When writing an opinion piece, at least in formal writing which has higher standards, writers are trained not to do that. At least in the writing classes I took ages ago.

Here's why:

https://preciseedit.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/in-my-opinion-i...

I agree, and of course there's an implied statement of opinion in screeds like GP's, but they set up such a tenuous chain of causality that I just couldn't help myself.

I don't know, if you ask me when in the field of public policy, this approach is a bad idea. When I encounter someone making proposals who is stating opinion as fact, I assume the person doesn't know the difference so I discount their opinion fairly strongly, because a lot if not most people in my experience genuinely don't know the difference.

Yes, journalism is a bit different, but typically opinion pieces either have OPINION written at the top of the article on the web, or appear in the opinion section of the paper. I generally stay away from opinion pieces because they deliberately try to convince me to a particular side of an argument, which usually excludes alternative information. I'd rather come up with my own conclusions.

I led the comment with "I really don't think it's that clear cut" - intending to indicate I was about to express an opinion.

I have a friend in the NYPD, who did not turn his back on the mayor in that incident.

This problem needs to be solved from the top down. Police need to be constantly reminded that their job is more than just being enforcers.