[intakexhaust]

I guess until the facts are truly exposed for that unfortanate end, who is perfect today? I've known many cops and have seen or heard both sides of the good or bad judged. But when situations go wrong, does it seem they get a pass... DAMN YES to that.

But who are we, such perfect citizens of the world? As one ages, I can recollect changes in attitudes or mood between generations of people. From a simple grocery store shopping excursion watching a ho-wife go ballistic about something and whack some clerk. That stuff is now the norm. For criminals today, if one is mugged, car-jacked, its more likely you'll be shot vs. getting beat-up for a purse, phone whatever. The road rage on country roads is way over-the-top, recreation drugs have evolved leading to much worse violent ends.

Cops today have to balance 'Catch-22 type' changes in laws too plus see the more bizarre and crazed. They can't do this or can't do that. Such things as a cop in a gang infested territory and didn't know the 12 year old kid out at 10:00 pm is running away with a squirt gun and is deaf. With warnings, kid doesn't stop and is shot. Or the pukeing drunk biotch spits in a cops face, kicks his nuts and the next thing he's in the court for roughing her wrist up.

I once worked with a former cop of a large metro who left because he saw the ugly sides of family's... children, women getting beat or neglected, horrible living conditions. He also cruised around with a posse and if they would see a drunkard homeless or of other color in a neighborhood, he would watch his comrades beat the schitz out of them. I'm not defending him or other cops but did that make him any less of an individual? Hard to face a man like that. Makes you wonder what would you do? Easier said then done of what else could he do? Then you have corrupt pockets of law enforcement in certain metro area run like the movie 'The Departed'.

I also know quite a few who joined small town departments as they really wanted job security, get their thirty in and without much riff-raff... as if it was Mayberry RFD. Seriously. They now suggest everyone for themselves and do whatever it takes to defend yourself or family.