Since most politicians start out as lawyers, many will inevitably have exposure to crime. So I too appreciate the humanization of May but don't see it as an excuse for authoritarianism. In fact, these people more than any should know about the delicate balance between liberty and security.
Do they? I guess you’re talking from a US point of view maybe.
Just to be clear, I'm not defending May's policies as either HS or PM here. I think she demonstrates both a lack of technical knowledge and a biased perspective that make her very dangerous to the public good, and as such I believe she is not the right person to serve as PM. I just think that those flaws are somewhat understandable and probably something that would affect any human being who had served in her former post for as long as she did, unless perhaps they came from a background particularly relevant to these kinds of issues. The real problem may be expecting any single individual to do what is currently required of a Home Secretary for an extended period, certainly without some sort of mandatory recovery period after they leave the post before they take any other high-level position within the government.