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I think you misunderstood my question. Testy, aren't we?

Was there another way to take your question? It only made sense as a sarcasm. To answer it directly (which is more than you now deserve), I haven't changed at all. I believe in the rule of law and I support authority when it is in the right. When it is corrupt or abusive I condemn it with fury.

If he had acted in a respectful but firm manner and refused to answer their questions I would be backing him up. But he deliberately baited them. The antagonism in his counter questions was obvious to me and, as I said before, that is from HIS version of it. One can easily imagine how much of an ass he really was. Admitting to playing the race card surely blows his credibility.

So far you still haven't taken a crack at answering my questions in post #44.

If he was really concerned about suspicious objects in the park wouldn't he have immediately identified himself and layed out his suspicions to the first authority figure to come along? Wouldn't he have been actively seeking one out?

Instead he was evasive and antagonistic. What is a cop supposed to think when that is coupled with a report that he was photographing equipment and taking notes?

"So far you still haven't taken a crack at answering my questions in post #44."

I'll take a stab at your questions:

"If he was really concerned about suspicious objects in the park wouldn't he have immediately identified himself and layed out his suspicions to the first authority figure to come along? Wouldn't he have been actively seeking one out?"

The article didn't say that he was concerned about the objects in the park, merely that he was curious about them. He did ask a couple of National Park Service employees, and some Cherry Blossom Festival organizers what the object was, and apparently did not get an answer. I note that the cops did not volunteer to tell him what it was. Why not? Why were they being beligerent and evasive with a citizen?

"Instead he was evasive and antagonistic. What is a cop supposed to think when that is coupled with a report that he was photographing equipment and taking notes?"

I think that a cop is supposed to think, "Here is a citizen, whom I have sworn to protect and serve, and he is asking me a reasonable question about why I want to see his I.D., and so I should answer his question." Instead of assuming the worst, why didn't the cop just observe what was going on instead of trying to bully the guy by calling for backup, which is really just thinly disguised intimidation? Why did the cop become evasive and belligerent when asked a question?

I know that these responses probably won't satisfy you, because you feel differently about this situtation than I do. That's your right.