The Founders warned explicitly against standing armies, unchecked executive force, and centralized power precisely because they understood how quickly fear and authority combine to justify cruelty. Civilian law enforcement was never meant to operate as a battlefield force, nor were federal agencies meant to accumulate arsenals, surveillance powers, and immunity beyond meaningful oversight.
Yet that is exactly where we are.
The Founders warned explicitly against standing armies, unchecked executive force, and centralized power precisely because they understood how quickly fear and authority combine to justify cruelty. Civilian law enforcement was never meant to operate as a battlefield force, nor were federal agencies meant to accumulate arsenals, surveillance powers, and immunity beyond meaningful oversight.
Yet that is exactly where we are.