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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPolice Violence and Violence Against the Police
"The existence of a heavily armed, highly militarized, wholly unaccountable army to protect a class and race based social order is totalitarian by degree those on the side being repressed bear the brunt leaving the illusion of justice for those not paying attention.
"The one-sided response of the political leadership and police spokespersons to the tragic murder of Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos is evidence of the social order being protected. Left entirely unaddressed is the historical role of the police in maintaining an unjust race and class based social order from slave patrols to convict leasing to mass incarceration and for-profit prisons to class and race-based enforcement of selectively repressive laws."
http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/12/26/police-violence-and-violence-against-the-police/
ChosenUnWisely
(588 posts)IDK what the rational for their choice is either, it does not matter.
From my POV the Police, ALL Police, have decided to give the finger to the 99% OK fine with me, so when some of them end up dead protecting the 1% and their things I will not care either.
If cops don't like it TS then stop acting like thugs and start protecting the serving the 99%.
One thing I would like to see now is the Republicans now going after the Cop Unions and Cop Pay, if they wanted to go after it like they do teacher salaries then they should have no problem getting the backing of the people for it either.
Do I like to see attacks on Union workers, NO, but I don't care about the police any more at all and I would love to see them ALL f-ed over by their masters.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)Obviously, many the officers don't believe they are and are acting accordingly.
Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)With the constant "cops are all racist murdering pigs" blanket nonsense here, do you think any cop visiting here will say "hey, they are right, I am more like them" and come to see things your way?
Same goes for OWS. I went to OWS camps in 3 places here in NC and it was all insults to cops, antagonizing them almost for sport, lots of hate.
That's almost all the rhetoric I saw online as well.
So keep attacking, making blanket accusations, and stereotyping. If you can't look around at how those on your side behave and understand why the cops don't embrace you, try a little harder.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)Perhaps your law enforcement/attorney (seems you have claimed both) background is making you see things through different lenses than many of us here. First time I have seen you claim to visit OWS camps though.
And how is, "Obviously, many the officers don't believe they are and are acting accordingly. " stereotyping?
Your police brutality and DA strong-arm, plea bargaining extraction apologist posts are getting a bit tiresome.
By the way, aren't you guilty of stereotyping DU? If you really feel that way about DU, you are free to leave at any time.
Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)So obviously you are confused and attributing someone else's posts to me.
I'm not stereotyping DU- in describing what a visitor would see here. Can you show otherwise?
I am sure many would like me to leave- a lot of people don't like having their stereotypes and preconceived notions challenged, especially when it's be someone more informed and more experienced on the issue.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)but what is the alternative you are asking for: total agreement with your stereotypes and preconceived notions?
djean111
(14,255 posts)they can just put you on ignore. You just may be overestimating your relationship to, and effect on, DU as a whole.
Rex
(65,616 posts)that cops don't give two shits about the populace. THANK YOU for making that clear to all of us here on DU!
Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)organization here in Texas and watch Gov., Perry and Gov., Abbott alternate years speaking to cops at their convention. I have yet to see a Democrat anywhere around.
Interesting thing though, I am openly Progressive which causes me to take a lot of guff from some of the officers. Most clearly don't know the issues, only Fox talking points so it was easy to rebut what they had to say. Since the first couple of times where it would be 20 on 1, I would have cops come to me privately and tell me that they vote Democrat, but couldn't let anyone know because it would hurt opportunities for advancement. That's F'd up!
You are correct in pointing out that we look down on stereotyping when it is racially motivated. We are quick to attack anyone pushing stereotypes and talk about how wrong it is to generalize that all _____ are a certain way, unless it is a stereotype that we hold dear like all cops are bad, or all lawyers are crooks.... For some reason they do not see the hypocracy of this position!
I have gone on ride-a-longs and hung out with cops. While I would agree that a larger than normal number of cops are thrill seekers or on power trips, there are still large numbers of officers that do a great job and are fair to the citizens they come accross.
Another thing that needs to be discussed is the thin blue line. Let me go on record as saying that it is wrong for these cops to protect their fellow officers when the do bad shit or screw up. No one talks about the reality of this situation though. No solutions are offered (I don't have one either except to say that it must come from the top down). When a cop chooses to rat out another cop for doing wrong, or not "cover" for them, they face persecution and loss of job and career. In some cases they and their families are put into danger. So it is easy to say they shouldn't cover for bad cops, but much harder to practice in reality.
I think we should push for Community Policing and poor and minority groups should reach out to their local law enforcement agencies and get to know their police officers. Go on ride-a-longs and see what officers go through in doing the job. It would end up being a learning experience for both sides and serve to further humanize the citizenry and combat the "us against them" attitude all to prevalent in law enforcement.
It serves no one to stereotype the police and merely exacerbates the situation.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)Who the heck fights for the unions that protect cops salaries and pensions? Democrats.
Who would rather privatize them along with the prisons they already have privatized? Republicans.
Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)nationally. I was not clear in my response. I will say that Democrats in general (here I go generalizing) are not as supportive of cops. Our politics have gotten so polarized that many feel they must take sides on an issue that comports with their party identification, rather than their own view obtained by objectively looking at the facts. For example, my mailman is very RW, yet the RW may very well cost him his career. We have many union members in our local petrochemical industry that vote and identify as Republican, yet their union is openly supportive of Democrats and has their back if they get fired or hurt.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)I only wish more Democratic leaders would come out against the abuse.
We need to support good law enforcement policies and personnel. But any organization given so much power needs to judicially watched and held accountable when it abuses its power.
We have been negligent in holding those in power accountable in any organization while at the same time throwing the book at those with out power for the smallest of crimes (and sometimes no crime at all).
The definition of justice in America today is a far cry from what it should be.
Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)NY's Mayor. My point has been that you cannot broad brush any group of people no matter how heinous the acts of a few. Are all Muslims bad because some radicals become terrorists? We're all Ferguson protestor's bad because a few people looted and vandalized?
The current situation with police officers shooting unarmed black men and kids is unacceptable, but not all support that behavior. Not enough by far are willing to speak out about it, but that has started to change as well. Viciously attacking all cops will not get you what you want. I know because I talk with several and have been trying to understand the various dynamics at play here so that maybe we can come up with a way to make positive change.
I agree that there is little Justice in America as well, let's leave it at that!
ccarmenfrongillo
(13 posts)First I don't believe the poster above that a cop whispered in his ear not to tell them he/she voted democrat because of some sort of backlash.
It is the democrats who fight for the unions. I hate the idea that some prisons are privatized. I was so nervous that our governor what not going to get voted back in because his opponent wanted to privatize our prisons in my state.
Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)My firm represents dozens of unions around the country, including police unions. I think you could benefit from a few ride-a-longs yourself and you would have a better understanding of what you speak.
Trillo
(9,154 posts)On the one hand, you say that there are "large numbers" of cops who are good guys. On the other hand, you say that if the good cops rat out a bad cop or cops, they are persecuted and lose their job and career.
You can't really have it both ways. If "most cops" are good guys, then why would they be persecuted and lose their jobs if they stop another cop from violating a citizens civil rights (which in theory the cops are supposed to protect)? That indicates that most cops are not "good guys", but instead bad guys, or it indicates that police hierarchy is populated by more bad than good. You can't lose your career unless the boss fires you.
I don't mean to disparage your call for Community Policing, that could help both sides learn about the other, and seems to have worked well in the past where it's been used.
Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)Trillo
(9,154 posts)And, there are not "large numbers" of good guys, but mostly only "bad cops". There's no need to parse the definition of "bad cop" to "blue line" as a sort of coded communique for the sake of political correctness.
Simply be honest, instead of deceptive.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)TransitJohn
(6,932 posts)they're gathering intel or trying to.
99Forever
(14,524 posts)The Us vs. Them mentality started with the police, not us.
The people are starting to fight back. It's going to get much worse before it gets better.
I'll start respecting cops when they stop murdering and brutalizing unarmed citizens going about their lawful lives and business, which BTW includes the Constitutional RIGHT to protest (redress grievances). Furthermore, until the mythical "good cops" stand up for those of us who pay their fucking salaries, instead of covering up for the corrupt and rotten, bullying thugs in their ranks, NONE of them are worthy of anyone's respect or defense.
Simply put, if they don't want to be seen and treated as We the People's enemy, then they need to stop acting like it.
Blanket that.
KingCharlemagne
(7,908 posts)Fascism: What it is and how to fight it (1932)
Fla_Democrat
(2,547 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)Because that is exactly what we will become (all 300 million of us), Americans will not bow down to a social class that is unaccountable to authority and owns authority with money!
Always worked very well throughout history...uh huh uh huh...
KingCharlemagne
(7,908 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)The more things change, the more they stay the same.
daredtowork
(3,732 posts)The police "safety" response also sounds like a lot of parroting back of protester language (the response of an annoying kid!) rather than an authentic response to the problem.