The Powers That Be push the pretense that all police are bold, brave, superhuman (Reply #39)

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39. The Powers That Be push the pretense that all police are bold, brave, superhuman

Sun Dec 14, 2014, 06:33 PM

Dec 2014

can do no wrong, etc. and the rest of us should be very glad that we have them around. It started, IMHO, on 9/11 with the glorification of the "First Responders", conveniently ignoring little facts like Giuliani neglecting to give them the equipment that would have helped them, that all but a handful of people who survived in Manhattan did so by their own initiative or with the aid of their co-workers (it annoys me that the regular office guys who died looking for more people to rescue are rarely mentioned) - the New York police and firefighters became the poster people for heroism (I have no problem giving credit where it's due; I find it interesting that when 9/11 comes up there's very little mention of the Pentagon, possibly because the military largely took control). Then as the War on Terror ramped up police forces started getting equipment the military didn't need - even assault vehicles - since TPTB had to keep the money flowing to defense contractors: of course the police are going to feel like they're under siege - they have the weapons to prove it.

There seems to have bee a shift in how police talk: the people they're supposed to be serving are "civilians", making them subtly the other, and distancing the police from the people. The recent cases of police killing unarmed men (and a boy, in the case of Tamir Rice) I think stem in part from this.

How to fix this? The first thing I'd do is disarm the police, or at least require that they have a several year period with no citizen complaints before their allowed to carry a firearm. Working body cameras are a good first measure. Get the police more involved with the people they're supposedly working for: bring back the beat cops (San Francisco has them in some areas).

I'm sounding a bit paranoid. As a somewhat elderly white woman, I don't get hassled much, but it does happen to my fellow Americans.

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Do not trust the police. Ever. The police force has become something evil in its purpose... [View all] whereisjustice Dec 2014 OP

I fear cops more than I fear criminals. MohRokTah Dec 2014 #1

The cops are the criminals now, so it's almost a KingCharlemagne Dec 2014 #3

Same here. blackspade Dec 2014 #27

No, it says nothing about the cops, just something about you. Donald Ian Rankin Dec 2014 #98

I really don't think so JonLP24 Dec 2014 #103

I'm afraid you're simply wrong; go and look up some numbers. Donald Ian Rankin Dec 2014 #127

It could be 2nd JonLP24 Dec 2014 #133

OK, I think I see what you mean now. Donald Ian Rankin Dec 2014 #134

Welcome to the third world. Downwinder Dec 2014 #2

The police are the bad guys. 99Forever Dec 2014 #4

Exactly what happens in despotic countries that take rights away from citizens -eom whereisjustice Dec 2014 #5

When the Nazis invaded Europe and installed puppet regimes aint_no_life_nowhere Dec 2014 #6

The police are there drmeow Dec 2014 #7

Paranoid, much? Bette Noir Dec 2014 #8

Blind to reality much? 99Forever Dec 2014 #18

Not at all AnalystInParadise Dec 2014 #21

Is your handle Bette Noir? 99Forever Dec 2014 #22

Nope AnalystInParadise Dec 2014 #23

"sorting people out" 99Forever Dec 2014 #24

Pot meet kettle AnalystInParadise Dec 2014 #25

i see you got the memo about "profiling" police noiretextatique Dec 2014 #48

That "sorting people out"... malokvale77 Dec 2014 #40

Indeed it was. 99Forever Dec 2014 #42

I don't suffer them well myself. malokvale77 Dec 2014 #44

Done on purpose AnalystInParadise Dec 2014 #79

This one is amusing tkmorris Dec 2014 #82

Well thank you AnalystInParadise Dec 2014 #84

Post removed Post removed Dec 2014 #89

If I'm not mistaken and it is likely I am JonLP24 Dec 2014 #105

Interesting... malokvale77 Dec 2014 #87

The fun part about bullshit AnalystInParadise Dec 2014 #88

Post removed Post removed Dec 2014 #90

That doesn't even make sense AnalystInParadise Dec 2014 #92

What? malokvale77 Dec 2014 #93

You and I will have plenty AnalystInParadise Dec 2014 #94

I'm looking forward to the good times. malokvale77 Dec 2014 #95

Much like "some are good, some are bad..." LanternWaste Dec 2014 #117

Count me as 1. 59 yrs old. Know no one. Closest thing to me was the time DebJ Dec 2014 #97

I hate cops NOLALady Dec 2014 #76

Sure they are AnalystInParadise Dec 2014 #78

"I got it, you hate cops and like criminals. " Ikonoklast Dec 2014 #100

No run along and move the goalposts, it is so much fun when you do that. AnalystInParadise Dec 2014 #128

Which wasn't what that poster said, you put words in their mouth. Ikonoklast Dec 2014 #132

Tell me about these good cops. Savannahmann Dec 2014 #33

So is the only good cop AnalystInParadise Dec 2014 #35

Damn straight marym625 Dec 2014 #37

Chris Dorner- executed by pigs for telling the truth ncjustice80 Dec 2014 #52

The same Chris Dorner that murdered some folks? Throd Dec 2014 #72

Careful AnalystInParadise Dec 2014 #81

Murderin' Christopher Dorner took the COWARD'S WAY OUT and shot himself in the fucking mouth. cherokeeprogressive Dec 2014 #130

If you lie, can you be good? Savannahmann Dec 2014 #65

A cop who does not report corruption and abuse is not morningfog Dec 2014 #66

The blue code of silence is hardly a secret JonLP24 Dec 2014 #108

Back from your timeout? I hope you get another soon. U4ikLefty Dec 2014 #45

Oo, that has to hurt. malokvale77 Dec 2014 #50

I am sure AnalystInParadise Dec 2014 #80

Freddie Mercury would laugh at you tkmorris Dec 2014 #85

Will we not be friends AnalystInParadise Dec 2014 #86

Opps, did we forget which account was in the browser tab? Rex Dec 2014 #101

I called the cops when someone pulled a gun and bomb on me joeglow3 Dec 2014 #29

I have no idea what that has to do with my response. n/t 99Forever Dec 2014 #32

Nothing. malokvale77 Dec 2014 #51

U claimed someone who doesn't share ur views is disassociated with reality joeglow3 Dec 2014 #75

Uh, nope. 99Forever Dec 2014 #106

Where am I wrong joeglow3 Dec 2014 #112

You have me confused with someone. .. 99Forever Dec 2014 #123

You confuse interrogated with calling your buillshit joeglow3 Dec 2014 #124

You know jack. 99Forever Dec 2014 #126

LOL! Ooops! Rex Dec 2014 #102

Paris, 1789 (NT) The Wizard Dec 2014 #9

I agree. This is a lesson that I learned from several experiences, a long time ago. nt Zorra Dec 2014 #10

K&R DeSwiss Dec 2014 #11

It's not really ohheckyeah Dec 2014 #12

where is sanity? hfojvt Dec 2014 #13

We are. To deny it is like denying global warming, the data is all there. whereisjustice Dec 2014 #20

sure the data is there hfojvt Dec 2014 #46

One can make stats mean whatever they want. malokvale77 Dec 2014 #53

No, what they need to understand is that they are part of us, not the One Percent. woo me with science Dec 2014 #14

The police are mercenaries who work on a cash basis... whereisjustice Dec 2014 #15

Well, most police in America are not private mercenary forces yet, woo me with science Dec 2014 #34

Once the "middle class" figures out how poor they really are... malokvale77 Dec 2014 #41

That hug was staged, the kid in it was terrified. Dont post that fascist bullshit proaganda around ncjustice80 Dec 2014 #30

My dad was a cop for 25 years until he retired in the 1990's. He would be horrified at the way catbyte Dec 2014 #16

Yup. ncjustice80 Dec 2014 #31

K&R! marym625 Dec 2014 #17

It is legal for cops to lie to you. vlyons Dec 2014 #19

Even if they appear to be helping you. lpbk2713 Dec 2014 #26

Kick and Rec for TRUTH hifiguy Dec 2014 #28

"phone calls from police begging for money" "at an intersection begging for money"??? muriel_volestrangler Dec 2014 #36

That's OK m_v... malokvale77 Dec 2014 #47

Those calls for police charities are rip-offs anyway. Blue_In_AK Dec 2014 #49

Why would police need more money anyway? ncjustice80 Dec 2014 #54

Police charities make unsolicited calls and hang around on street corners? muriel_volestrangler Dec 2014 #56

I found out quite a bit about them. malokvale77 Dec 2014 #60

Seriously…why? CoffeeCat Dec 2014 #68

To all your questions... malokvale77 Dec 2014 #71

And often times they have a few cops on the payroll to legitimize their operation... Hassin Bin Sober Dec 2014 #63

Police will stand at intersections and collect money, similar to fireman's boot - suburban areas whereisjustice Dec 2014 #61

legally, per SCOTUS, they don't have to protect people marym625 Dec 2014 #38

Which is why we increasingly... malokvale77 Dec 2014 #43

The Powers That Be push the pretense that all police are bold, brave, superhuman Retrograde Dec 2014 #39

speak of the devil... whereisjustice Dec 2014 #59

They are. hifiguy Dec 2014 #120

The System works seveneyes Dec 2014 #55

Precisely why I, members of my family and many of our friends Ward Dec 2014 #57

I feel compelled to reply. malokvale77 Dec 2014 #67

Sociopaths, perhaps? QuebecYank Dec 2014 #58

Fred Abdulla. alphafemale Dec 2014 #62

Cop that waved gun at protesters makes $163,000/yr???!!! daredtowork Dec 2014 #64

I would think that's an obvious wrong value. NutmegYankee Dec 2014 #69

Well since I didn't see proof daredtowork Dec 2014 #96

Hyperbole. There were 312 killings by police last year LittleBlue Dec 2014 #70

+1 onenote Dec 2014 #74

You are dead wrong. 1047 killed since Jan 1,2014, 3 per day. Police killings not officially tracked whereisjustice Dec 2014 #109

How many of those 1000 were justified? Okay, you have a choice. You can send your son or daughter LittleBlue Dec 2014 #125

Fuck that ismnotwasm Dec 2014 #73

kick samsingh Dec 2014 #77

(facepalm) Yeah, okay. flvegan Dec 2014 #83

You are so right. I don't trust them, especially the big city police, they are not sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #91

This isn't just nonsense, it's shameful, dangerous nonsense. N.T. Donald Ian Rankin Dec 2014 #99

...and yet we still beg to be disarmed and depend on the state for protection. ileus Dec 2014 #104

To repeat, take their guns away, people. Otherwise, closeupready Dec 2014 #107

I agree. Take their guns. Iggo Dec 2014 #135

When the UN says you have a problem... whereisjustice Dec 2014 #110

Cops are the mercinaries the Capitalist Class uses to maintain their domination. Odin2005 Dec 2014 #111

Succinctly and accurately put. hifiguy Dec 2014 #121

And yet... pipi_k Dec 2014 #113

That makes a nice sentiment however the problem is institutional whereisjustice Dec 2014 #115

Your OP is hyperbolic nonsense. randome Dec 2014 #114

Nice try, you'll have to apologize for police somewhere else. I'm not taking the bait. -eom whereisjustice Dec 2014 #118

No apologies for police abuse whatsoever. randome Dec 2014 #119

I have been saying this since my earliest posts on DU over ten years ago. Atman Dec 2014 #116

+1 Exactly - it is a moral outrage, literally becoming humanitarian crisis in the US... whereisjustice Dec 2014 #122

Never trust any absolutist statements n/t MrBig Dec 2014 #129

You should have capitalized "never" like this: "NEVER trust any absolutist statements" cherokeeprogressive Dec 2014 #131

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