Quote Originally Posted by Zoebird View Post
but, is anyone else concerned about the martial-law look of boston in photos? and searches of homes without warrants (just going door to door and searching?). Of course, people can permit police to search their homes, which circumvents this -- but what if someone refused? then what? a shoot-out at their home? harassment? going to get a warrant?
Google "exigent circumstances". I had to take a whole class on this as a firefighter/EMT.

Your house is on fire, and there is a need to remedy imminent danger to life or serious damage to property, I'm coming in, no warrant needed. The police will come in under their own set of similar circumstances. There's a whole pile of Supreme Court cases on this.

Now, of course, you have to be reasonable about your actions, and there is a whole bunch of fine print.

But likening that to "a police state" shows ignorance of law, custom, and history.