As someone who has my little Constitution booklet hanging from my rearview mirror, I am not afraid to take on an officer if I believe my rights are being denied me, depending on the situation and the officer involved at that moment. I can be not a pleasant person to pull over. I traveled by car extensively (sometimes 4-5k miles a month) in the SE and deep S for nearly 25 years, often through and around small towns and counties that truly feel "behind enemy lines" and it can get quite scary sometimes, especially when I was forced through some of these areas after midnight. In the not rare enough times its happened to me I've stood firm but also, usually because I felt my life was on the precipice mainly due to my multi ethnic background, I've bent to the unconstitutional will of authority about as often as I've stood firm for my rights in encounters like this. (Of the times I bent it was almost always followed up by our company lawyer, who was the CEO, and 100% trained us on our rights and what to do). It's a game of knowing the opposition and weighing the risk/reward aspect. As much as I wish I could say I stood for my rights every time there were several times just doing what this man did would've gotten me a few slugs to the chest, and I don't mean fists. I can understand the police side of things also because it can be just as scary for them. It's all about composure and communication. One thing I never did was show any fear because just as in nature fear will definitely get you, and possibly innocent people, killed but understanding your fear, and theirs's potentially, usually ends in a safe if not pleasant (sometimes) encounter.
Freedom IS scary and yes, we must all deal with it, honestly and with purpose, especially in the times we live in now. Because life without it isn't a life IMO.
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