Twilight Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 Leonard Pitts Jr commented on much the same thing in this article. Particularly in the bottom half He sums it up with "An argument can be made that rights which aren’t respected in the moment they are asserted are not really rights at all." We are dangerously close to a state of slack martial law, one that can instantly be tightened and brought to full force at any time by any police officer in a 20 foot or more radius around him even when there is no crime. I just read that article. I'm not even an American and I'm shocked by how the police are disregarding the US Constitution and how many people seem to be accepting of it. It's just a deplorable situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawnmower Boy Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 I'm pretty sure you should administer first aid or something. Not that I'm a cop, but, you know. Then you, like, get blood on you. Eew. Also, maybe they weren't trained in first aid or, maybe when tney realised that they'd shot somebody, they went totally to pieces and had to hyperventilate in a brown paper bag until their mommy got there. What do you think the cops are, supermen? A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Then you, like, get blood on you. Eew. Also, maybe they weren't trained in first aid or, maybe when tney realised that they'd shot somebody, they went totally to pieces and had to hyperventilate in a brown paper bag until their mommy got there. What do you think the cops are, supermen? A Given that I learned how to give basic first aid, including things like rescue breathing and CPR when I was in the Boy Scouts I think that argument doesn't really hold up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattern Ghost Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Given that I learned how to give basic first aid, including things like rescue breathing and CPR when I was in the Boy Scouts I think that argument doesn't really hold up. I think that was sarcasm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 I think that was sarcasm. Messageboards need a sarcasm symbol, for moments such as these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Speaking as a demon, I consider it an insult to be compared to the cops in most of those localities. I really find it hard to believe that the general attitude of police in the US is either "let's go kill us a brown!". Or "let's see how many crimes we can commit without punching a hole in the Blue Wall?" The opinion of some, both here and elsewhere seems to be that the vast majority of police officers are criminals if not murderous monsters. I really think some diaphragmatic breathing is in order. It is not like all of us live in New Orleans, or, well, maybe Cleveland. Or as an even better example, Mexico or Rio. If there were active police death squads throughout the country, there would be a hell of a lot more dead people. bigbywolfe and Agent X 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Leonard Pitts Jr commented on much the same thing in this article. Particularly in the bottom half He sums it up with "An argument can be made that rights which aren’t respected in the moment they are asserted are not really rights at all." We are dangerously close to a state of slack martial law, one that can instantly be tightened and brought to full force at any time by any police officer in a 20 foot or more radius around him even when there is no crime. As is usually the case, he makes very good points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 If there were active police death squads throughout the country, there would be a hell of a lot more dead people.I don't think there is any assertion of that. AFAIK, nowhere in the US are the police handing over political enemies to the drug gangs to be murdered with intent to maintain terror, as happens in Mexico. But here in Seattle, a city of 450,000, last year a quarter of all homicides in the city were performed by the police. 薔薇語 and Ragitsu 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
薔薇語 Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 But here in Seattle, a city of 450,000, last year a quarter of all homicides in the city were performed by the police. And obviously those people had it coming because they weren't 'respectin da po-po's authoritah!' Had they just gotten down and groveled a bit maybe our honorable masters would have let them live. But I guess Seattle residents are just a bit too upity. La Rose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megaplayboy Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 I wonder if American police really need to carry handguns at all times, no matter what, or if there are instances where they can leave it in the squad car and just carry something less lethal like a taser, nightstick, pepper spray etc. The notion that they need to be prepped and ready to deliver lethal force at all moments and all times does not seem irrefutable or incontestable to me. After all, LEOs in other countries have managed to do a pretty good job without being strapped all the time. Ragitsu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
薔薇語 Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 I think that police have good reason to be armed at most all times. If for no other reason than we can't really be sure when a gun will or will not be needed so it is best to err on the side of safety. That said, cops seem to be far too trigger happy. La Rose. Ragitsu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Frankly, at times I wonder if every big-city policeman in the country could (and therefore should) be evaluated as suffering from, perhaps even disabled with, PTSD. Certainly the institutions they work for behave that way. And small-town police ... well, they have their own problems. I lived in Texas when the events reported in Terror on Highway 59 were coming to a close. A pity Sheriff Humpy Parker didn't die in prison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 I really find it hard to believe that the general attitude of police in the US is either "let's go kill us a brown!". Or "let's see how many crimes we can commit without punching a hole in the Blue Wall?" Probably not the general attitude of all police, no. But it's pretty clear at this point that too many police automatically view black people as criminals and react as such. White people walk around with assault rifles as some sort of macho political statement and they might get questioned by police. Black kids walk around with toy guns, or a box of cigarillos, or a bag of Skittles, and get gunned down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragitsu Posted December 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 http://ipweb-lb-1885590254.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com/illinois-general-assembly-revives-recording-ban.html Although it appears to be designed to accommodate the Illinois Supreme Court’s ruling striking down the old law, the bill actually is designed to continue to prevent people from recording interactions with police. Nice to see Illinois (or at least Illinois politicians) is quick to hold back the forces of civilization and common sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragitsu Posted December 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Probably not the general attitude of all police, no. But it's pretty clear at this point that too many police automatically view black people as criminals and react as such. White people walk around with assault rifles as some sort of macho political statement and they might get questioned by police. Black kids walk around with toy guns, or a box of cigarillos, or a bag of Skittles, and get gunned down. Remember that relatively short-lived Cliven Bundy news story? No one really raised a fuss when a bunch of good ol' boys held firearms during television interviews or very public interactions with law enforcement. Can't imagine that would have went over so well if the men in question were of a darker complexion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragitsu Posted December 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 I think that police have good reason to be armed at most all times. If for no other reason than we can't really be sure when a gun will or will not be needed so it is best to err on the side of safety. That said, cops seem to be far too trigger happy. La Rose. They're also armed with pepper spray and tasers, but, damnit, these guys can't be bothered to pull out toys when dealing with hardened thugs and demons roaming the streets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Armed with Skittles, no less! And toy swords! Can you imagine if a cop took a Skittle to the face? He might actually have to taste the thing! Ragitsu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Armed with Skittles, no less! And toy swords! Can you imagine if a cop took a Skittle to the face? He might actually have to taste the thing! Taste the rainbow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeropoint Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 The opinion of some, both here and elsewhere seems to be that the vast majority of police officers are criminals if not murderous monsters. Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but MY personal opinion is that only a minority of police officers are criminals and murderous monsters. The majority of police officers are the type who feel that having civilians murdered by police is a lesser evil than holding police accountable for their actions. There aren't any good cops. GOOD cops would arrest the murderous cops and see to it that they got convicted. drunkonduty, Grailknight, Ragitsu and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but MY personal opinion is that only a minority of police officers are criminals and murderous monsters. The majority of police officers are the ones who let them get away with it. Pretty much this.. if, for example, maybe only 1% of the police nation wide are corrupt, abuse their authority, or are trigger happy idiots... the problem is the 67% who rally appear to rally around the bad cops and the others just don't speak up even when they know wrong has been done. Police have fallen into the ultimate 'us vs them' mentality... and the problem is, their 'them' has gone from criminals to being the American public and this battle overides all else... equality under the law, our liberties, and increasingly, our lives. Or so it appears to me. Ragitsu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Posted December 12, 2014 Report Share Posted December 12, 2014 Wasn't there a quote by Benjamin Franklin, regarding sacrificing liberty and freedom for safety? I believe the gist of it was that if one sacrificed liberty and/or freedom for safety, that one deserved neither of those things. The unfortunate events we've discussed in this thread have caused me to remember that quote. Sadly judging by some of the tweets I've seen regarding this situation, there seem to be an alarming number of people these days who would consider Mr. Franklin's statement to be supportive of criminals or somesuch. Fortunately I also read stuff about the police officers of Lowell, Michigan who've apparently taken to surprising unsuspecting motorists with Christmas presents. It seems there is reason to be guardedly optimistic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranxerox Posted December 12, 2014 Report Share Posted December 12, 2014 Cygnia, Roter Baron, Ragitsu and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Posted December 12, 2014 Report Share Posted December 12, 2014 In fact, I'd say the two often go hand in hand. That is to say: you want law enforcement to be held to high standards because you hold them in high regard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markdoc Posted December 12, 2014 Report Share Posted December 12, 2014 So ... Supporting the criminals, eh? Ragitsu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted December 12, 2014 Report Share Posted December 12, 2014 Not to mention giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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