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 ...
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...
In spite of the benefits, there are continuous openings for police officers around where I live and there have been for years. Firemen are a different story.
I will support the peace keepers and enforcers until they are no longer law abiding.
Yep. Police officers have the same rights as anyone else when they are accused.
“Mthe vast majority are good guys so go try your divisive message on another conservative website.”
I don’t hold your view...
I can make the nicest cop go loony in about 5 minutes.
Nope, I’m not a fan. The police of yesterday aren’t the same as the police of today. The people may not be either - but that’s no damned excuse.
When they recognize my unique ability to be reasonable, intelligent and well rounded - I’ll recognize theirs. Until then I’ll be harassed for my appearance, my car’s condition or my gun at my hip.
So until they back off, I ain’t backin’ off. No sir, Not a fan.
Do you mean blindly defending the police, or defending the police at all?
If you mean blindly defending police without examining the facts I will agree with you.
But if you mean to suggest we never defend a police officer anytime, anywhere for no reason other than he/she wears a blue shirt, my answer is ‘no’.
There are good cops and bad cops, quite obviously.
And what I said about bad court decisions and bad laws goes both ways. While cops should face the same laws as the rest of us, criminals should be virtually barred from the court system and the infinite abuse of that system. Another place where bad court decisions and bad laws desperately needs to be fixed.
98.8% of them provide a bad example for the rest.
I am reminded of the old whisper that most laboratories have replaced the standard white rat with black and brown ones due to 'multiculturalism', and in many cases with either lawyers or on- or off- duty cops (the lines are often blurred) for two major reasons.
First, the researchers were becoming attached to the rats...
And second, because there are some things that rats simply WILL NOT do.
Personal experience is fact based.
I read stories about police officers shooting a beloved family pet or use excessive force to apprehend a suspect. The thing to remember is that these stories are reported by our less than unbiased media. Sure, there are police officers who behave like storm troopers, but before you believe every story you read, see or hear about these abuses, be aware that there may be facts omitted from the media story that may justify the actions of the officer or officers in question.
There is a local story going around about a gay pride parade participant who alleged she was assaulted by a police officer. For weeks the local media showed a video of the “victim” allegedly being assaulted by an officer. However, additional photographs have surfaced showing the “victim” beating up on the officer as he was trying to arrest her. I’m guessing the officer felt he had to use force to subdue her or she could have caused serious injury to him or others nearby.
Bad enough the courts have made law enforcement nearly impossible. The media too has been complicit in trying to destroy whatever law enforcement still available by putting out half true or utterly false stories. I see it all as the communists’ efforts to dismantle every institution available for peace and our protection. So we shouldn’t accept at face value every story put out by the propaganda ministry.
I can attest to personally knowing three ex- cops that have affirmed it as a fact and one of the reasons they left.
Ya change that and it all changes including reckless wild pursuits which also kill and injure innocents.
I'd love to have total immunity. Or like government state schools, where teachers/professors get what they call tenure...
BTW, how does one get tenure in the private sector? Where it takes an act of Congress to fire someone. In the real world of the private sector, your told, "You can be fired for any reason at all, and your liable for anything you do".
No you can't. I've never gone "loony" on any contact, no matter how obnoxious/insulting/violent a person has been. And neither have so many other decent officers LOL.
Most cops stand solidly behind The Blue Line, and will not out the “few” *cough* that enguage in questionable (at best) actions -and if they do, they are ostracized by the rest.
Ping.
Maybe I'm over reacting though. Let's try an thought experiment. Imagine you are walking down the street and you shoot a guy talking on his phone and say "He had something in his hand, I thought it was a gun" what is it that you think would happen to you? What do you think would happen to a cop?
Most,if not all the other, honorable profession cant end your career or life in a millisecond.
Your problem, is like that of a lot of others, they expect the cops to police themselves but they seem unwilling to do that. There are some rare exceptions that suffer repercussions for crossing the blue line.
That leaves you all with the puzzle: are these other cops condoning this behavior by not speaking out, or do they perhaps engage in it themselves periodically?
That fat taxpayer pension for a lifetime of doughnut patrols and easy money are hard to jeopardize, no doubt.
Lots of questions, but all lead back to your premise that most cops are the good guys. That sort of narrows it down, no?
Not good enough.
Pointless.
Your posts #12, #13, and #19 do not support your statement. You have failed to sustain your assertion by going on to other matters. I pronounce your assertion as invalid and mere opinion.
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