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"You see, your problem is that you do not recognize that those 100,000 laws on the books are there, not for personal revenge, but to enforce, presumably for the protection of society. Now one could easily argue against the necessity of many of the laws that exist, but that is a different issue."

First of all I feel uncomfortable with you calling me "dear". I'm a 60 year old man and from your writing style I suspect you are a man as well. "Gene" is a masculine spelling and it is short for Eugene.

Secondly, 40 or so years ago when I was in college, police behaved a lot differently than they do today. They have earned my disrespect over the last two decades (IMHO). 40 years ago police were there to help and serve our citizens. I don't believe it is any longer their function. I had to laugh when they lumped them in with the firemen after 9-11, as "heroes". Firemen will go into a burning building to rescue someone, risking their life. Police (generally) will not put themselves at risk. How many kids with toy guns are we going to allow them to shoot? That's not the way it was 40 years ago...

Thirdly, although I'm conservative on most issues and liberal on none, on some issues I'm libertarian. I have performed my civic duty on juries, even as a foreman in a murder trial. I don't support capitol punishment, not because I object to killing (some people just need killing), but because our justice system is neither honest or accurate. The vast majority of our fellow citizens who end up on juries are so stupid that they can't understand the judge's instructions, let alone decide a case.

I live in a very red state, have a concealed carry permit, yet never carry a weapon because there's really no need to. And that's not because our police do such a fine job. On the contrary, they do a terrible job. Recently in our town they were called by a father who's 15 year old son was acting up (out of control). Well, the cop took care of it... He ordered the kid to put down the unloaded WW1 rifle with a bayonet attached, and when the kid didn't, he shot and killed him. I'll guarantee you I could take an unloaded gun away from a skinny 15 year old without hurting him. So could the fire department. Imagine a kid having a knife on the end of a 5 foot long 10 lb stick. I could handle it, and I'm 60.

Kind of like the woman who called the police to get her cat out of the tree... The cop draws his side arm and shoots the cat. well, he got the cat to come down didn't he.

"Would you expect law enforcement to investigate a crime of which you or your family was a victim"

Yes I would, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I had a motorized scooter stolen a while back, and when I called the police, they basically said there was nothing they could do about it.

"First of all I feel uncomfortable with you calling me "dear". I'm a 60 year old man and from your writing style I suspect you are a man as well. "Gene" is a masculine spelling and it is short for Eugene."

I apologize for offending your masculine sensibilities. I am a woman and the word "dear" was used in a rhetorical sense, only. ________________________________________________________

"40 years ago police were there to help and serve our citizens. I don't believe it is any longer their function. I had to laugh when they lumped them in with the firemen after 9-11, as "heroes". Firemen will go into a burning building to rescue someone, risking their life. Police (generally) will not put themselves at risk."

Too gross for words - here are your non-heroes:

Christopher Charles Amoroso; Maurice Vincent Barry; Liam Callahan; Lt. Robert Dominick Cirri; Sgt. Michael Curtin; John D'allara; Vincent G. Danz; Clinton Davis; Geronimo Mark Patrick Doninguez; Stephen Patrick Driscoll; Mark J. Ellis; Donald A. Foreman; Gregg J. Froehner; Sgt. Rodney C. Gillis; Thomas E. Gorman; Uhuru G. Houston; George Howard; Stephen Huczko; Paul W. Jurgens; Sgt. Robert Kaulfers; Ronald Phillip Kloepfer; Thomas Langone; Paul Laszynski; James Patrick Leahy; David Prudencio LeMagne; John J. Lennon; John D. Levi; James Francis Lynch; Kathy Nancy Mazza-Delosh; Brian G. McDonnell; Donald James McIntyre; Walter Arthur McNeil; Joseph M. Navas; James Nelson, Alfonse J. Neidermeyer; James Wendell Parham; John William Perry; Dominic Pezzulo; Antonio Jose Carrusca Rodrigues; Richard Rodriguez; John P. Skala; Moira Smith; Walwyn W. Stuart; Ramon Suarez; Paul Talty; Kenneth F. Tietjen; Walter E. Weaver; Nathaniel Webb; Michael T. Wholey.

They are heroes in my book.

As for your comments about the police no longer serving the citizenry - I would submit that society has degenerated so badly since your youth (largely due to baby-boomer liberal ideals being instilled in subsequent generations) that police are forced to serve the community to a far greater extent than they ever had to before. Training to be a police officer is intense and often requires college study in law enforcement, when years ago it did not.

In your view, why would one enter the law enforcement profession? Is it for the power? Who in their right mind would endeavor to investigate rapes, murders and countless other crimes, never knowing if he/she will be returning home alive solely to achieve such an authoritarian status? ________________________________________________________

"I live in a very red state, have a concealed carry permit, yet never carry a weapon because there's really no need to. And that's not because our police do such a fine job. On the contrary, they do a terrible job."

How do you reconcile this opinion? You seem to be saying that there is no danger from bad guys and that fewer exist in the general population than do in the police profession. Are they attracted to law enforcement?

Do you live in a Utopian bubble? Criminals do exist and crime would clearly increase if no one was there to stop or deter it either through laws, the enforcement of laws, or citizens defending themselves. You have chosen to voluntarily disarm yourself, even though our founders' recognized the natural right to self-defense and the need for it (there are many quotes on this topic if you want to google), and that is your choice. I also have a cc permit, but will be prepared to defend myself if the need arises. ________________________________________________________

"Recently in our town they were called by a father who's 15 year old son was acting up (out of control). Well, the cop took care of it... He ordered the kid to put down the unloaded WW1 rifle with a bayonet attached, and when the kid didn't, he shot and killed him."

I would have too. It is not a toy and there is no way to tell that is unloaded. You are a fool if you wait to become a victim. You said yourself that he was out of control. ________________________________________________________

" I'll guarantee you I could take an unloaded gun away from a skinny 15 year old without hurting him. So could the fire department. Imagine a kid having a knife on the end of a 5 foot long 10 lb stick. I could handle it, and I'm 60."

LOL. Disarmed and all. Let's see if you can get it away from me. Remember they used to kill people in war with those things and the other guys were armed. ________________________________________________________

" I had a motorized scooter stolen a while back, and when I called the police, they basically said there was nothing they could do about it."

Well, there you have it - evidence of a corrupt and dishonest police force.