So Much For Car 54.

I saw the movie version of Clockwork Orange when it was first released in these United States and, I have to admit, the ghastly scenes of police brutality didn't bother me all that much. That's because (A) it was in the future, (B) they were just a bunch of stupid foreigners, and (C) it was kid stuff compared to what the old man could dish out once he'd got a few snorts under his belt.

But here we are, 21st century America, being served and protected by those who'd rather eat the sheep than kill the wolves. The police know there's a law against everything in this country and they're not shy about taking advantage of the opportunity.

America's gendarmes have gone from "You do something wrong, we'll catch you" to "We're gonna lock you up and pin something on you." That is, if they don't shoot you for resisting first. I don't recall ever giving the police the literal power of life or death over the general populace but someone did and they need to be tased and sent to their rooms.

Can this genie be put back in its bottle? Can we ever depend on an officer of the law to not automatically mace us into unconsciousness just because they had an argument with the wife at breakfast? I dunno, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

And lest you think I'm being too harsh on America's constabulary, take a peek at this video. This is a segment from a movie called "The Largest Street Gang In America" and it'll make your patriotic blood boil. (From what I've been told, the people asking for the complaint forms in the video are ex-cops themselves.)

=Lefty=