Cops do what commanders tell them to do, and what will be backed up, by both their commanders and the politicians.

There is a very long legacy, going back to the Sixties, of social doubt and scrutiny and the potential for criticism, and even firing, of cops. Civilian Review Boards, and all that.

There are PROCEDURES in place for cops.

Lots of our newly minted criminal class have no prior records. They are also, at least for the moment, not a threat to the actual life of the better-armed cop. That holds the cop back. But above all, the cop is under orders from above.

This situation is social and general. The cop is expected to solve individual law-breaking, not vast social movements. That goes back to the Civil Rights Movement and to the Anti-War protests against the Vietnam war. The anti-war marches were indeed tear gassed, but nobody was shot.

Well, once they were. There was a famous incident where four people were indeed shot dead, at Kent State U, by the National Guard, NOT cops. That was during a protest.

Not sure, but that sort ended protests and demonstrations of this kind, until now.

That, I repeat, was the National Guard, not cops. The NG reports to the governors.

Bullets whizzing around would inevitably take out unintended people. In fact that may have happened at Kent State. The four dead were just walking by, some say. I don't know details about that incident however.

Your idea that property belongs to living people, with names and lives, and is theirs, and their livelihood, and is therefore in a sense their life, and should be protected, is reasonable.

But decisions about what to do about protecting property are decided by police commanders and by politicians. At the top.

Cops do what commanders tell them to do, and what will be backed up, by both their commanders and the politicians.

There is a very long legacy, going back to the Sixties, of social doubt and scrutiny and the potential for criticism, and even firing, of cops. Civilian Review Boards, and all that.

There are PROCEDURES in place for cops.

Lots of our newly minted criminal class have no prior records. They are also, for the moment, not a threat to the actual life of the better-armed cop. That holds the cop back. But above all, the cop is under orders from above.

This situation is social and general. The cop is expected to solve individual law-breaking, not vast grand social movements. That goes back to the Civil Rights Movement and to the Anti-War protests against the Vietnam war. The anti-war marches were indeed tear gassed, but nobody was shot.

Well once they were. There was a famous incident where four people were indeed shot dead, at Kent State U, by the National Guard, NOT cops. That was during a protest.

Not sure, but that sort ended protests and demonstrations of this kind, until now.

That, I repeat, was the National Guard, not cops. The NG reports to the governors.

Bullets whizzing around would inevitably take out some unintended people. In fact that is exactly what may have happened at Kent State. The four dead were just walking by, some say. I don't know details about that incident however.

Your idea that property belongs to living people, with names and lives, and is theirs, and their livelihood, and is therefore in a sense their life, and should be protected, is reasonable.

But decisions about what to do about protecting property are decided by police commanders and by politicians. At the top.

Cops do what commanders tell them to do, and what will be backed up, by both their commanders and the politicians.

There is a very long legacy, going back to the Sixties, of social doubt and scrutiny and the potential for criticism, and even firing, of cops. Civilian Review Boards, and all that.

There are PROCEDURES in place for cops.

Lots of our newly minted criminal class have no prior records. They are also, for the moment, not a threat to the actual life of the better-armed cop. That holds the cop back. But above all, the cop is under orders from above.

This situation is social and general. The cop is expected to solve individual law-breaking, not vast grand social movements. That goes back to the Civil Rights Movement and to the Anti-War protests against the Vietnam war. The anti-war marches were indeed tear gassed, but nobody was shot.

Well once they were. There was a famous incident where four people were indeed shot dead, at Kent State U, by the National Guard, NOT cops. There was during a protest.

Not sure, but that sort ended protests and demonstrations of this kind, until now.

That, I repeat, was the National Guard, not cops. The NG reports to the governors.

Bullets whizzing around would inevitably take out some unintended people. In fact that is exactly what may have happened at Kent State. The four dead were just walking by, some say. I don't know details about that incident however.

Your idea that property belongs to living people, with names and lives, and is theirs, and their livelihood, and is therefore in a sense their life, and should be protected, is reasonable.

But decisions about what to do about protecting property are decided by police commanders and by politicians. At the top.

Cops do what commanders tell them to do, and what will be backed up, by both their commanders and the politicians.

There is a very long legacy, going back to the Sixties, of social doubt and scrutiny and the potential for criticism, and even firing, of cops. Civilian Review Boards, and all that.

There are PROCEDURES in place for cops.

Lots of our newly minted criminal class have no prior records. They are also not a threat to the actual life of the, for the moment, better-armed cop. That holds the cop back. But above all, the cop is under orders from above.

This situation is social and general. The cop is expected to solve individual law-breaking not vast grand social movements. That goes back to the Civil Rights Movement and to the Anti-War protests against the Vietnam war. The anti-war things were indeed tear gassed but nobody was shot.

Well they were, once. There was a famous incident where four people were indeed shot dead, at Kent State U, by the national guard, NOT cops.

Not sure, but that sort ended protests and demonstrations of this kind until now.

That, I repeat, was the National Guard, not cops. The NG reports to the governors.

So that's some history.

Bullets whizzing all over would obviously take out some unintended people. In fact that is exactly what may have happened at Kent State. The four dead were just walking by.

I don't know a lot of details about that incident however.

Your idea that property belongs to living people, with names and lives, and is theirs, and their livelihood, and is in a sense their life, and should be protected, is reasonable. But these decisions and what to do about protecting property is decided by commanders and by politicians. At the top.

Cops do what commanders tell them to do, and what will be backed up, by both their commanders and the politicians.

There is a very long legacy, going back to the Sixties, of social doubt and scrutiny and the potential for criticism, and even firing, of cops. Civilian Review Boards, and all that.

There are PROCEDURES in place for cops.

Lots of our newly minted criminal class have no prior records. They are also not a threat to the actual life of the, for the moment, better-armed cop. That holds the cop back. But above all, the cop is under orders from above.

This situation is social and general. The cop is expected to solve individual law-breaking not vast grand social movements. That goes back to the Civil Rights Movement and to the Anti-War protests against the Vietnam war. The anti-war things were indeed tear gassed but nobody was shot.

Well they were, once. There was a famous incident where four people were indeed shot dead, at Kent State U, by the national guard, NOT cops.

Not sure, but that sort ended protests and demonstrations of this kind until now.

That, I repeat, was the National Guard, not cops. The NG reports to the governors.

So that's some history.

Bullets whizzing all over would obviously take out some unintended people. In fact that is exactly what may have happened at Kent State. The four dead were just walking by.

I don't know a lot of details about that incident however.

Your idea that property belongs to living people, with names and lives, and is theirs, and their livelihood, and is in a sense their life, and should be protected, is reasonable. But these decisions and what to do about protecting property is made by commanders and by politicians. At the top.

Cops do what commanders tell them to do, and what will be backed up, by both their commanders and the politicians.

There is a very long legacy, going back to the Sixties, of social doubt and scrutiny and the potential for criticism, and even firing, of cops. Civilian Review Boards, and all that.

There are PROCEDURES in place for cops.

Lots of our newly minted criminal class have no prior records. They are also not a threat to the actual life of the, for the moment, better-armed cop. That holds the cop back. But above all, the cop is under orders from above.

This situation is social and general. The cop is expected to solve individual law-breaking not vast grand social movements. That goes back to the Civil Rights Movement and to the Anti-War protests against the Vietnam war. The anti-war things were indeed tear gassed but nobody was shot.

Well they were, once. There was a famous incident where four people were indeed shot dead, at Kent State U, by the national guard, NOT cops.

Not sure, but that sort ended protests and demonstrations of this kind until now.

That, I repeat, was the National Guard, not cops. The NG reports to the governors.

So that's some history.

Bullets whizzing all over would obviously take out some unintended people. In fact that is exactly what may have happened at Kent State. The four dead were just walking by.

I don't know a lot of details about that incident however.

Your idea that property belongs to living people, with names and lives, and is theirs, and their livelihood, and is in a sense their life, and should be protected, is reasonable. But these decisions and what to do about things is made by commanders and by politicians. At the top.

Cops do what commanders tell them to do, and what will be backed up, by both their commanders and the politicians.

There is a very long legacy, going back to the Sixties, of social doubt and scrutiny and the potential for criticism, and even firing, of cops. Civilian Review Boards, and all that.

There are PROCEDURES in place for cops.

Lots of our newly minted criminal class have no prior records. They are also not a threat to the actual life of the much better armed cop. That holds the cop back. But above all, the cop is under orders from above.

This situation is social and general. The cop is expected to solve individual law-breaking not vast grand social movements. That goes back to the Civil Rights Movement and to the Anti-War protests against the Vietnam war. The anti-war things were indeed tear gassed but nobody was actually shot.

There was a famous incident where four people were indeed shot, dead, at Kent State U, by the national guard, NOT cops.

Not sure, but that sort ended all protests and demonstrations of this kind until now.

That, I repeat, was the National Guard, not cops. The NG reports to the governors.

So that's the history.

Bullets whizzing all over would obviously take out some unintended people. In fact that is exactly what may have happened at Kent State. The four dead were just walking by.

I don't know a lot of details about that incident however.

But that's some background, just musing.