Let's take a step back here folks.

As one would only need to have a squint at our most popular threads today to know...There seems to be quite an abuse of power on the part of our Police going on.

Are we outraged? Yes. But I'm of the opinion that it's no worse today than it's ever been. We're simply more aware of it right now because of the heavy publicity these instances are given.

Before I continue, I'm not biased. I have several friends who were subject to abuse on the part of the authority. My mom had an officer put a gun to her head when she went to see her brother. My uncle, and almost my father were killed in a car wreck when police rittled the car with bulletholes trying to kill them, thinking they were drug runners. They police got off scott free.

But, all of that happened decades ago. What we're seeing now is the same abuse of power that we've always seen. It's not nessicerily a sign that martial law is going to be declared.

Before we get to pointing fingers, let us remember, there are still a great many officers who are just doing their duty. But then there's that percentage that just got into the business to be legal thugs.

If we look for outrage in our lives, we will always find it. Pretty regularly in my area, there's always some who has some small bag of pot, but gets shot a few hundred times because a full squad of officers in bodyarmor felt threatened because he had a pen knife on the floor by his feet.

But we must remember that what we are seeing is the most infected and disgusting part of law enforcement. Those who abuse their power. Not every cop is Manson with a Badge. Many of us can think of times when we were helped by the police. That's not to say there aren't bad apples out there.

There are murderers and thieves among us. But they're a small percentage. That same percentage of police officers are also rotten to the core. But I wouldn't condemn the whole lot of them for the actions of a few.

With power, will come abuses. Politicians have power as well, and how many deaths do their decisions cause?

My point is that, we needn't turn this into a witch hunt. We can always find outrage if we look hard enough. When these abuses come to light, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and punished even more strictly for they are the ones who are supposed to protect. But let's try not to categorize the whole mass of them as bloodthirsty monsters, or drunk with power criminals.

Every generation seems to think this is the worst time of all. Even Socrates complained about the "youth" of his age. But things are no worse than they have ever been. Life goes on. We are more aware now, as videos are posted more frequently which spark the imagination to concoct dread scenerios of "those abuses they weren't caught on video."

Let's try and take a step back from the outrage. Before we start talk of a revolution (which would be crushed) let us try and take a more proactive stance and spark a change. Every now and then someone needs to stand against the machine, and make it shift abit. Civil Rights have improved a lot over the least few decades, thanks to the hard work and effort of a few. If anyone here is serious about the current situation bothering them, and willing to make a sacrifice, start a movemtn, and try to make a change. There will be pain, and death, and loss of income, but if you really believe in the cause, isn't it worth it?

Or, we can all sit here and complain, as usual. We seem to be pretty good at that.

nice write up but i still say thugs with a gun, badge, tazer, mace, friends, a club, pistol, shotgun, cuffs, etc....
nothing more, nothing less...

reply to post by TheGreySwordsman


There is a change in policy, the new training is to use pain to gain compliance. This is part of a new culture of the acceptance of torture and is a bigger issue then a few police. It is this change in the direction of law enforcement that has created the enviroment to create these situation. It is not just the usual a few bad apples.

Originally posted by TheGreySwordsman
Civil Rights have improved a lot over the least few decades, thanks to the hard work and effort of a few. If anyone here is serious about the current situation bothering them, and willing to make a sacrifice, start a movemtn, and try to make a change. There will be pain, and death, and loss of income, but if you really believe in the cause, isn't it worth it?

Or, we can all sit here and complain, as usual. We seem to be pretty good at that.

Civil rights as far as race relations have improved, constitutional rights have been trampled on. I don't need to list them, but I believe you would agree the new 'security' situation has had a signifigant and some believe overreaching effect on the liberties of this nation.

As far as making a difference, I find discussing and learning from others helps me be a better citizen, this also includes sharing what I feel and think. People are not just complaining they are voicing their opinions and stating that they believe somethings should change. The act of voicing an opinion is a vehicle of change. Just like how your opinion is not just complaining.

As far as losing wealth and life and a revolution getting crushed, very few mention revolution, and I doubt anyone seriously thinks about it except in its medaphoric sence of meaning change.

You are right YouTube has now given us a way to see more then just what use to only be available to very rich companies that could by air time on tv or cable. Or make the decisions of content in entertainment and news. This new source of information should not just be ignored, it should be embraced as a new way that we can communicate and make the world a little better for all of us.

The old system was the more money you spent the more your message got out. Today if someone cares about something and it is bad or stupid if goes away, if many agree they link to it and it rises on the google searchs. This new internet thing has moved power from money to quality. Personally I like that.

Check out my dark humor on the women who was tasered in a wheelchair I thought it was not bad, all humility aside.

It is dark humor, a probally disrespectfull.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by Redge777
reply to post by TheGreySwordsman

 

There is a change in policy, the new training is to use pain to gain compliance. This is part of a new culture of the acceptance of torture and is a bigger issue then a few police. It is this change in the direction of law enforcement that has created the enviroment to create these situation. It is not just the usual a few bad apples.

you're right....this younger generation is getting used to the fact that they see cops and they better comply or pain will follow...it's a form of control.

back when my parents and grandparents were younger, it was not like that..my grandma would go buy smokes(when she was like 10) for my great grandma...few packs for 25 cents she used to say...pass the same cop standing on the same corner all the time, on the 'beat'.....knew her name.....

not like that these days.....first thing MOST people think when they see the fuzz is oh S.....even if they have done NOTHING wrong

Trying not to take this thread too far off track.

I feel that these newer generations(not referring to cops specifically right no) are a bunch of pansies towards the older ones. Let me give you a few examples.

When my parents were going to school, beating the kids was very legal, and in fact, common place. Punishment at home, often enough used to be so severe that today we'd call it child abuse. What many of you grew up with, todays kids would need counciling to cope with.

Back then, if you got into a fight WITH A TEACHER, you'd be suspended for 3 days.

Today, if a student attacks you, and even if you just try to push them away, you will be suspended 10 days minimum, hauled off in handcuffs, assault charges may be filed, and you may have an expulsion hearing.

In past generations, kids played war, tackle football in the rain, games were rough, and coming home with scraps and bruises was the norm.

Now, many of the games kids play are video games. Not much activity there.

There were more dangerous jobs, and labor was very difficult, in comparison to today where many of the harder labor jobs that were common place have been automated so that people don't have to do it.

Back in those days, buying smokes for your ma was common. Getting some drugs from the pharmacy was no problem, even children could pick stuff up.

Here, we've become very politically correct, and these new generations are softer. So it reflects how things are looked at.

For example,picking up smokes or some pills for your parents as a child is a crime now.

As far as the pain and compliance tactics. A lot of the compliance work I've seen isn't THAT effective, especially on those who may have had too much, or have adrenaline going, so when compliance fails, then truely rough and brutal treatment is next. These younger police officers, having grown up in a softer era seem to think that situations are more dangerous than older era cops may have viewed the situation.

In a previous era, 16 armed cops with body armor wouldn't likely be scared of taking a few shots from a guy who has a penknife or a fork. However, today it's all about the equipment, taser, baton, gun...

Part of the pain compliance thing, to me, is an issue of political correctness backfiring. They want to control shall we say a "suspect"? But they want to try and minimize damage, so they use a taser, or riot rounds, or what have you. But they are trained that unless you get a certain response, unless the weapon is dropped, or the suspect reacts positively, they move up the level of force. Is this making sense? I think part of what we see(not the whole problem mind you) but part of it has to do with the way they're trained.

Say I'm really messed up on the latest fad drug. I have a bottle in my hand, or I'm reaching in my pocket. I'm not in a clear state of mind, so I don't hear or understand the instructions given to me, or understand the gravity of the situation. The officers are trained that, unless they get a certain response, applied force must go up in degree, and because of this, these cops overreact to situations that in no way are as threatening as their instructions were designed to deal with.

Now, what happened at the Kerry speech was terrible. But, they were not getting the reaction they were trained to look for, so they kept raising the level of force. The young man was speaking his mind, but he wasn't assaulting the officers. However these cops are trained "when he does THIS, you do THIS." Clearly what happened in that case was a SEVERE overreaction on their part, and they should be punished for that, HOWEVER one need also look at how they were taught to treat such a situation. It's always iffy when there's a "following orders" situation.

Again, I agree, there is a great deal of abuse. I've never been engaged in illegal activity, but I have enough family history that when I see those flashing lights, I get a mild feeling of dread in my stomach.

I just want to point out that times have changed, but the degree or severity of abuse has not increased. We are simply more aware of it now. Should we be upset when there are abuses? Of course! But I'm not going to treat every badge man as if he was the one stomping down on some handcuffed guy.

I wanted to comment on the statement that todays youth are weaker or wimps emotionally or integrity wise.

I will agree most suburd kids are far worse then when I grew up, but there is a few hundred thousand that did tours in the current war that are now pretty tough.

If they come back and join the police and get power happy we are screwed, if they come back and wish to reclaim the constitutional rights the militart fights and dies for things might get a little different. I am not talking violence, I am talking being able to stand up for what you believe with out fear.

We only here a macro of it all.

The OP contains more B.S. than the former Iraqi information minister's speeches during the American takeover of Baghdad.

Saying among other things that pretty regularly in your area someone with a small bag of pot is shot a few hundred times by a squad of cops in full body armor is just a wee bit over the top.

I'm all for a thread discussing the negative characteristics of the Police but do it with some credibility, you can build your viewpoint without the need for extreme exaggerations.