Yeah, like most countries, the USA has it's share of problems in finding the right balance of personal liberties and security. I personally believe the pendulum has swung too far in the direction of security over liberty, but the media and politicos benefit from creating fear and worry. So the general perception is somewhat different than the reality I experience in my own life.
For those of us who live relatively normal lives of working, playing and living mostly within the law, we don't have much interaction with law enforcement or indeed any branch of local, state or federal government. Work, pay taxes. don't run too far afoul of the law and I am free to do pretty much whatever my finances allow provided I don't step on the wrong toes. All this hysterical whinging about a "police state" and "trigger happy cops" is something I just don't see in my mundane little middle-class (lower half) existence.
The bottom line is that a certain amount of law enforcement against the lowlifes of this world needs to be aggressively accomplished or innocent law-abiding taxpayers suffer the consequences. I'd like to see this done without impeding my rights or liberties, but the balance is difficult to find when hysteria and sensationalism rules the conversation.
I made a couple of tongue-in-cheek comments earlier in this thread the hope that a sense of humor might be introduced into this rather inane and bitchy thread. Wasted effort I suppose.
I've spent time all over Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Central America etc and found that experiencing things for myself is often quite different than the media hype might lead one to expect. Most places I'd like to see again even though I wouldn't necessarily prefer to live there, under their cultural and societal systems. But I have no desire to disparage their systems or tell them how they should be. I reserve my criticism for my own society and invite all of you who don't prefer America to do the same. We'll get along fine without your input.
westhawk