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It’s Time for Conservatives to Stop Defending Police
nationalreview ^

Posted on 07/22/2014 9:32:19 PM PDT by chessplayer

Imagine if I were to tell you there is a large group of government employees, with generous salaries and ridiculously cushy retirement pensions covered by the taxpayer, who enjoy incredible job security and are rarely held accountable even for activities that would almost certainly earn the rest of us prison time. When there is proven misconduct, these government employees are merely reassigned and are rarely dismissed. The bill for any legal settlements concerning their errors? It, too, is covered by the taxpayers. Their unions are among the strongest in the country.

No, I’m not talking about public-school teachers.

I’m talking about the police.

We conservatives recoil at the former; yet routinely defend the latter — even though, unlike teachers, police officers enjoy an utter monopoly on force and can ruin — or end — one’s life in a millisecond.

On Thursday in Staten Island, an asthmatic 43-year-old father of six, Eric Garner, died after a group of policemen descended on him, placing him in a chokehold while attempting to arrest him for allegedly selling cigarettes. A bystander managed to capture video in which Garner clearly cries out, “I can’t breathe!” Even after releasing the chokehold (chokeholds, incidentally, are prohibited by NYPD protocol), the same officer then proceeds to shove and hold Garner’s face against the ground, applying his body weight and pressure on Garner, ignoring Garner’s pleas that he cannot breathe. Worse yet, new video shows at least eight officers standing around Garner’s lifeless, unconscious body.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: copsarescum; donutwatch; leo
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To: chessplayer

I despise the cops already. They are mostly punks who think they are so tough.


101 posted on 07/23/2014 4:24:01 AM PDT by nhwingut (This tagline for lease)
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To: Jack Hydrazine

Not to mention the increasing number of innocent people shot or beat to death.


102 posted on 07/23/2014 4:37:59 AM PDT by sport
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To: BunnySlippers

Say that again? I don’t understand.


103 posted on 07/23/2014 4:50:44 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: chessplayer

Some cops are doosh bags. Who knew? But guess what...some military officers are doosh bags. Some school teachers are doosh bags. Some priests are doosh bags too. Some have better pensions than others. Oh well.


104 posted on 07/23/2014 4:51:44 AM PDT by strider44
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To: jsanders2001

So you don’t think the indoctrination of the emergency response people into believing that the Founding Fathers were terrorists would have an effect?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oP1Ke70Mi8


105 posted on 07/23/2014 4:53:20 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: dragnet2

Not a thing, except maybe promotions for all involved. now, if they had killed the old ladies, they probably be assistant chiefs by now. And in their defense, the truck they happened to be in did resemble Dorner’s. Each had four tires and a steering wheel. And since no one is perfect, that was close enough for them.


106 posted on 07/23/2014 4:54:56 AM PDT by sport
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To: JLS

Years ago, I remember reading about a Tampa, Florida that broke into a vending machine at the police station. He was promptly arrested by another policeman. That is the one and only time I can recall that happening. I read about them catching other officers driving drunk and letting them go. I read about a detective that, in a fit of rage rammed another driver in the rear with his vehicle, physically assaulted an occupant of the vehicle he rammed, drew his weapon and threatened to kill him [I also seen the video tape of that one].


107 posted on 07/23/2014 5:02:24 AM PDT by sport
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To: BunnySlippers

Policing America
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3183860/posts


108 posted on 07/23/2014 5:15:52 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: Vince Ferrer

Ditto!


109 posted on 07/23/2014 5:16:45 AM PDT by nomad
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To: chessplayer

Bear in mind that these are the leading shock troops of the coming take over, that’s what “we the people” should never forget.


110 posted on 07/23/2014 5:19:24 AM PDT by nomad
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To: chessplayer

How bad does it have to get before we stop defending them?

Picture Nazi Germany years and years ago and even before they came to power. The cops then were just doing their job, but as the years went by they became more militarized as they received more and more power from the State without accountability to the citizenry.

We are seeing the same thing today.


111 posted on 07/23/2014 5:23:44 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: BinaryBoy
There are good cops and bad cops. Bad cops belong in jail. Good cops deserve our support.

Your last sentence is backwards. Peace officers exist to support "We the People". Not the other way around. They are our servants, and they would do well to keep that fact in the front of their minds.

112 posted on 07/23/2014 5:31:51 AM PDT by NorthMountain
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To: KJC1; ozaukeemom
How about you are a cop and you arrest another cop who is a meth-addicted psycho, who has the full backing of the department?

You seem to be admitting that better than 95% of the department is corrupt. Hmmm ... very interesting.

113 posted on 07/23/2014 5:34:22 AM PDT by NorthMountain
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To: jsanders2001

” Bad cops are like homos; a small
percentage of them make the rest of their
kind look bad.”

Those ‘good’ cops are nothing of the sort.They will choose Team Blue over right and wrong. They happily protect bad cops. That makes your ‘good’ cops just as bad. And their attitudes suck.

There are a lot of innocent victims of police incompetence and arrogance. One day, you or yours will be on the wrong end of a cop encounter through no fault of your own.


114 posted on 07/23/2014 5:36:53 AM PDT by LevinFan
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To: LevinFan

> There are a lot of innocent victims of police incompetence and arrogance. One day, you or yours will be on the wrong end of a cop encounter through no fault of your own.

Maybe so but I’m not going to live my life fearing a bad enounter before its even happened. How you behave throughout an encounter with an officer has a lot to do with how they react. Speaking from experience as former LEO.


115 posted on 07/23/2014 6:04:35 AM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: Jack Hydrazine

> So you don’t think the indoctrination of the emergency response people into believing that the Founding Fathers were terrorists would have an effect?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oP1Ke70Mi8

Think that indoctrination would work on any of us? I doubt it. People have their own thoughts and opinions despite how the Evil Empire trains them. They just wanted a job for Christ’s sake.


116 posted on 07/23/2014 6:08:14 AM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: KJC1

” You are another one missing the point
here. How about you are a cop and you
arrest another cop who is a meth-addicted psycho, who has the full backing
of the department? How about that one?
I’m sure you have it all figured out,
because you’ve been there, done that,
right? And remember, NO ONE will touch
him, but you’ve got the answer.

I’m old school, which means I know BS
when I see it.”

Then you are admitting law enforcement is so corrupt that they won’t police their own. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t be an honerable profession, and one that refuses to police their own.


117 posted on 07/23/2014 6:12:50 AM PDT by LevinFan
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To: jsanders2001

We just had a kid killed by a cop for holding a wii. What did he do wrong? And you’ll note that once again the cop got a pass.How about the Dorner hunt? Or the Dorner hunt incidents? Or the cops falsely claiming 911 calls to get around the 4th? How about out of control swat raids? How about they guy arrested for ‘shooting at officers’ when they hit the wrong house. And the constant bad attitudes.

There are far too many issues with LE to keep ignoring it.


118 posted on 07/23/2014 6:39:29 AM PDT by LevinFan
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To: LevinFan

I’m not excusing bad LEO behavior by a long shot. Actually they should really be held accountable because they know the law and do jail time just the same if they violate it. I think they need more constitutional law training because they don’t spend much time on it in the classroom rather focusing on penal code / traffic laws. I think we spent maybe 2 days on it tops? Maybe if they took badges and intimidating uniforms away from them it might remove some of the narcissistic cowboy bully types that apply so they can carry a badge and a gun and get the ladies. They tend to hire guys like that for a reason. They need guys that are take charge types who won’t take a lot of crap because they sure have to deal with a lot of it. Just a thought.


119 posted on 07/23/2014 6:59:58 AM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: chessplayer
I think it's possible to fix this.

The absolute first thing we need to do is demilitarize the police. Almost every cop I meet these days refers to non-police as "civilians". Cops used to be civilians and they need to be again, after all there is a reason why we have the Posse Comitatus act. Remove the military weapons, the mindset, and armored vehicles.


We need to require the police (and other government entities) to obey the same laws that everyone else has to obey. If it's illegal for a civilian to have a brand new M16 then a cop (or Sheriffs / FBI / ATF / DEA / etc.) shouldn't be able to own one either. The same goes for 10 round magazine limits, "assault weapon" bans etc. There used to be a concept in America that the law applied to everyone equally. We need to get back to this idea.

Repeal asset forfeiture laws. There is no longer any presumption of innocence or due process in these unconstitutional proceedings.

Reorganize police departments so that the chain of command is clear. State police departments should mostly be disbanded and incorporated into county Sheriff's departments.

Last but not least, make no knock warrants illegal.

Problem solved.

120 posted on 07/23/2014 7:07:54 AM PDT by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)
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