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Whatever a Government official can do to you in response to real or perceived disrespect, they can also do to you just because they don't like the way you look
by nugget 7y ago
Whatever a Government official can do to you in response to real or perceived disrespect, they can also do to you just because they don't like the way you look or dress or vote. Various forms of Constitutionally protected protest and dissent can often be perceived as disrespect by those against whom they are directed. It's a slippery slope and to me "be respectful or have your rights violated" is a poor standard.
- zepto 7y agoAgreed, and everyone has the right to conduct protest or civil disobedience. If one chooses to engage in activism, then it’s worth recognizing that this is what you are doing and that they will be likely consequences. It seems, before engaging in a protest, to be a good idea to think about whether it’s likely to be effective or not. For example, before deliberately being disrespectful to an individual government employee, why not consider whether it would be better to be cooperative in that moment and then make a donation to a group that supports political change in that particular area?
- ncmncm 7y agoThe only defensible standard is that abusing State authority for personal or political reasons is grounds for immediate termination, AND should be prosecuted as a criminal matter as a matter of course. That it isn't, whether at the border or at a traffic stop, is a national disgrace. They are employed by the public to enforce rules for public reasons. Saying that such prosecution would clog up the courts with a million cases is to admit the problem.