Laws in the US are constantly evolving as society continues to evolve. A great example of this evolution is the state of Washington legalizing marijuana. In this week’s lectures we compared the consensus and conflict paradigms and determined that laws can be an example of either paradigm.

Based on your learning answer the following question:

• In states in which marijuana is not legal, what paradigm would these laws be categorized under?

Citizens can express themselves freely in the United States by exercising their Constitutional rights. One way citizens express themselves is through protests.

Based on this fact express your views on the following:

• Discuss the concept of Civil Disobedience and how it is different from chronic law-breaking

Based on your discussion above answer the following questions:

• At what times do you think people can use constitutional avenues?
• At what point do these avenues become criminal behavior?
• How should the police officers use constitutional avenues in their jobs?

In your response, discuss the following:

• What is your role as a police officer during a protest of Civil Disobedience?
• What are the possible ethical dilemmas that you could face during a protest?
• If the protest turns violent, do you think there is a moral obligation on the part of a police officer to protect the nonviolent protestors, the general public, or both?
• How would you, as a police officer, handle a protest that has the possibility of escalating into violence?
• What are the ethical duties of the participants of the protest?

List these three goals in the order of importance and explain your reasoning: (a) allowing the public to express itself (b) protecting the public (c) enforcing the law.