I have two good friends who are cops. They both support OWS.

[proud2BlibKansan]

One of them is active in his local Occupy group. The other one called me the other day asking if I knew where she could send a donation to OWS. She was absolutely outraged by the pepper spraying cop.

It's not right to broad brush an entire profession because of a few bad apples. Law enforcement is the 99%.

[msongs]

1. we will see about that when your friends are given orders to brutalize non-violent citizens nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. One of them works at a university

He's retired from the police force and works campus security. We had this conversation. He assured me he would never do what pepper spraying cop did. And I don't believe he would. He's a very good person who speaks out against police brutality frequently.

[AntiFascist]

18. Many would, particulary if they are paid the salary of Lt. Pike...

Some may not, and I don't think it's a good idea to alienate them.

[NYC_SKP]

2. I love our good police force members, by far the majority. Thanks for the post.

K/R

[tabasco]

3. Well, in that case ...

all cops are great and we should stop condemning them.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. That's broad brushing.

:)

[mike_c]

6. it isn't right to paint an entire corrupt profession as decent...

...based on your limited personal experience with two people, LOL.

Until the police begin policing themselves and make an honest effort to prosecute brutality, or until they stop using arrest and violence as tools to reinforce entrenched power elites, it's simpler and more often correct to simply regard them all as pigs. Want to know how we'll know whether or not a REAL revolution happens? If it does, the old power structures will be purged, and not gently. That will be a good time to NOT be a former cop, if the day ever comes.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. And I did that where?

[mike_c]

24. sorry-- it was somewhat tongue-in-cheek....

eom

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Thank them for the rest of us

Point them to #occuypolice.

[elocs]

8. Oh, DU loves the broad brush. It saves on thinking effort. n/t

[TheKentuckian]

10. Would they break the Blue Wall? Would they stop the terroristic behavior?

Would they refuse to follow orders to oppress?

Until then, Jimmy crack corn.

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. I know one would for sure.

The other I think would but we've never discussed it.

[TheKentuckian]

20. Then they are gems, precious and rare that I wish I knew and that there were more of.

[Logical]

12. I guarantee both of your friends have abused their power at one time or another. Cops....

[JoeyT]

13. I once had a friend that was a hedge fund manager

and he was a truly decent guy. Gave to charity and everything.

It's wrong to broad brush people, so we should all be nice to the vast majority of hedge fund managers that are good decent people.

Odds are that at some time or another your friend stuck up for a bad cop. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have retired a cop. Good cops speak up about corruption and get drummed out by their brothers. It's about the only thing that will get a cop fired in a hurry.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. One of the nicest guys I knew in high school

is now a bigwig with Bank of America.

Go figure.

[provis99]

16. hedge fund managers produce nothing of economic value.

I don't care how nice he is and how much he give to charity; he's an economic parasite.

[dkf]

25. Why is it different from any other Investment professional?

Or do you not believe in investing period?

[Rex]

14. There are COPS and then there are PIGS.

Both serve, yet just one protects while the other instigates riots.

[varelse]

17. K&R

[Devil_Fish]

19. No offense, but "a few good apples" would be more appropriate. NT

[Balbus]

21. And even those "few good apples" would lie their heads off...

to cover up something a bad apple cop did.

[darth marth]

22. I have the feeling many cops do not approve of this behavior

There seems to be an organized effort to make us hate all cops, because really, they are the only ones between us and the 1%.

Now who would have an interest in making sure the 99% and the cops hate each other I wonder?


This video is all about changing minds
Wall Street gives Cops a teach-in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGAKq6Cnnu0

[coalition_unwilling]

23. You might want to take a look at this site for an alternate take

on the "police are our allies" trope.

~snip~

The police are ordinary workers just like us; they should be our allies. Unfortunately, there’s a big gap between “should be” and “are.” The role of the police is to serve the interests of the ruling class; anyone who has not had a bad experience with them is likely privileged, submissive, or both. Today’s police officers know exactly what they’re getting into when they join the force—people in uniform don’t just get cats out of trees. Yes, most take the job because of economic pressure, but needing a paycheck is no excuse for evicting families, harassing young people of color, or pepper-spraying demonstrators. Those whose consciences can be bought are everyone’s potential enemies, not allies.

This fairy tale is more persuasive when it is couched in strategic terms: for example, “Every revolution succeeds at the moment the armed forces refuse to make war on their fellows; therefore we should focus on seducing the police to our side.” But the police are not just any workers; they’re the ones who chose to base their livelihoods upon defending the prevailing order, thus the least likely to be sympathetic to those who wish to change it. In this context, it makes more sense to oppose the police as such than to seek solidarity with them. As long as they serve their masters, they cannot be our allies; by denouncing the institution of police and demoralizing individual officers, we encourage them to seek other livelihoods so we can one day find common cause with them.

~snip~

http://www.crimethinc.com/texts/atoz/fuckpolice.php