There was an interesting contrast on the Oct. 13 Opinion page between Coy Kitterman’s advice to citizens on how to get along with the police in the letter “Follow all of officer’s commands” and the Leonard Pitts column “Getting tough on crime hard on Americans’ civil rights” just below it.
Kitterman advises, “Whatever the command, do exactly what the officer asks. … If a person does not comply with commands, the police have no choice but to take control.” I have always advised clients not to resist arrest, even one they think is illegal. A citizen can never win a debate about civil rights, out on the street, with a police officer who is armed with a gun.
But as Pitts’ column points out, the power of the police can be misused when it is turned on people who are doing nothing other than peacefully protesting. When police do misuse their power, they make it harder for citizens to believe that the main job of the police is to protect us, not themselves.
Mark Muenster
Vancouver
