You are quite correct @lukestokes. Letting individuals retreat into collective masses serves neither the interests of the collective concerned nor their victims.
On the other hand there is something to be said for scapegoats and "fall guys" alike. Just because "somebody" is seen to be punished does not mean that (true) justice was served.
The reason that I hesitate to condemn the masking of an individual is because I am not convinced that I would be able to advocate the same across the spectrum of scenarios and possibilities. Protesters. Anonymous. Also Batman. ;c)
No - what the police need to get used to is a Resilient Population that can and will defend themselves regardless of who their aggressors are or what uniform they wear. Its become too fashionable for might to be deployed against the trusting and peaceful. And yes, agreed that such is immoral.
Incidentally - thank you for drawing my attention to your other article and commentary. Seeking to understand or simply being aware is a very useful tool.
Batman!
Heheh.
I'd be interested in your thoughts on my post about privacy, identity, and human flourishing. I see some value in remaining anonymous, but... I also see problems with it. As to your comment about a resilient population, I thought it was pretty amazing to see fire fighters protecting people from police. Amazing stuff there.