I was shocked by this report of police misconduct in Atlanta [found via Reason]. The short version is that a non-uniformed cop asked a visiting professsor for ID, and when he didn't comply, prompty tackled him to the ground.

For a charge of jaywalking.

That was dropped.

Poor police conduct isn't new, but here's what gets me: there are plenty of people in this country who will take the cops side. Good people, friends of mine - but people who would argue that you need to respect the cop's authority, and that treatment like that is just par for the course. Complaining about it is - unmanly? Irresponsible? Whining? Suspicious? Something like that.

On the other hand, here's how I see it: my (hypothetically) child who comes to me with a bruise on his forehead. "Dad," he says, "the cops stopped my the middle of the street and demanded that I give my ID. He said he wanted to search my bag because I was walking suspiciously."

Then, I ask her, "What did you do?"

I never want to hear an answer of "I did whatever he ordered, Dad. Like you taught me." I don't want my culture to instill those kinds of values in the next generation.