This is somewhat off the beaten track, but I feel like perhaps it will be useful. Also, I'm no longer a police officer (though paradoxically I'm still a licensed peace officer in my state, and will remain so) so I only have my archived BS stories to share instead of meeting new and interesting people, and mocking them here.
A major part of the problem of modern politics, and life perhaps, is that people no longer remember what words mean. Words have a shocking power, to alter the very reality around us. Just as the past defines our present, it is unfortunate to find that the present can easily alter the past. The notion that 26 letters and a handful of punctuation, as Mr. Gaiman would say, can craft a tale to outlast civilizations should be downright frightening. So, remember this the next time you encounter someone who professes to have power over you.
Policeman: Root comes from greek word polis, meaning city-state. Thus, policeman literally becomes cityman, or man of the city. It's important to remember that the police are people. They don't work for you, the citizen, because they are you, and as importantly, you are them. They work for the city. And it's important to establish what a city is, lest you think that a city is no more than the bureaucracy that you're forced to deal with to build in your backyard, or to put up a fence, or pay a ticket.
City: Root from French word cite, which was a community of peoples. The city isn't the administration. It's not the mayor, or the city council, or the lands, or the population. The city is the unspoken contract between the peoples that they shall live here together in peace.
Politician: Base word politic, a Greek word for the voting body, or body of citizens, and suffix "ian" meaning belonging to or pertaining to. Thus a politician is one who belongs to the body of voters. They were basically slaves whose only job was to effectively petition for the betterment of his constituents. There was no career path, no future in such a job. You simply did your civic duty, and went back to what you did before, usually farming. It's no wonder that in the Roman days political office came through a system not unlike our own jury selection, rather than through men seeking office. If we somehow barred any who would want political power from ever having political power, I suspect virtually every government related issue would vanish in short order.
Right: A right, like the right to life, liberty, and property, is a negative right. This means that your right to life bars any from depriving you of life. Your right to your property means that none may take your property without your consent. What it is not is a positive right. A positive right would be a right to property, therefore someone must provide you with property.
As I think of more terms, I will put them here. If you would like something defined, leave it in a comment.
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