Instapundit reckons “THIS CARTOON GETS IT EXACTLY BACKWARD. Police don’t actually protect law-abiding citizens from criminals so much as they protect criminals from the much-rougher justice they’d get in the absence of a legal system.” Oh I don’t know about that. While citizen-delivered “rough justice” is a thing – a concept that certainly appeals to the popular imagination – I hardly consider the police the bad guys’ champion (however inadvertently). Glenn’s analysis fails to take account of the police’s deterrent effect. Or, more importantly . . .
the fact that legally armed Americans take out more bad guys than police. With less collateral damage. I guess you could say that’s the kind of rough justice of which Mr. Reynolds speaks, which, according to his theory, would increase dramatically in the absence of duly authorized law enforcement. As might out-of-control vigilantism, it should be said. Anyway, the cartoon rankles because it shows helpless Americans cowering behind the cop’s badge. The “thin blue line.” I say screw that. Man-up and defend yourself and your family. With the help of a fully accountable, completely transparent police force, of course. [h/t James]