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"The City's Guardians must be gentle toward their own people but rough toward their enemies; otherwise, they will not wait for others to destroy them; they will do it themselves first.'"
-Socrates
Plato's The Republic
In Plato's The Republic, Socrates and Glaucon discuss the formation of a city that embodies justice. As their dialogue builds this city, the final element involves selecting the guardians. Socrates' guardians would be keen of perception, strong enough to subdue opponents, and high-spirited in temper. At the same time, they would love wisdom and learning so they could treat their own people gently. However, the philosophers failed to address one question. Who would decide which individuals represent the guardians' own and which deserve the rough treatment of an enemy? Today, U.S. society wrestles with the same unanswered question as its contemporary guardians, the police, attempt to interpret and enforce the law.
If the law represents an expression of moral sentiment, then police officers stand as instruments of that morality. Although appearing as paramilitary organizations, modern police agencies actually perform specific functions within communities through individual police officers' acting largely without supervision or direct control. Unlike a military unit, which operates cohesively as a team, the cop on the beat is left alone to make decisions regarding who goes free and who becomes subject to closer scrutiny. Society might regard the lone street cop as its single most powerful individual. Consider that the police alone are charged with depriving others of their liberty and that it is illegal to resist their authority to do so. Neither the president nor a Supreme Court justice can issue or execute a death warrant without prior review, yet police officers have the authority to employ readily available lethal weapons to protect themselves and the public they serve. In many cases, little conflict arises with regard to the propriety of police actions. Society generally recognizes the need for public safety, and few would disagree with the removal of murderers, rapists, or other violent individuals. The issue becomes more problematic when an attempt to service that desired end conflicts with the laws and regulations instituted to control the decision of who represents the "enemy" of the law.
Echoing ancient Greek dialogues, those who founded the...