We're told by the responsible, smart people in our culture -- rightfully so -- that our politics have become too polarized. We need to listen to others better. As a leftist, I'll concede that the left does have things to answer for in this regard.
But there's one major difference, a real imbalance that is rarely discussed. And that is that the right is willfully armed to the teeth and now pushing laws about liberalizing the use of their beloved weaponry -- as the peace-loving left tends to advocate non-violence. The fact the criminal justice system from the Supreme Court down to the cops in community squad cars seem to instinctually lean to the right only makes the matter more frightening for someone on the left.
As a photographer, when I see video of a cop threatening to taser a kid for videotaping him, a chill runs up my spine that I know must be a familiar feeling in dictatorships throughout history and across the world. In my view, the five robed eminences in the Supreme Court who think a scenario of me being strip searched for photographing a cop is just fine are no different than the robed Ayatollahs in Iran who make the same kind of on-high rulings in their culture.
Which leads to the obvious final question: At what point does standing your ground in a mode of self-defense against elements of the criminal justice system become existentially acceptable? That is, are police officers (or their wannabe cousins) so completely above the law that fighting back is never an acceptable response to a violation of a citizen's rights or dignity?
Hoosier Justice
Interestingly, in Indiana, the state supreme court, the legislature and the governor recently debated the question in the open. The case involves a marital argument that took place on a front lawn; when the police arrived the husband refused them entry into his house. They forced their way in and he fought them. The Indiana Supreme Court rejected his argument that he had the right to fight them because they were entering his house illegally, since they had no search warrant.
Under assault from libertarians like Bob Barr, the legislature came up with a new law that Republican Governor Mitch Daniel recently signed. Police supporters are up in arms and claim the law declares open season on cops.
Time will tell what the Indiana law really means. The important point is, political forces in Indiana are questioning the absolute power of police. And that's progress.
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