General Discussion

Orrex

(67,011 posts)

25. I think that's an over-simplification

Tue Jul 30, 2013, 01:56 PM

Jul 2013

the badge and fact that the government pays them seems to imbue them with special powers that we don't have when it comes to ownership/use of guns.

In my entire life I have met no one who actulally believes that. Instead, the expectation is that police will be trained in the use of firearms and conflict resolution to a greater degree than any average citizen who happens to obtain a pistol. I don't dispute that police often fail to live up to this expectation, but it's a mistake to characterize the expectation as some sort of faith in "special powers."

In addition, it is reasonable to expect that police will acquire specialized knowledge and wisdom due to experience and the nature of their work, in much the same way I expect you are knowledgeable of your own field in a way that other people are not. This, too, is different from any average citizen grabbing a gun and claiming authority by fiat.

However, police are indeed legally imbued with "special powers" specifically because they have earned their badges. Cops have greater authority to enter crime scenes and restricted areas, for instance, and they enjoy special protections that you and I do not.

That is not to say that they are entitled to engage in brutality or other wrong-doing, but it is simply a mistake to declare that "they are just like the rest of us."

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Cops just shoot Everybody now, with surprisingly little social resistance [View all] cthulu2016 Jul 2013 OP

K&R MotherPetrie Jul 2013 #1

Is it crazy or what? I can't believe the number of cop shootings that seem unjustified. WCLinolVir Jul 2013 #2

And they expect everyone they're dealing with to have guns. DirkGently Jul 2013 #7

What would you have them do? Bay Boy Jul 2013 #77

What? Expect guns, or shoot the innocent? DirkGently Jul 2013 #79

Well, you said: Bay Boy Jul 2013 #81

New police uniform revealed nxylas Jul 2013 #67

nxylas, I think you meant this cop portrayal as parody? truedelphi Jul 2013 #68

When Judge Dredd was created in 1977, it was intended as satire nxylas Jul 2013 #70

The sheriff's office is usually not as well funded as the police dept. Talk about overkill. WCLinolVir Jul 2013 #72

The rationale behind it is this vehicle would come in handy if truedelphi Jul 2013 #74

Yeah, how do you protect yourself from rouge cops? KansDem Jul 2013 #3

You need a good foundation to protect yourself from rouge cops Orrex Jul 2013 #29

You caught that too, did you? IrishAyes Jul 2013 #30

You're going to make me blush. Orrex Jul 2013 #32

How, when I felt the same urge? Tempting target. IrishAyes Jul 2013 #36

Well, we all need a chance to makeup for our mistakes. Orrex Jul 2013 #37

Lord help me, how I love a good pun. IrishAyes Jul 2013 #38

Me too. Someday I hope to post one. Orrex Jul 2013 #39

Maybe I'm too lowbrow IrishAyes Jul 2013 #45

rogue KansDem Jul 2013 #73

Don't feel bad. We all do that occasionally. IrishAyes Jul 2013 #83

We have also been taught to assume that everyone is out to get the cops. LuvNewcastle Jul 2013 #4

+1 Go Vols Jul 2013 #8

Two jobs I've seen cited as more dangerous IrishAyes Jul 2013 #33

Farmers are most certainly heroes, then. LuvNewcastle Jul 2013 #40

Well, perhaps some sympathy and appreciation for the vanishing family farmer IrishAyes Jul 2013 #46

This message was self-deleted by its author A HERETIC I AM Jul 2013 #56

(sigh...) IrishAyes Jul 2013 #61

This message was self-deleted by its author A HERETIC I AM Jul 2013 #63

Police are only # 9 in list of most dangerous jobs happyslug Jul 2013 #57

Thanks for providing that info. LuvNewcastle Jul 2013 #69

I'm always griping about this flyspeck town where I retired IrishAyes Jul 2013 #82

Of course I'm not going to resist. AtheistCrusader Jul 2013 #5

define resist. frylock Jul 2013 #10

It was a joke AtheistCrusader Jul 2013 #14

Joke is futile Orrex Jul 2013 #22

It's a defense mechanism. AtheistCrusader Jul 2013 #23

Defense is irrelevant. Joke is futile. Orrex Jul 2013 #26

I should have caught that. AtheistCrusader Jul 2013 #27

LOL Orrex Jul 2013 #31

And look at all the people who die from stun guns. leftyladyfrommo Jul 2013 #6

To protect him from himself, of course! IrishAyes Jul 2013 #34

Reminescent of Viet Nam. nt awoke_in_2003 Jul 2013 #41

I know one of the guys who was at My Lai IrishAyes Jul 2013 #47

My enemies don't live in the middle sorefeet Jul 2013 #9

RATM Angelonthesidelines Jul 2013 #11

I think because some believe only cops are responsible enough to even own a gun The Straight Story Jul 2013 #12

I think that's an over-simplification Orrex Jul 2013 #25

On the plus side, most of the time they miss. Recently, eg, they fired 17 rounds and hit only once. AnotherMcIntosh Jul 2013 #13

As shown by events, cops are being purposely trained to deliver unnecessary and excessive violence. AnotherMcIntosh Jul 2013 #15

That is exactly correct. zeemike Jul 2013 #19

I am not here to defend all cops, many don't deserve shit from us, but many do! Dustlawyer Jul 2013 #52

Many? Not a single one. AnotherMcIntosh Jul 2013 #53

That is like saying all blacks are criminals, all Southern whites are Red Necks... Dustlawyer Jul 2013 #54

No, it's not. You are a lawyer? And you reason that "is like saying all blacks are criminals, AnotherMcIntosh Jul 2013 #62

I see where you are coming from, but I could not disagree more. There are a lot of bad cops, yes, Dustlawyer Aug 2013 #86

I "cannot make blanket statement about a group"? Sure I can. All SchutzStaffel were evil assholes. AnotherMcIntosh Aug 2013 #87

Each cop has a "Jacket" that follows them around that is kept on them by law. Dustlawyer Aug 2013 #88

Great post dreamnightwind Aug 2013 #89

You're an attorney, so how many times have you been able, or know of other attorneys that Egalitarian Thug Jul 2013 #76

When there's too many rats in a cage - haele Jul 2013 #16

It's time for a national commission on law enforcement standards and practices. Comrade Grumpy Jul 2013 #17

But... but... MILK JUGS, and stuff! LAGC Jul 2013 #18

ha Marblehead Jul 2013 #44

Our "security" is more important than individual rights Vanje Jul 2013 #20

Seems society has embraced the idea that those who question authority (or defy it) should die. Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2013 #21

In part the harvest of 50+ years... JackRiddler Jul 2013 #24

Philip K Dick wrote about exactly that, in fact Orrex Jul 2013 #35

Yeah, I remember TV shows during the 1960s when cops lamented... KansDem Jul 2013 #75

Deference and reverence of the uniform/authority are the reason for this. Dawson Leery Jul 2013 #28

Part of living in a police state is that it's residents get numbed to joeybee12 Jul 2013 #42

Drove up to Toronto, Ontario this morning etherealtruth Jul 2013 #43

Does the average person The Wizard Jul 2013 #48

I know of a county sheriff RoccoR5955 Jul 2013 #59

Juries are just plain stupid. 100% trust the police. n-t Logical Jul 2013 #49

My dad was a lawyer and had stories about that stuff Tyrs WolfDaemon Jul 2013 #65

Wow, how depressing. I am sure your dad could write a book. n-t Logical Jul 2013 #71

Maybe the jury heard that the 'short guy' was COLGATE4 Jul 2013 #78

I asked my dad about it. Tyrs WolfDaemon Aug 2013 #85

He was fired? Then he may have gotten picked up by another department, one that wanted an AnotherMcIntosh Aug 2013 #91

So true. Happens all the time. n-t Logical Aug 2013 #93

100%? pipi_k Aug 2013 #95

I will say this to I am blue in the face- VADem1980 Jul 2013 #50

I suspect that some parts of our country are different MannyGoldstein Jul 2013 #51

Thank God I'm not non-white! AAO Jul 2013 #55

These days they shoot to kill RoccoR5955 Jul 2013 #58

Even if it is just a mistake, any policeman that does this should be 'retired' from the force. reformist2 Jul 2013 #60

They're taking down the scenery...... DeSwiss Jul 2013 #64

They're just trying to make the red dot larger. adirondacker Jul 2013 #66

That has really bothered me as of late. Rex Jul 2013 #80

tsk tsk IrishAyes Jul 2013 #84

The Stats FreeJoe Aug 2013 #90

There are 400-500 killed by police annually, and about 50 to 100 police killed FarCenter Aug 2013 #92

Only about 37% of police being killed are by criminals. Most are accidents. n-t Logical Aug 2013 #94

The 50 to 100 was for felonious killing -- it varies quite a bit year to year FarCenter Aug 2013 #96