I appreciate people who fear a police state, but there is a movement afoot to demonize police forces. It often masquerades as defense against racism. An AP article published in the Hendersonville Times-News today asks, “Why are police at political rallies?” Why, because they patrol where the people are. They patrol baseball games and festivals, too. Another question is, “Who pays for them?” I don’t really care if police officers patrol political rallies or rock concerts on the taxpayers’ dime. They represent one of the very few legitimate functions of government. Why, instead, doesn’t AP ask why cities hire consultants to moderate charettes to vision streetscapes, and who pays for that?