Charlie, like you I am not a big fan of the police/authority and work to balance that against the need to maintain order in our society. I also have several friends who do police work and know that there are some good folks out there who are trying to do the right thing.

A huge factor in the uptick in police violence is the military training that the police now receive and the influx of military grade weapons thanks to the 1033 Program. If one were cynically inclined they might even think this unleashing of excessive police force was deliberate or at least allowed to happen because it keeps “us” in check.

PS — check out “Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America’s Police Forces” by Radley Balko.