I'll argue against that point. I don't live in a system where I can trust that helping the police won't be turned around on me because they're just looking for somebody to pin charges on or because of bullshit laws that shouldn't be a law to begin with.
I have assisted the police exactly one time, when I witnessed a kidnapping, but I had to be extremely cautious because my roommate was a marijuana smoker before the state I lived in at the time had legalized it, and he had his stupid paraphernalia all over the apartment. The cops wanted to come in to ask me questions but I couldn't let them in the house because I didn't know what shit was lying around, so I had to make up a ridiculous excuse to do the entire questioning outside on flimsy lawnchairs in the yard. I was put into the position of trying to decide if I should risk fucking over my friend or not report a kidnapping.
You just admitted to lying to law enforcement which is most likely a crime in your jurisdiction.
Just to reiterate, yes the police are not on your side. My dad had his arm broken by police purely for not obeying a voluntary evacuation order (forest fire).
That's why it is important to always refuse to talk, refuse to let enter, refuse consent to searches. Do it as a matter of habit so that you don't end up lying.
Perhaps I should add a provision, then, that states that if you know you yourself or those associated with you will be harmed in the process of cooperation in a fashion that outweighs the need to bring the offender to justice, and you have at your disposal other means to help bring the persons to account (ties to hacktivist resources, or some other form of "non-traditional" justice such as vigilantism, etc), then you also have the option to take action in that way.
In other words, the moral obligation is at its root to eliminate the threat to society, but in a way that keeps others from being brought down with that person.
Yes, this is all hard to untangle, especially in today's American and European legal systems, but as more and more people are arrested and go to jail for fighting for what they believe is "right" for human society, the more aware those in power to make changes to those legal systems will be, and hopefully will move to see that change implemented sooner than later.
I'll argue against that point. I don't live in a system where I can trust that helping the police won't be turned around on me because they're just looking for somebody to pin charges on or because of bullshit laws that shouldn't be a law to begin with.
I have assisted the police exactly one time, when I witnessed a kidnapping, but I had to be extremely cautious because my roommate was a marijuana smoker before the state I lived in at the time had legalized it, and he had his stupid paraphernalia all over the apartment. The cops wanted to come in to ask me questions but I couldn't let them in the house because I didn't know what shit was lying around, so I had to make up a ridiculous excuse to do the entire questioning outside on flimsy lawnchairs in the yard. I was put into the position of trying to decide if I should risk fucking over my friend or not report a kidnapping.