[Shaun @ Tru6]

some would say, if you have nothing to hide, what's the problem?

others might say, if police are running gauntlet-style check points and asking for licenses/registration, they're going to catch a lot of illegal aliens in their fishing expeditions.

other folks say that it's just a revenue generator and good honest people are getting tickets that are unwarranted and unjust

others point to a police power grab, intimidating the citizenry to compensate for their (supposed) low self esteem and reliving their bully days in high school.

others make the claim that the inconvenience of a checkpoint is part of the price of driving on safer roads.

who is right?

What are the many and varied roles of Police in our Society?

Are Police accountable to their local bureaucracy? Who ultimately defines their mission?

Are Police accountable to their local Citizenry?

If you answer no to the last point, what needs to be done to change that dynamic? or can nothing be done and we are all just poor little lamb victims?


My own personal perspective? In 26 years of driving, I've only been stopped unfairly by the police one time. I don't fear the police. I've never been burdened by too many laws. I've never had to go to extraordinary measures to comply with any laws. It's pretty easy to stay within the limits of the law and when I break the law, I expect to pay the consequences.

Around here, they have old school buses just after the checkpoints. they are typically filled to the brim with illegal aliens, drunks and cell phone/texting abusers caught in such checkpoints and there is a local lottery by which you can win the chance to drive them down to Mexico (all of them) and dump them off over the border.