http://www.democracynow.org/2012/3/29/killed_at_home_white_plains_ny
"Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr., a 68-year-old African-American Marine veteran, was fatally shot in November by White Plains, NY, police who responded to a false alarm from his medical alert pendant. The officers broke down Chamberlain's door, tasered him, and then shot him dead. Audio of the entire incident was recorded by the medical alert device in Chamberlain's apartment."
Just read this. So much :argh!:
Quote from: Anna Mae Bollocks on April 01, 2012, 04:58:54 AM
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/3/29/killed_at_home_white_plains_ny
"Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr., a 68-year-old African-American Marine veteran, was fatally shot in November by White Plains, NY, police who responded to a false alarm from his medical alert pendant. The officers broke down Chamberlain's door, tasered him, and then shot him dead. Audio of the entire incident was recorded by the medical alert device in Chamberlain's apartment."
He apparently had the pendant set to "TRAYVON MARTIN", instead of "HEART ATTACK".
Yeah. With the exception that they haven't really started to DO anything about this yet, and it happened in November.
Jesus. Sounds like it's getting to the stage where you americans should be shooting coppers on sight, y'know, just to be on the safe side :eek:
Whaaaat the fuck? How are they going to justify THAT? "It was dark and he was black! We did what any American woulda done!"
Quote from: Cardinal Pizza Deliverance. on April 01, 2012, 04:41:10 PM
Whaaaat the fuck? How are they going to justify THAT? "It was dark and he was black! We did what any American woulda done!"
(http://i.imgur.com/Q8JGs.jpg)
:horrormirth: @ Cain
"We broke down his door in the middle of the night, and he got all sassy about it. Had to put him in his place, you know?"
Quote from: Cainad on April 01, 2012, 04:54:12 PM
:horrormirth: @ Cain
"We broke down his door in the middle of the night, and he got all sassy about it. Had to put him in his place, you know?"
"We responded to the medialert pendant, and found a Black man on site, with no sign of the person in distress."
Quote from: Cainad on April 01, 2012, 04:54:12 PM
:horrormirth: @ Cain
"We broke down his door in the middle of the night, and he got all uppity about it. Had to put him in his place, you know?"
FTFY
Quote from: P3nT4gR4m on April 01, 2012, 09:53:38 AM
Jesus. Sounds like it's getting to the stage where you americans should be shooting coppers on sight, y'know, just to be on the safe side :o
Nah, there are lots of good, honest and level headed joes out there working in police departments. These specimens obviously don't fit that bill and should have the book thrown at them, and then some. There should be murder charges in this case.
I would like to agree.
Unfortunately, the uniform attracts a lot of power-tripping idiots who shouldn't be allowed to tie their shoelaces without assistance, let alone carry a gun and be given special privileges. And every few days, it seems someone else is being shot dead, or raided, or tazed, or beaten to within an inch of their life for being the wrong skin colour, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time, for protesting, or simply because, as far as can seen, the cops felt like it.
I know I'm getting to the point where I leave the area if I see a cop around. And I'm friends with more than a few cops, or families of cops. The London police see themselves as a gang. They're corrupt right to the very top, based on most recent investigations, whether that corruption is organised crime, drug dealing, firearms or political in nature. They kill people, a lot of people, and get away with it all the time.
And groups like that will force good cops out. Sure, they still exist. But they'll be denied promotions, given bullshit assignments, harassed and demoralized, and they will leave the force. I read a good story a couple of months ago explaining exactly how the LA County Police had been ruined in that way. Corrupt institutions will self-perpetuate, if allowed to, and they have been, by a sympathetic judiciary, and a press willing to turn a blind eye.
while you were reading a
img]http://www.democracynow.org/images/dntv.jEEpegG[/img
Jes'chick'N 10 9
Quote from: hirley0 on April 01, 2012, 05:35:59 PM
while you were reading a Jes'chick'N 10 9 8
by the way that is a hidden image and will soon fade out of sight again
AMMERIKUH! FUCK YEAH! :horrormirth:
Quote from: hirley0 on April 01, 2012, 05:35:59 PM
while you were reading a
(http://www.democracynow.org/images/dntv.jpeg)
Jes'chick'N 10 9
Or, as I prefer to call it: Democracy....wait for it, any moment now...I'm sure it will be along soon...no really....now?
"I can has democracy?"
IOZ says no, you cannot:
QuoteAmy Goodman is the host of a radio emission called Democracy Now!--the exclamation point is part of the title, like, Oklahoma! OK! It is grindingly earnest, as you'd imagine, and completely fatuous; its principle bugaboo is the "treatment of journalists"--this being the prism through which its college-nostalgic audience can appreciate, in rainbow hues, the various repressions and degradations of the third world; if not Amy, then some other English-fluent native newspaperman is forever getting hassled by the local cops, and this, dear listener, tells you that Democracy, for all those others, comes up somewhat short of Now! As with most liberal types, Goodman's peacableness is like airport toilet paper, thin and itchy.
Quote from: Cain on April 01, 2012, 06:12:41 PM
IOZ says no, you cannot:
QuoteAmy Goodman is the host of a radio emission called Democracy Now!--the exclamation point is part of the title, like, Oklahoma! OK! It is grindingly earnest, as you'd imagine, and completely fatuous; its principle bugaboo is the "treatment of journalists"--this being the prism through which its college-nostalgic audience can appreciate, in rainbow hues, the various repressions and degradations of the third world; if not Amy, then some other English-fluent native newspaperman is forever getting hassled by the local cops, and this, dear listener, tells you that Democracy, for all those others, comes up somewhat short of Now! As with most liberal types, Goodman's peacableness is like airport toilet paper, thin and itchy.
Th International Organization of Zerophiliacs?
http://www.zerophilia.net/
Quote from: Nigel on April 01, 2012, 06:32:03 PM
Quote from: Cain on April 01, 2012, 06:12:41 PM
IOZ says no, you cannot:
QuoteAmy Goodman is the host of a radio emission called Democracy Now!--the exclamation point is part of the title, like, Oklahoma! OK! It is grindingly earnest, as you'd imagine, and completely fatuous; its principle bugaboo is the "treatment of journalists"--this being the prism through which its college-nostalgic audience can appreciate, in rainbow hues, the various repressions and degradations of the third world; if not Amy, then some other English-fluent native newspaperman is forever getting hassled by the local cops, and this, dear listener, tells you that Democracy, for all those others, comes up somewhat short of Now! As with most liberal types, Goodman's peacableness is like airport toilet paper, thin and itchy.
Th International Organization of Zerophiliacs?
http://www.zerophilia.net/
Z-chromosome? "The Z-chromosome is currently undetectable prior to the onset of puberty and becomes active only with sexual activity." ???
Quote from: Nigel on April 01, 2012, 06:32:03 PM
Quote from: Cain on April 01, 2012, 06:12:41 PM
IOZ says no, you cannot:
QuoteAmy Goodman is the host of a radio emission called Democracy Now!--the exclamation point is part of the title, like, Oklahoma! OK! It is grindingly earnest, as you'd imagine, and completely fatuous; its principle bugaboo is the "treatment of journalists"--this being the prism through which its college-nostalgic audience can appreciate, in rainbow hues, the various repressions and degradations of the third world; if not Amy, then some other English-fluent native newspaperman is forever getting hassled by the local cops, and this, dear listener, tells you that Democracy, for all those others, comes up somewhat short of Now! As with most liberal types, Goodman's peacableness is like airport toilet paper, thin and itchy.
Th International Organization of Zerophiliacs?
http://www.zerophilia.net/
No, even better. http://whoisioz.blogspot.com/
The internet's funniest gay Jewish yoga-practicing anarchist from Pittsburg. His recipes are even better than his political ranting.
Nigel, I'd like to make a point right here of saying that this is one of those moments where a previous belief I'd defended (in this case, the argument that racism has been marginalized enough in this country that not "seeing" the issue is sufficient to foster progress), is wrong. When I see I'm wrong, I say it and I just wanted to validate that for you. YOU may not have tried to make a lesson of this (and the Trayvon case) but nonetheless, I didn't miss the lesson.
I hope you understand that while I am not so naive that I refute the existence of the evils of the world, it always knocks the wind out of me when it is demonstrated so overtly. I seriously have I difficult time "putting my mind in those shoes" if you catch my drift. How were there NOT a million and one safeguards against this? I have a hard time comprehending groupthink because I've never felt part of a group.
So yeah, you've got me as a proponent of "there's still work to be done" in your corner.
This country was stolen from Indians and built with slave labor. I've known old people who were witnesses to lynchings when they were small, the whole town would turn out and BRING THE KIDS to be "entertained". There was some progress in the 60's as far as civil rights and the like, but hundreds of years of this shit doesn't go away, it just goes a little more underground. I think the lid really started to come off when they acquitted those cops who beat Rodney King. I know I wasn't expecting that, I thought at the time that the "your word against theirs" era died with that because there was VIDEO. Fat fuckin chance. I kind of wanted to go out and smash things myself when I heard.
I could be wrong, but it looks like it's starting to get OVERT again, guys in suits like Santorum and Gingrich and a bunch of FOXtards are making it OKAY AGAIN to be publicly racist. "Don't Re-nig in 2012". :x Maybe the 60's were nothing but band aid on gangrene.
Quote from: Cain on April 01, 2012, 06:42:46 PM
Quote from: Nigel on April 01, 2012, 06:32:03 PM
Quote from: Cain on April 01, 2012, 06:12:41 PM
IOZ says no, you cannot:
QuoteAmy Goodman is the host of a radio emission called Democracy Now!--the exclamation point is part of the title, like, Oklahoma! OK! It is grindingly earnest, as you'd imagine, and completely fatuous; its principle bugaboo is the "treatment of journalists"--this being the prism through which its college-nostalgic audience can appreciate, in rainbow hues, the various repressions and degradations of the third world; if not Amy, then some other English-fluent native newspaperman is forever getting hassled by the local cops, and this, dear listener, tells you that Democracy, for all those others, comes up somewhat short of Now! As with most liberal types, Goodman's peacableness is like airport toilet paper, thin and itchy.
Th International Organization of Zerophiliacs?
http://www.zerophilia.net/
No, even better. http://whoisioz.blogspot.com/
The internet's funniest gay Jewish yoga-practicing anarchist from Pittsburg. His recipes are even better than his political ranting.
I've heard of IOZ and seen him quoted, I just have no idea who is actually is, practically speaking. I might have to start reading his blog. I'm not sure I agree with his take on things, but funny is good.
Quote from: navkat on April 01, 2012, 06:59:10 PM
Nigel, I'd like to make a point right here of saying that this is one of those moments where a previous belief I'd defended (in this case, the argument that racism has been marginalized enough in this country that not "seeing" the issue is sufficient to foster progress), is wrong. When I see I'm wrong, I say it and I just wanted to validate that for you. YOU may not have tried to make a lesson of this (and the Trayvon case) but nonetheless, I didn't miss the lesson.
I hope you understand that while I am not so naive that I refute the existence of the evils of the world, it always knocks the wind out of me when it is demonstrated so overtly. I seriously have I difficult time "putting my mind in those shoes" if you catch my drift. How were there NOT a million and one safeguards against this? I have a hard time comprehending groupthink because I've never felt part of a group.
So yeah, you've got me as a proponent of "there's still work to be done" in your corner.
That's damn bipedal of you, to tell the truth. I respect your ability to change your mind and willingness to admit you're wrong tremendously. Thank you for giving me a reason to have hope for humanity.
Quote from: Nigel on April 01, 2012, 07:31:08 PM
I've heard of IOZ and seen him quoted, I just have no idea who is actually is, practically speaking. I might have to start reading his blog. I'm not sure I agree with his take on things, but funny is good.
I don't always agree with him either, but I find him both funny, and thought-provoking. He's a good check on my more uncritical assumptions concerning progressive and liberal-left causes in general, as he tends to attack everyone pretty indiscriminately, both Republicans and Democrats. And libertarians too, despite (or more accurately
because) of said anarchist leanings.
And his recipes really are worth checking out.
Quote from: Nigel on April 01, 2012, 07:33:50 PM
Quote from: navkat on April 01, 2012, 06:59:10 PM
Nigel, I'd like to make a point right here of saying that this is one of those moments where a previous belief I'd defended (in this case, the argument that racism has been marginalized enough in this country that not "seeing" the issue is sufficient to foster progress), is wrong. When I see I'm wrong, I say it and I just wanted to validate that for you. YOU may not have tried to make a lesson of this (and the Trayvon case) but nonetheless, I didn't miss the lesson.
I hope you understand that while I am not so naive that I refute the existence of the evils of the world, it always knocks the wind out of me when it is demonstrated so overtly. I seriously have I difficult time "putting my mind in those shoes" if you catch my drift. How were there NOT a million and one safeguards against this? I have a hard time comprehending groupthink because I've never felt part of a group.
So yeah, you've got me as a proponent of "there's still work to be done" in your corner.
That's damn bipedal of you, to tell the truth. I respect your ability to change your mind and willingness to admit you're wrong tremendously. Thank you for giving me a reason to have hope for humanity.
Nav's always rocked. The best use for a board like this is probably to say what you think and if it gets poked full of holes, that tells you something. Then you adjust. Saying "I was wrong" is a cheap price to pay for truth, Nav knows this. :)
<3
Everyone fucks up. The thing to do when you see it is nut up and correct yourself.
I have no problem with people disagreeing, being misinformed or even unknowingly harboring a bias. What I absolutely can not tolerate in myself or others is willful ignorance in the face of evidence that at least requires reasonable doubt in your argument and not owning up to your mistakes. That part's important too because it solidifies the correction in your mind and requires everyone around you to do BETTER instead of just letting it blur by, undetected.
Quote from: Cain on April 01, 2012, 07:41:05 PM
Quote from: Nigel on April 01, 2012, 07:31:08 PM
I've heard of IOZ and seen him quoted, I just have no idea who is actually is, practically speaking. I might have to start reading his blog. I'm not sure I agree with his take on things, but funny is good.
I don't always agree with him either, but I find him both funny, and thought-provoking. He's a good check on my more uncritical assumptions concerning progressive and liberal-left causes in general, as he tends to attack everyone pretty indiscriminately, both Republicans and Democrats. And libertarians too, despite (or more accurately because) of said anarchist leanings.
And his recipes really are worth checking out.
Adding his site to my blog favorites now. Alternate critical viewpoints are always good.
Quote from: Cain on April 01, 2012, 05:33:34 PM
I would like to agree.
Unfortunately, the uniform attracts a lot of power-tripping idiots who shouldn't be allowed to tie their shoelaces without assistance, let alone carry a gun and be given special privileges. And every few days, it seems someone else is being shot dead, or raided, or tazed, or beaten to within an inch of their life for being the wrong skin colour, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time, for protesting, or simply because, as far as can seen, the cops felt like it.
I know I'm getting to the point where I leave the area if I see a cop around. And I'm friends with more than a few cops, or families of cops. The London police see themselves as a gang. They're corrupt right to the very top, based on most recent investigations, whether that corruption is organised crime, drug dealing, firearms or political in nature. They kill people, a lot of people, and get away with it all the time.
And groups like that will force good cops out. Sure, they still exist. But they'll be denied promotions, given bullshit assignments, harassed and demoralized, and they will leave the force. I read a good story a couple of months ago explaining exactly how the LA County Police had been ruined in that way. Corrupt institutions will self-perpetuate, if allowed to, and they have been, by a sympathetic judiciary, and a press willing to turn a blind eye.
I've been all over the place, and what I've seen is that police departments are different everywhere, and that departments tend to be very, very good, or very, very bad...With not a lot of ground in between.
Bugger. I've advised thousands of elder folk to invest in personal alarms in the belief that it would make them safer. :cry:
But serious, why would police in New York respond to a medi-alert? I've seen ambulances and para-medics in Amerika with mine own eyes.
Quote from: Cain on April 01, 2012, 05:33:34 PM
I would like to agree.
Unfortunately, the uniform attracts a lot of power-tripping idiots who shouldn't be allowed to tie their shoelaces without assistance, let alone carry a gun and be given special privileges. And every few days, it seems someone else is being shot dead, or raided, or tazed, or beaten to within an inch of their life for being the wrong skin colour, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time, for protesting, or simply because, as far as can seen, the cops felt like it.
I know I'm getting to the point where I leave the area if I see a cop around. And I'm friends with more than a few cops, or families of cops. The London police see themselves as a gang. They're corrupt right to the very top, based on most recent investigations, whether that corruption is organised crime, drug dealing, firearms or political in nature. They kill people, a lot of people, and get away with it all the time.
And groups like that will force good cops out. Sure, they still exist. But they'll be denied promotions, given bullshit assignments, harassed and demoralized, and they will leave the force. I read a good story a couple of months ago explaining exactly how the LA County Police had been ruined in that way. Corrupt institutions will self-perpetuate, if allowed to, and they have been, by a sympathetic judiciary, and a press willing to turn a blind eye.
Tanaka? Yeah, that was a pretty fucked-up story, though hardly a surprise to anyone who has ever lived in LA. The Dudley Dooright types that seem to surround RWHN notwithstanding, I'd venture to say that in America, 95% of police/sheriff departments are really just the best-organized and best-armed gang in the area.
Quote from: What's-His-Name? on April 01, 2012, 05:20:55 PM
Nah, there are lots of good, honest and level headed joes out there working in police departments.
:lolchix:
Quote from: Fuck You One-Eye on April 04, 2012, 05:17:30 PM
Quote from: What's-His-Name? on April 01, 2012, 05:20:55 PM
Nah, there are lots of good, honest and level headed joes out there working in police departments.
:lolchix:
They could START OUT for the right reasons, instead of being paid to ride around and fuck with people. Give it a little time and they either get corrupted or quit.
While I have met a few cops that have seemed genuinely nice, within the past few years, literally every department in the towns surrounding mine have been under investigation, either as a whole or individuals, for some major misconduct or corruption, the latest of which is making defense attorneys in this city quite happy since the lead detective on several cases is being investigated and is either on desk duty or suspended for beating the shit out of suspects/planting evidence/just making shit up. City's already had to pay out on a few personal injury claims and several criminal cases have been dropped. Fun times
Quote from: Fuck You One-Eye on April 04, 2012, 05:17:30 PM
Quote from: What's-His-Name? on April 01, 2012, 05:20:55 PM
Nah, there are lots of good, honest and level headed joes out there working in police departments.
:lolchix:
I kind of have to agree with RWHN on this one.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on April 04, 2012, 06:03:30 PM
Quote from: Fuck You One-Eye on April 04, 2012, 05:17:30 PM
Quote from: What's-His-Name? on April 01, 2012, 05:20:55 PM
Nah, there are lots of good, honest and level headed joes out there working in police departments.
:lolchix:
I kind of have to agree with RWHN on this one.
Maybe those are the ones we almost never interact with. That would explain it.
Yeah, I'm about half & half on it. While there's the above-referenced misconduct, etc., I have also had cops that were very nice and/or helped me out a lot. Of course, as with many groups of people, its the loudmouths/those doing wrong that get the attention/media over those just doing their jobs. I'm going to be leery of them, but I'm also going to be nice. And going around with a "fuck you" attitude towards every cop on principle probably won't win many friends in the department.
Case in point: Festival in CT I go to every year. Last year, tons of people complaining online about the "heavy" police presence (though said presence was restricted mainly to the concert area. Except that unless you are blatantly doing something wrong or ingesting/selling drugs RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM, they're not there bothering anyone and were generally friendly to everyone, especially considering they've got thousands of drug-addled hippies running around for the weekend. They were there to stop those from the surrounding neighborhood (not exactly the nicest place) out, preventing gang activity and busting those only with nitrous tanks and/or being obvious in their drug use/sales.
So, there's the good and the bad
Quote from: Fuck You One-Eye on April 04, 2012, 05:14:49 PM
Tanaka?
Yeah, that was the guy I was thinking of. His name slipped my mind, and I couldn't be bothered to fish for the eXileD article while writing the above.
That case seems somewhat extreme, but I'm sure lesser versions of it are highly prevalent.
Actually that's pretty par for the course in LA. Are you familiar with the Rampart scandal? Or the Vikings? There's a pretty rich history of extreme levels of violence and corruption there, and it makes for some interesting reading once you start digging in a little.
Rampart, yes. Not sure of the Viking one.
I actually meant outside of LA when talking about lesser versions, precisely because of Rampart. LA's had problems with its police going back to the 50s at the very least though, from what I can recall, and probably a lot earlier. Get away with it for long enough, and it becomes tradition. Passed down from corrupt captain to rookie, year after year.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on April 02, 2012, 04:05:25 AM
Quote from: Cain on April 01, 2012, 05:33:34 PM
I would like to agree.
Unfortunately, the uniform attracts a lot of power-tripping idiots who shouldn't be allowed to tie their shoelaces without assistance, let alone carry a gun and be given special privileges. And every few days, it seems someone else is being shot dead, or raided, or tazed, or beaten to within an inch of their life for being the wrong skin colour, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time, for protesting, or simply because, as far as can seen, the cops felt like it.
I know I'm getting to the point where I leave the area if I see a cop around. And I'm friends with more than a few cops, or families of cops. The London police see themselves as a gang. They're corrupt right to the very top, based on most recent investigations, whether that corruption is organised crime, drug dealing, firearms or political in nature. They kill people, a lot of people, and get away with it all the time.
And groups like that will force good cops out. Sure, they still exist. But they'll be denied promotions, given bullshit assignments, harassed and demoralized, and they will leave the force. I read a good story a couple of months ago explaining exactly how the LA County Police had been ruined in that way. Corrupt institutions will self-perpetuate, if allowed to, and they have been, by a sympathetic judiciary, and a press willing to turn a blind eye.
I've been all over the place, and what I've seen is that police departments are different everywhere, and that departments tend to be very, very good, or very, very bad...With not a lot of ground in between.
Portland, for example. Where the rule of thumb is "never, ever call the police because they will burn your house down, make you lie on the ground naked, taze you, beat you and then shoot you for good measure".
Even if you called about a car blocking your driveway.
Just don't do it. Set the car on fire, so that when your neighbor calls to complain about someone setting his car on fire, they do it to him instead.
Quote from: trippinprincezz13 on April 04, 2012, 06:23:55 PM
Yeah, I'm about half & half on it. While there's the above-referenced misconduct, etc., I have also had cops that were very nice and/or helped me out a lot. Of course, as with many groups of people, its the loudmouths/those doing wrong that get the attention/media over those just doing their jobs. I'm going to be leery of them, but I'm also going to be nice. And going around with a "fuck you" attitude towards every cop on principle probably won't win many friends in the department.
Case in point: Festival in CT I go to every year. Last year, tons of people complaining online about the "heavy" police presence (though said presence was restricted mainly to the concert area. Except that unless you are blatantly doing something wrong or ingesting/selling drugs RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM, they're not there bothering anyone and were generally friendly to everyone, especially considering they've got thousands of drug-addled hippies running around for the weekend. They were there to stop those from the surrounding neighborhood (not exactly the nicest place) out, preventing gang activity and busting those only with nitrous tanks and/or being obvious in their drug use/sales.
So, there's the good and the bad
Festival of (I'm guessing mostly-white) hippies getting high in a contained area? I am pretty sure the cops don't want to piss off those hippies' parents. The people in the "Not so nice" surrounding area? Less white with less wealthy parents, I would hazard.
Quote from: Fuck You One-Eye on April 04, 2012, 05:17:30 PM
Quote from: What's-His-Name? on April 01, 2012, 05:20:55 PM
Nah, there are lots of good, honest and level headed joes out there working in police departments.
:lolchix:
I'm with ECH on this one. I mean, "lots" is certainly subjective; 1% of all cops is a lot of people.
But the system itself is so incredibly corrupt, particularly now that certain types of arrests have been monetized and are prioritized over other types of arrests, that I would be very skeptical of more than a small minority of police officers maintaining much ethical integrity.
I still have no words for the way the Mobile County police abused me when shit went down with my ex. I did everything I was supposed to and they treated me like a whore. I was continually rerimanded and talked down to and even yelled at on a couple of occasions. They made it clear that while they were forced to respond to my calls for help, everyone in the department was fully aware that I was an adultress and they resented having to assist the "bad guy" in the situation simply because of something so silly as the law.
I was constantly reminded (inappropriately and inaccurately) of how my indescretions were the root cause of Jay's rage and that essentialy, the burden of his abuse was on my own conscience. I was asked things like "Why don't you just leave and go live with the guy you were seeing?"
To compound the insult, some of Jay's more harassing and cruel contacts with me involved the triumphant information that the cops who arrested him told him they were sorry they had to do it but that I was clearly crazy and if I ran so much as a red light in this town, they'd throw me in jail for being beligerent.
I've been called a liar to my face by them. I have been yelled at and threatened with having my order of protection "nullified" (total bullshit. A cop can't usurp a judge) if I didn't turn my goddamned phone off and go to bed. I have had my phone illegally snatched out of my hand and searched when attempting to call a supervisor about this conduct. I was asked "who the hell" was I calling? This was after being ordered to sit on my driveway and told I was not allowed to remain near the cruisers or to go in the house. I was called "young lady." As in "You go and sit your ass down exactly where I told you, young lady and don't open your damned mouth and say another word or you won't be sleeping here tonight, I can promise you that."
I called them, mind you, to report that Jay had violated the protection order again and come up onto the property. They told me that I was "dangerous" and that "women like me" are the reason why good cops don't come home from domestic violence calls and that I was personally endangering their lives with my bullshit.
I am completely unsafe and unprotcted in this city. I feel violated in a way that is far more profound than being hit and slandered and having my accounts hacked and my laptop smashed, myself and my friends harrassed and threatened, my son's father told that I am a drug addict and a child abuser, money in my accounts transferred out and my car and schoolbooks taken by a psychoticly angry alcoholic. The police were supposed to be protecting me and intead, they took his side without an iota of bashfulness or hesitation.
And like the good, little victim, I was ashamed. Their conduct was so outrageous, so unbelievable, I knew no one would ever believe me. "Yeah, but what did YOU do?" Is the question I was asked as a child and again, as an adult, in response to the partner abuse. I have learned that telling others about these terrible things only serves to suggest that the things I must have done to drive a man to that point must've been downright infuriating. I must be concealing something. No one's innocent.
I believe that many officers are decent, procedure-fllowing guys with a fucked up job. I believe that a minority are truly fucked up human beings with a decent job. But I also believe there is a shop-talk, "can you believe this guy I had to put up with?" mentality that causes a sort of blindness in even the good guys. Because we all know how the crazy citizens they have to deal with can BE, amirite?
I knew a girl who called the cops to have her boyfriend arrested for hitting her and ended up in handcuffs herself. As soon as the police opened the door, it wasn't "what's going on? Are you alright, ma'am?" It was "Let me see your ID. What were YOU doing while this was happening? What's in your pocket? Could you take it out for me please?"
I will never trust the police again. Never.
That's a really good example of institutionalized misogyny. Unfortunately, both that and institutionalized racism are still really common, and in many ways are encouraged by the prevailing cultural code. There are still compassionate, balanced cops who are in their field out of an ethic of justice, but as far as I can tell they are becoming rarer as a result of good people being disillusioned or outright pushed out of law enforcement by the heavily prevailing moral corruption.
Quote from: Nigel on April 05, 2012, 04:18:01 AM
Quote from: trippinprincezz13 on April 04, 2012, 06:23:55 PM
Yeah, I'm about half & half on it. While there's the above-referenced misconduct, etc., I have also had cops that were very nice and/or helped me out a lot. Of course, as with many groups of people, its the loudmouths/those doing wrong that get the attention/media over those just doing their jobs. I'm going to be leery of them, but I'm also going to be nice. And going around with a "fuck you" attitude towards every cop on principle probably won't win many friends in the department.
Case in point: Festival in CT I go to every year. Last year, tons of people complaining online about the "heavy" police presence (though said presence was restricted mainly to the concert area. Except that unless you are blatantly doing something wrong or ingesting/selling drugs RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM, they're not there bothering anyone and were generally friendly to everyone, especially considering they've got thousands of drug-addled hippies running around for the weekend. They were there to stop those from the surrounding neighborhood (not exactly the nicest place) out, preventing gang activity and busting those only with nitrous tanks and/or being obvious in their drug use/sales.
So, there's the good and the bad
Festival of (I'm guessing mostly-white) hippies getting high in a contained area? I am pretty sure the cops don't want to piss off those hippies' parents. The people in the "Not so nice" surrounding area? Less white with less wealthy parents, I would hazard.
Meh. Mostly white hippies? Yea. Ratio of White/Black/Hispanics in the City are roughly the same (though the rate of "non-Hispanic whites" is a bit lower than the rest). Poor? Yes. Bridgeport is a pretty run down city with some of the highest, if not the highest crime rate in Connecticut. Since a good deal of the attendees are well past the age that their parents should be worrying about what they do/running in to save them/are still alive, it probably has more to do not wanting to scare away the festival as a whole since it brings money into the city, along with food and clothing donations.
So yea, it is still probably more a case of a (relatively) mutually beneficial set-up rather than the cops not being corrupt assholes.
TLDR; Less a case of being nice, more a case of not driving money away. I revert back to the one nice local cop I know.