a thread yesterday about the stupidity of pulling over white vans willy-nilly and in some cases, pulling the occupants out at gunpoint. Some Freepers on yesterday's thread cheered this practice and called me a "cop-basher" for having the audacity to question it. Some even said that they would happily comply to having a "felon stop" performed upon them. (A felon stop is when the cops order you out of the car at gunpoint and have you lie face-first on the ground with your hands up.) I doubt that any of these folks own or drive white vans in the D.C area.
Now when this "white van" was pulled over this morning and for a short time, it seemed that the snipers were caught, I braced for a round of "I-told-you-so's" from the Police State crowd. Actually I wouldn't have minded the abuse if it meant the killers were finally caught. But alas, it turns out to be a couple of harmless jerk-offs who shouldn't even be in this country. Again, a total over-reaction by the police. At least in this case, it had the benefit of getting two illegal aliens out of the country. It's an awfully expensive way to deport illegal aliens however. I'd rather have the cops focus on finding the snipers and let the Immigration Department deal with getting the illegals out of the country.