It’s time the police were reminded that THEY work for US, not for themselves, and that the citizens of the US are not their enemy.
As long as police departments and unions protect their “bad apples” instead of pruning them publicly, transparently, and completely (that is, no “paid leaves,” no protected pensions, and making them eligible for jail time), ALL police departments must be considered corrupt institutions. Until the police take pride in ELIMINATING bad apples instead of in protecting them, this isn’t going to get better. And the militarization of the police makes it even worse. Seeing TANKS driving through communities in Minneapolis makes it look more like a Soviet occupation than “keeping the peace.”
They are already far more armed than the average American, and are protected under law from almost all consequences, even if they murder someone. The George Floyd case is an exception, and it only happened because the murder was SO blatant, SO well documented, and so obviously intentional. If there’s any chance of doubt at all, we see the usual well-oiled machinery coming into play: the victim deserved it, the victim was untrustworthy, their family is untrustworthy, the police made the best decision they could at the time, the police were threatened (when you are shooting someone IN THE BACK AS THEY ARE RUNNING AWAY?), and the default is ALWAYS the ability to shoot and kill someone, even if the threat is just a knife (which you don’t bring to a gunfight, remember) and the person is outnumbered, incapacitated, or running away.
The hiring practices need to change, the training DEFINITELY needs to change, and the militarization needs to be undone completely. Let police EARN their guns, by learning to de-escalate and never requiring them.
I understand that sometimes the police face critical situations that require quick decisions and hard force. But that doesn’t give them carte blanche at all times… they are supposed to be trained well enough that they don’t “get scared” so easily, know alternatives to deadly force, and know when they have their perp under control. The worst choose to had out the death penalty for offenses that would not receive the death penalty in court. The streets are not the court. As Motivemagus points out, the police work for US, and are not above the law. Any cops who go out on patrol assuming that they are going into combat need to be off the streets and getting mental help.
I tire of the mantra of the ‘good cops’. If there are good cops, why don’t they do more to bring the bad cops to light? Complicit is the term I’d use. Makes them no better than the bad cops.
The earliest police forces were mostly about returning escaped slaves. I find it hard to actually understand how such a distant beginning could lead directly to this state of cops murdering black people and expecting to go unpunished (or even given attacops), so maybe it’s just a more recent aberration. Or maybe my “understander” isn’t up to the task.
I am constantly telling people, whatever group you happen belong to…you will be known by the actions of least of you. That being the case, it is up to you to “police” yourself and “raise the quotient” or else your group will become something other than what you want it to be. Case in point being last years mostly peaceful protest, all it takes is a few knuckleheads deciding to riot, burn, loot and destroy and that is what the movement became about in the minds of the public. Too often the instinct is to close ranks when this happens and that makes the situation worse because you then implicitly sign off on the abhorrent behavior which allows it to fester and become an even worse problem. It happens with the police, the BLM movement, the NRA, your local PTA, our political groupings and any other social groupings you care to name. You must keep your own house clean or else the public will automatically assume the whole house is dirty.
briangj2 almost 3 years ago
“I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.”
― Abraham Maslow, Toward a Psychology of Being
Although, some will think of this quotation:
“You must be master and win, or serve and lose, grieve or triumph, be the anvil or the hammer.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Der Gross-Cophta, 1791)
Daeder almost 3 years ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awktDTuuGlg
Michael G. almost 3 years ago
Why are citizens all bent out of shape?
Motivemagus almost 3 years ago
It’s time the police were reminded that THEY work for US, not for themselves, and that the citizens of the US are not their enemy.
As long as police departments and unions protect their “bad apples” instead of pruning them publicly, transparently, and completely (that is, no “paid leaves,” no protected pensions, and making them eligible for jail time), ALL police departments must be considered corrupt institutions. Until the police take pride in ELIMINATING bad apples instead of in protecting them, this isn’t going to get better. And the militarization of the police makes it even worse. Seeing TANKS driving through communities in Minneapolis makes it look more like a Soviet occupation than “keeping the peace.”
They are already far more armed than the average American, and are protected under law from almost all consequences, even if they murder someone. The George Floyd case is an exception, and it only happened because the murder was SO blatant, SO well documented, and so obviously intentional. If there’s any chance of doubt at all, we see the usual well-oiled machinery coming into play: the victim deserved it, the victim was untrustworthy, their family is untrustworthy, the police made the best decision they could at the time, the police were threatened (when you are shooting someone IN THE BACK AS THEY ARE RUNNING AWAY?), and the default is ALWAYS the ability to shoot and kill someone, even if the threat is just a knife (which you don’t bring to a gunfight, remember) and the person is outnumbered, incapacitated, or running away.
The hiring practices need to change, the training DEFINITELY needs to change, and the militarization needs to be undone completely. Let police EARN their guns, by learning to de-escalate and never requiring them.
ferddo almost 3 years ago
I understand that sometimes the police face critical situations that require quick decisions and hard force. But that doesn’t give them carte blanche at all times… they are supposed to be trained well enough that they don’t “get scared” so easily, know alternatives to deadly force, and know when they have their perp under control. The worst choose to had out the death penalty for offenses that would not receive the death penalty in court. The streets are not the court. As Motivemagus points out, the police work for US, and are not above the law. Any cops who go out on patrol assuming that they are going into combat need to be off the streets and getting mental help.
grumpypophobart almost 3 years ago
I tire of the mantra of the ‘good cops’. If there are good cops, why don’t they do more to bring the bad cops to light? Complicit is the term I’d use. Makes them no better than the bad cops.
Concretionist almost 3 years ago
The earliest police forces were mostly about returning escaped slaves. I find it hard to actually understand how such a distant beginning could lead directly to this state of cops murdering black people and expecting to go unpunished (or even given attacops), so maybe it’s just a more recent aberration. Or maybe my “understander” isn’t up to the task.
Kracklin Rosie - “Tolo Dan Nan Galad” Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Poor form Robert, far removed from reality.
WittyWeasel almost 3 years ago
If it was a BLM cop . . .it would be a screwdriver . . .:-)
piper_gilbert almost 3 years ago
If the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, everything is a nail.
Znox11 almost 3 years ago
I am constantly telling people, whatever group you happen belong to…you will be known by the actions of least of you. That being the case, it is up to you to “police” yourself and “raise the quotient” or else your group will become something other than what you want it to be. Case in point being last years mostly peaceful protest, all it takes is a few knuckleheads deciding to riot, burn, loot and destroy and that is what the movement became about in the minds of the public. Too often the instinct is to close ranks when this happens and that makes the situation worse because you then implicitly sign off on the abhorrent behavior which allows it to fester and become an even worse problem. It happens with the police, the BLM movement, the NRA, your local PTA, our political groupings and any other social groupings you care to name. You must keep your own house clean or else the public will automatically assume the whole house is dirty.