Many of you remember September 11th, and how the police force stepped into action then to protect and serve those caught in harms way. Many of you most likely have also have experiences with the police that were less than friendly, and made you think, oh my god, what is he smoking. I personally think it's 50/50 straight up the middle, you have good cops and bad cops just like anywhere and just like people you have good people and bad people. Some police officers uphold their bargain they made to protect and serve, while others are just plain jackasses. I think the meaner cops sort of got hardened by all of the evil people they've had to deal with, so they take it out on sometimes mostly innocent people just throwing a cigarette butt on the ground, or speeding 5 miles over the limit. I think as a whole though the police force is basically good, some of you may disagree, which is why I posted here. So I'd like to hear your thoughts on this matter, do you think the police are trying to serve and protect or do you think they are just trying to make life harder on for the most part law abiding citizens.

Well, for a start they can't be vigilantes by definition since that is a person who seeks to enforce the law without legal authority. Police forces over most of the world have both. In my opinion, no existing culture is mature enough to not need a police force (at least larger societies anyway) and thus they are a necessity for everyone's protection and well-being (at least where they are governed properly). Like any other social organisation, they will attract individuals who are dicks and you might argue that the nature of the work has an affect on the police themselves (as you do kind of). As for cigarette butts and speeding - well, you could chose not to do that you know.

Cops are people just like anyone else. Some are truly good people, some are asses who let the power get to their heads. In general, I think of them as heroes because they risk their own lives to protect ours. I think cops are often cautious because the threat of death is present with every routine traffic stop, and their caution may not always translate well as they may come across as rude and accusatory. I was pulled over plenty in my younger days (probably close to a dozen times, hahah), and I've found that if you are very polite, friendly, and co-operative with an officer so that he knows you're clearly no threat, his attitude always softens considerably. When I see vids where people are belligerent, defiant, rude, yelling at the officer, and the officer loses his temper and uses excessive force to restrain that person, I think, "duh, what did you expect?" Of course, I definitely do NOT think cops have the right to use excessive force or harass people, but they are only human, working a job where even an error in judgement can mean death. In such a situation, not everyone is going to make the best decisions.

If there are fines in place for littering and speeding, why do you expect them to close their eyes just because someone threw away a cigarette butt instead of a whole dustbin? Sure, they could look the other way and chase after people who do a lot more damage but you shouldn't hold it against them if they don't.