Wherever there are rules, <br />which is to say everywhere, <br />gradations of warnings and penalties <br />lead to a certain point <br /> <br />when the arm of force comes down <br />like a mechanical thing — <br />like one of those boxing gloves <br />shooting out from a metal grid. <br /> <br />A boy in the preschool play yard <br />who refuses to put on his shoes <br />when the Barefoot Flag's not up <br />is the same as a guy on the street <br />who refuses to move on <br />when the cops say move. <br /> <br />Polite admonishments come first, <br />then more serious ones, <br />an ultimatum and finally <br />a lift-and-carry <br />over screams. <br /> <br />The arm of the law <br />carries out impersonal orders. <br />It's an arm not connected to a heart.<br /><br />Max Reif<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-long-arm-of-the-law/
