When police operate in the shadows, the risk increases that they will abuse suspects’ rights. After all, power corrupts, including when a cop has a handgun, taser, blackjack, billyclub, handcuffs, a badge, and the power of arrest, and the suspect has none of those.

Praised be the Campaign for Liberty supporter who used his cellphone to record the gross abuse of him by a gang of Transportation Security Administration officers over his carrying $4700 in proceeds from sales of the group’s merchandise. Further praises to him for refusing to answer questions about the source of his money.

You will hear officer telling him he is acting like a child, that he is playing f*ck*ng games, and that he is being a smart ass. You will hear them tell him he is not being cooperative by not answering their questions.

Is this the society you want? The Constitution of the United States of America gives people the right not to tell the cops a damn thing, and to refuse searches. That is not playing games; that is honoring the Constitution.

I do not think such police behavior is an aberration. I think it is all too common, maybe sometimes in a more watered down version, but still all too common. Only here, the abuse was caught on tape. This incident makes my temporary airport detention last summer for being an alleged t’ai chi terrorist pale by comparison.

This is your tax dollars failing to work. Please spread this YouTube video far and wide. Please also voice your displeasure over this situation by e-mail, snail mail, and phone to President Obama, Ray LaHood, and your Senators and House members.