I do not consent to a search!

[Graduisic]

in the ultra-capitalist world that is America, it makes it kind of hard to blame the police officer for their conduct.

It would be like a car salesman suckering you into a purchase that you later learned more about; all you can do is feel swindled and realize that in a capitalist world, EVERYONE is looking out for number one. no matter how many heads they have to step on, no matter how many people they cut off at the heels, the Ameri-Capitalist way is to be the biggest, the best, most powerful, and of course, the most money in-pocket.

comparing a police officer to a car salesman is rather outlandish; don't take it literally. I'm only saying it to prove that every working American is a slave to the Ameri-Capitalist economic system. Why, now, are 1 in every 100 Americans behind bars? It sounds to me like the prison "business" is booming much more quickly than most other industries in this day and age. more people behind bars means more money is being dished out to support the expanding industry. of course, as you feed a monster, it grows; and its hunger grows right along with it. police officers get "tougher on crime", and by the books, even though many offenses are nonviolent, their money is just as green as the purse thief, or the guy who wanders the streets at night with a knife mugging the lonely and scared.

The big problem is, there aren't enough violent, dangerous criminals in the United States to arrest to financially support the monster that the prison industry has grown into. any person who is in charge of budget spending in any company doesn't want to experience a financial loss, these people are happy when their numbers go up.

swim was arrested once for marijuana posession, and he was not mad at their actions at all; they were just doing their job and following orders.

Police officers are working-class people, just like people at wal-mart, they have to follow the rules put in place by those that are above them. why people spit in arresting officers' faces is beyond me. it's like spitting on the wal-mart guy that won't authorize a return because it's against the rules.

police officers, like all U.S. citizens, have the propensity to break the law; since it is the police officers' job to know the law as an employee of the US government, they certainly know how to skirt along the edge of the law, as i'm guessing most of you readers can recall a time you have found a legal loophole or narrowly avoided the law on a technicality, or just by being a law-savvy person. it's a two-way street from which no one, not even police officers are exempt. no one should ever be above the law.

law enforcement is simply using an increasingly greater deal of scrutiny of the law, and now those who may have been nonviolent offendors for decades without hurting anyone have slipped up under this greater deal of scrutiny and now are behind bars.

If anyone can find a better example of capitalism...

Reputation Comments on this post:

Excellent points

[tomazco]

This is helpful but can we have one with respects to Uk law as well, as Im not sure if our rights are the same.

[berloniana]

Sorry tomazo,
I live in the land of the used to be free "USA" , and know not of the laws of the UK-
a.

[x cynic x]

I thought the police were supposed to protect people, but it seems that they only try to make busts. How can you refuse to accept a search without sounding like you have something to hide? I do not think it is possible.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Your post dosent make sense. Police protect by "busting" bad guys. You know, the people who you see on TV.

[Paracelsus]

As far as I am aware, UK subjects have fewer rights due to anti-terrorism laws.

[Mona Lisa]

Originally Posted by Paracelsus

As far as I am aware, UK subjects have fewer rights due to anti-terrorism laws.

This is correct. I've been stopped and searched several times under the terrorism act and they'e explained to me that they can stop virtually anyone and that they don't have to have a reason since it can all go under the anti-terrorism laws. I suspect that they were actually practising on me more than anything else.

They were very polite towards me but made it quite clear that I had no rights to refuse.

I've also noticed drugs dogs in various stations, particularly Green Park tube. They are out to get drug users, I'm convinced of it.

[Paracelsus]

Refusing a warrantless search is not probable cause for a search. Otherwise there would be no need for search warrants at all.

[~lostgurl~]

It is the same with the right to remain silent. If you don't answer they think you are hiding something from them and/or not co-operating. It's a lose-lose situation.

[Alfa]

Summer's Here and the Time is Right for ... Getting Busted Going to the Festival

[YKS]

That link is broken =( Forgive me! Yahoo has a working video stream of this so hopefully this one doesn't break anytime soon!

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=315933