The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Duty to inform and your right to not self incriminate

SwampYankee · January 4, 2011, 07:48 PM

Conn. Trooper,

I'd be happy to have you pull me over. And I have no intention in taking a stroll into Bad Copland and I am sorry you feel that I have taken that turn. But the fact is that the general public puts police officers on a pedestal and holds them to a higher standard than the rest of us. While this may seem like a good thing, it means that the bad apples are given the same courtesy and respect. And it allows them to get away with all kinds of behavior that would be completely unacceptable if they were of any other profession.

I've avoided painting police with a broad brush. But no cop pulls over a minivan and assumes it's a soccer mom with nothing to hide. Maybe after he's talked to her for 3 minutes and sees the screaming kids in the back, but not until he's engaged her. So why should any of us assume any cop that pulls us over is there to do us a favor? If he was really there to do us a favor, he would not have turned on his lights in the first place. A cop pulls you over assuming the worst, why should we be any different? And fact is, when you get pulled over Conn. Trooper, in any place in the US, if you flash your badge you are free to go, even if you were doing 80 in that 65...

Not that you would do such a thing!

January 4, 2011, 07:48 PM	#18
SwampYankee Registration in progress Join Date: November 1, 2008 Location: I can be found on a number of other forums. Posts: 1,333	Conn. Trooper, I'd be happy to have you pull me over. And I have no intention in taking a stroll into Bad Copland and I am sorry you feel that I have taken that turn. But the fact is that the general public puts police officers on a pedestal and holds them to a higher standard than the rest of us. While this may seem like a good thing, it means that the bad apples are given the same courtesy and respect. And it allows them to get away with all kinds of behavior that would be completely unacceptable if they were of any other profession. I've avoided painting police with a broad brush. But no cop pulls over a minivan and assumes it's a soccer mom with nothing to hide. Maybe after he's talked to her for 3 minutes and sees the screaming kids in the back, but not until he's engaged her. So why should any of us assume any cop that pulls us over is there to do us a favor? If he was really there to do us a favor, he would not have turned on his lights in the first place. A cop pulls you over assuming the worst, why should we be any different? And fact is, when you get pulled over Conn. Trooper, in any place in the US, if you flash your badge you are free to go, even if you were doing 80 in that 65... Not that you would do such a thing!