No one ever answered my question yesterday or two weeks ago…When are the police good people who serve and protect, and when are they jack booted thugs coming to take away our guns, freedoms, and liberties?I know the first night had looting organized on social media and that police were unprepared or, since most of the looting was against stores owned by blacks, they just didnt want to get involved, but after that, they went WAY overboard. I’ve seen three videos of the Ferguson Police in and on their military vehicles aiming weapons and advancing on groups of people who were yelling and angry, but who were doing nothing violent. The video journalists, standing near the crowds, showed the police firing gas and flash/bangs and rubber bullets into the crowd whose only crime was gathering to express their first amendment rights of free speech. As the crowd withdrew and gathered down the road, the police gathered, formed new lines, and fired more gas, flash/bangs, and rubber bullets.If the police had done this in Arizona to drive Mr. Bundy’s cattle off of federal land, their legal right since Mr. Bundy had lost his court case, there were men on the bridge and in the desert aiming at the police, and many of those defending police actions in Ferguson were attacking police actions in Arizona. The militias and Mr. Bundy’s family promised to retaliate with violence if the police removed Mr. Bundy’s cattle.In Ferguson, a young man pointed a gun at police and was shot. In Arizona, dozens of men aimed assault rifles at police and nothing happened.I like and appreciate the police, but I’ve known police who were thoughtless bullies who used their badges to shield improper behavior. I support the use of cameras ON the police officers in order to protect them AND citizens from improper behavior.Twenty years ago, a police officer speaking in front of a crowd of over one hundred police officers told Phil Donahue this…“In a police officers life, there are three types of people. Cops, cops families, and suspects; and some in the first two groups are also suspects.” He said that "Cops are never off duty. Sitting in the restaurant, every face is compared to mug shots of suspects seen in briefings. It’s a thankless job and too many idealistic men and women are beaten down by the very people who hire them. Everyone lies to them from pastors to predators. But they must hold the line within their ranks as well as against looters and militias. In order to do this well, and to protect the good cops from the actions of the bad ones, cameras on uniforms must become part of the uniform.Respectfully,C.
Wow, Opednance…I recall reading and hearing that the women had been put at the front for the reason you gave, but I was totally unaware that an actual Sheriff had been one of the masterminds behind that strategy. It still doesn’t explain the video I saw of men on a bridge pointing weapons at the police below and the police car that drove past them without stopping. Why didn’t that black and white police car stop and order the man with the assault rifle to stand down?Thank you for the link. It is frightening that a man who swore to serve and protect served up his wife to be sacrificed in order to protect a man who was in violation of a court order.Respectfully,C.
It is my understanding that the case against Mr. Bundy covered several years before the courts gave law enforcement authority to act. Mr. Bundy himself refused to recognize the court’s authority to ban him from using public lands without paying for that privilege. I heard him say so.I can understand why Mr. Bundy is free, but why are the men pointing guns at law enforcement officials not treated the same way protestors pointing words at law enforcement in Ferguson were treated?Curiously, C.
Brought to you by the “Patriot Act”, and all that post-9/11 panic with other badly considered legislation, and administrative actions in the “follow up”…
OmqR-IV.0 over 9 years ago
30 bucks.
chazandru over 9 years ago
No one ever answered my question yesterday or two weeks ago…When are the police good people who serve and protect, and when are they jack booted thugs coming to take away our guns, freedoms, and liberties?I know the first night had looting organized on social media and that police were unprepared or, since most of the looting was against stores owned by blacks, they just didnt want to get involved, but after that, they went WAY overboard. I’ve seen three videos of the Ferguson Police in and on their military vehicles aiming weapons and advancing on groups of people who were yelling and angry, but who were doing nothing violent. The video journalists, standing near the crowds, showed the police firing gas and flash/bangs and rubber bullets into the crowd whose only crime was gathering to express their first amendment rights of free speech. As the crowd withdrew and gathered down the road, the police gathered, formed new lines, and fired more gas, flash/bangs, and rubber bullets.If the police had done this in Arizona to drive Mr. Bundy’s cattle off of federal land, their legal right since Mr. Bundy had lost his court case, there were men on the bridge and in the desert aiming at the police, and many of those defending police actions in Ferguson were attacking police actions in Arizona. The militias and Mr. Bundy’s family promised to retaliate with violence if the police removed Mr. Bundy’s cattle.In Ferguson, a young man pointed a gun at police and was shot. In Arizona, dozens of men aimed assault rifles at police and nothing happened.I like and appreciate the police, but I’ve known police who were thoughtless bullies who used their badges to shield improper behavior. I support the use of cameras ON the police officers in order to protect them AND citizens from improper behavior.Twenty years ago, a police officer speaking in front of a crowd of over one hundred police officers told Phil Donahue this…“In a police officers life, there are three types of people. Cops, cops families, and suspects; and some in the first two groups are also suspects.” He said that "Cops are never off duty. Sitting in the restaurant, every face is compared to mug shots of suspects seen in briefings. It’s a thankless job and too many idealistic men and women are beaten down by the very people who hire them. Everyone lies to them from pastors to predators. But they must hold the line within their ranks as well as against looters and militias. In order to do this well, and to protect the good cops from the actions of the bad ones, cameras on uniforms must become part of the uniform.Respectfully,C.
mdhutton1949 over 9 years ago
@Respectful Troll
Just a small correction: The man shot by police in Ferguson was UNarmed.
chazandru over 9 years ago
Wow, Opednance…I recall reading and hearing that the women had been put at the front for the reason you gave, but I was totally unaware that an actual Sheriff had been one of the masterminds behind that strategy. It still doesn’t explain the video I saw of men on a bridge pointing weapons at the police below and the police car that drove past them without stopping. Why didn’t that black and white police car stop and order the man with the assault rifle to stand down?Thank you for the link. It is frightening that a man who swore to serve and protect served up his wife to be sacrificed in order to protect a man who was in violation of a court order.Respectfully,C.
SkyFisher over 9 years ago
Mr. Clay Jones, I believe the police vehicles are armored but not armed !
chazandru over 9 years ago
It is my understanding that the case against Mr. Bundy covered several years before the courts gave law enforcement authority to act. Mr. Bundy himself refused to recognize the court’s authority to ban him from using public lands without paying for that privilege. I heard him say so.I can understand why Mr. Bundy is free, but why are the men pointing guns at law enforcement officials not treated the same way protestors pointing words at law enforcement in Ferguson were treated?Curiously, C.
BaltoBill over 9 years ago
It’s now supported by evidence.The FBI report on Ferguson. supports their PD Motto ‘Shoot First, Shoot Often’
Dtroutma over 9 years ago
Brought to you by the “Patriot Act”, and all that post-9/11 panic with other badly considered legislation, and administrative actions in the “follow up”…