Please ping me when you see a thread about cops that doesn’t turn into a hatefest within a couple dozen posts. I’ll be most happy to see it.
I’ve only been reading FR for almost ten years, so maybe that’s just not long enough to get to know the place.
Don’t get me wrong. I love it here. I depend on FR and the generally good company here, and I come here first when there’s breaking news. But there’s a few topics that really push my buttons. This is one of ‘em.
People often say that it’s just the abuses by cops that make them angry. But that’s not actually true. You could post a story about cops that acted most professionally, thoroughly respectful and within the law and there would be the dependable cop-haters still show up. Every time.
There’s a fine line between being conservative, a good rugged individualist — and having just plain issues with authority figures of all kinds. One of them is a good character trait and one of them is a psychosis. They’re both here in good quantity. :-)
I know that I’ve seen the same sorts of things you have. But, I’ve tempered those threads with the threads where the police have done well and have performed in accordance with what Americans expect from them. There is no replacing the duty of every citizen to be proactive and protect themselves, their loved ones, their neighbors and their properties. By and large, it is not the duty of the police to do more than investigate crime. They are not our private, or public, security guards. Americans should see police as equals and not place them upon pedestals. They are there to do a job, though dangerous and many times heroic. They deserve praise and accolades when they perform well and criticism when they perform poorly. Just as anyone is subject to in their private and professional lives.
You don't see a lot of postings like that because they are not news.
But those of us who believe all our rights are inalienable are here and ready to point out when people's rights are violated and rightfully bash those doing the violating. Call us what you want, we're not going anywhere.