So much hatred

[daaron]

95. Not a lot of thoughtful responses in this thread, so -->

here ya go:

The rise of the American Police State (yes, a burgeoning reality, cop-apologists aside) is due to, in my opinion, two primary factors: (1) the low bar for qualification, and (2) the fraternal nature of the police union. (We could get into corruption, militarization, etc., but I would still argue that these problems are of a higher-order and dependent on the first two.)

The qualifications to become a cop are ridiculous. A GED and a couple years at cop school - not even the equivalent of an associate's degree, since it's not exactly a mind-broadening curriculum. More like one of those certificates you get. If you DO have a higher degree already, you are considered OVER qualified to be a mere police officer. You could take the detective's exam, but none of those beefy boys that can pick a kid up by the neck with one hand have a Master's degree in anything. They are the hired muscle. In short - all the WRONG people are becoming cops (our society's bullies, in large part), and it is now a structural factor.

The police union is a more complex issue. Progressives will often reflexively support cops because they are unionized. But we must recall U.S. history - this ain't the AFL/CIO, people! The Fraternal Order of the Police is just that, 1st and foremost - a fraternal order, explicitly modeled on Freemasonry and custom fit to help integrate Irish immigrants following the Potato Famine. It's a side-note, now, but it's also the roots of the organization. Today, in Albuquerque, the union has been targeted by community activists for the practice of paying officers out of their coffers when that cop shoots somebody and earns desk duty - even when the person they shot was wielding nothing more deadly than a plastic spoon (true story).