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Cops See It Differently (This American Life)

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Wreav

Banned
Sad to see this thread only at 50 pages. Part 1 was some of the most infuriating shit I've ever listened to, but man, do you feel for the cops on some level. They are dealing with straight up human garbage. Getting lied to right to their faces about that fucking gun that was hidden in the laundry basket, and you wonder why they turn rotten after years on the force dealing with this shit daily.

We keep trying to band-aid our problems with crap like bodycams, when the problem is our schools and income inequality and social safety nets.

This country is so fucked.
 

esms

Member
You're oversimplifying the matter. Not everyone can be a ghandi, not everyone can be an MLK. Not wanting mess up your life to protest a system does not make you a bad person. Hell, many cops just live day to day writing tickets for people. They are far removed from any sort of police shooting or corruption. Are they bad cops, just because they want to support a family.

People have tried blowing the whistle on corrupt police departments, and it usually ends up badly for them and for their families. It's a horrible reality, and I would never expect police to put their loved ones at risk by standing up to especially corrupt police departments, just as I would never expect citizens to protest a corrupt government.


What we need is national reform, to allow police to not be a part of a union, and to speak up without being in fear of their jobs, and reform that is more punishing towards those who abuse their power.

What we don't need is to start needlessly labeling all police as bad. It will lead to a lot of hostility and labeling of police that should be avoided, not encouraged.

I don't believe my position is oversimplifying things, but you're free to your opinion. I could be wrong, brotha. I'm the first to admit it.

I feel you. Sometimes pragmatism throws idealism in the backseat. I get that. I understand that some cops are in the wrong towards a pension plan and trying to support a family they rightfully shouldn't be able to support without public welfare.

I've bolded another part of your post. This shows me that speaking out leads to firings. It demonstrates to me that shooting an unarmed motherfucker in the back/head/what have you is the preferential scenario compared to dying in the line of duty. That shit ain't right.

Let's be honest with ourselves, we will never get national reform. Minorities just aren't that important.

In the end, I'm not labeling all police as bad. I interact with 5-0 on an almost a daily basis. They're not bad dudes. But they're complictiness in the act of others makes them just as bad, and that is what needs to change.
 

Xe4

Banned
I don't believe my position is oversimplifying things, but you're free to your opinion. I could be wrong, brotha. I'm the first to admit it.

I feel you. Sometimes pragmatism throws idealism in the backseat. I get that. I understand that some cops are in the wrong towards a pension plan and trying to support a family they rightfully shouldn't be able to support without public welfare.

I've bolded another part of your post. This shows me that speaking out leads to firings. It demonstrates to me that shooting an unarmed motherfucker in the back/head/what have you is the preferential scenario compared to dying in the line of duty. That shit ain't right.

Let's be honest with ourselves, we will never get national reform. Minorities just aren't that important.

In the end, I'm not labeling all police as bad. I interact with 5-0 on an almost a daily basis. They're not bad dudes. But they're complictiness in the act of others makes them just as bad, and that is what needs to change.

Alright we'll agree to disagree. Just one thing, speaking out doesn't just lead to firings. It can be far, far worse than that. Some of those officers in the article are legitimately horrible people.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/cri...-rat-police-brutality-claim-article-1.2077632
 

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
Sad to see this thread only at 50 pages. Part 1 was some of the most infuriating shit I've ever listened to, but man, do you feel for the cops on some level. They are dealing with straight up human garbage. Getting lied to right to their faces about that fucking gun that was hidden in the laundry basket, and you wonder why they turn rotten after years on the force dealing with this shit daily.

We keep trying to band-aid our problems with crap like bodycams, when the problem is our schools and income inequality and social safety nets.

This country is so fucked.


And yet police have militarized and corporatized at a curve that is inverse to the rate of crime. Huh.
 
Holy shit. Just listened through both episodes and this has got to be the most infuriating stuff ever. Such deep problems in our society that I have no idea what is to be done.

I mean arrested 60 odd times, sometimes while at the place you live/work at? Come on.
 
The former military makes sense though.

Think about the skill set for being a soldier and the job opportunities after that. Unless you do a more technical based MOS. But if you were a Marine, what other jobs would you quality for that have such as decent salary and benefits?

And many police forces accept military service in lieu of college experience.

The military connection makes tons of sense.

It's a bad fit. When you view the members of your community as enemy combatants it's easy to disregard your duty to "serve".

I can spot the former military cops from a mile away.
 

Dalek

Member
Holy shit. Just listened through both episodes and this has got to be the most infuriating stuff ever. Such deep problems in our society that I have no idea what is to be done.

The convience store story in Miami has to be one of the most infuriating thing I've ever heard.
 

esms

Member
Alright we'll agree to disagree. Just one thing, speaking out doesn't just lead to firings. It can be far, far worse than that. Some of those officers in the article are legitimately horrible people.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/cri...-rat-police-brutality-claim-article-1.2077632

The fact that speaking out against legitimate police brutality leads to being ostracized by the PD of your area means that there is a significant problem in policing. The simple fact that saying "this shit is wrong" publicly leads to harassment is an embarrassment to other so called "good cops."

It's indicative of the passive racism that American police practice on a daily basis. Understand this though, if you're a cop, I got much respect for you. Being very likely to get gunned down on a 911 call isn't fun in the slightest. But that doesn't give cops free reign to shoot at dudes who scare them.

Change is necessary, and inevitable. We will see what it turns out to be.
 
Jesus, the shoving of a pen into the dude's ear. WHY

And three officers were acquitted after a state trial. (they were convicted in a federal court)

Wiki said:
The off-duty officers identified themselves as police officers and focused their attention upon Jude and Harris, demanding to know where the badge was. Both men denied taking the badge. When Jude and the others stayed inside Antonessen's truck, the mob threatened them, saying "Nigger, we can kill you."[2]
During this confrontation, Ryan Packard took Jude to the ground, where other off-duty officers held him down and searched him for the badge. The off-duty officers demanded that Jude tell them where the badge was and while doing so repeatedly punched and kicked him. Another officer, Jon Clausing, cut Harris's face with a knife; Harris freed himself and ran away.[2]
Kirsten Antonissen called 9-1-1 and reported that people who were claiming to be police officers were beating up her friend. While talking to the 9-1-1 dispatcher, Antonissen reported that a uniformed officer had responded to the scene and that he too began beating Frank Jude. This on-duty officer, Joseph Schabel, arrived at the scene and upon learning that Jude was suspected of stealing a police badge, repeatedly stomped on the suspect’s head until others could hear bones breaking, while his partner, Nicole Martinez, watched.[2] Other officers grabbed the phone from Antonissen and threw her against the truck, denting it.[2] Brown also made two phone calls to 9-1-1 before her phone was seized.[2]
Apologizing to Martinez, Masarik lifted Jude off the ground and kicked him in the crotch. Then Bartlett took Schabel’s pen and shoved it into both of Jude’s ear canals, causing Jude to scream and squirm as if in extreme pain and resulting in significant injury. The mob broke two of Jude's fingers by bending them back until they snapped.[2] Spengler put a gun to Jude's head and threatened to kill him. Additionally, during this incident, Bartlett used a knife to cut off Jude's leather jacket and pants, leaving him naked in the street.

Sorry, but if I was in Milwaukee and got wind of the acquittals after that state trial (by an all white jury), I would have the urge to fucking riot.
 
This is so hard to listen to. It embodies so many of my own personal fears. I've been stopped countless times for being "suspicious" on my way home from work or school. It's sad that I consider myself lucky. I've only been cuffed and put into a squad care once and have never been taken to jail over being "suspicious". Just feeling that I'm lucky that the harassment hasn't had legal repercussions I think speaks to what minorities have to put up with in this country.
 
living in Miami and having a GF who works at a local new station, gotta say that those stories about Miami Gardens are all on point. You couldn't pay me enough money to go to Miami Gardens, there's a shooting or killing or some form of ghastly story coming out of there on an almost daily basis and the cops there are complete garbage, too.
 

Atrophis

Member
Earl stop making me cry at work damn it :( Got to say I have so much respect for Alex, basically adopting Earl to protect him.

I've only just started listening to TAL but I am so addicted.
 

JeanGrey

Member
You thought there was a black and white answer with a clear and easy solution?

The answer to that question is no.
With that said bieng wrong is still wrong. No gray.

We need to stop and think of a solution. We need to be able to trust those in charge of protecting us instead of being afraid of them.
 

Wreav

Banned
Listened to part 2 today.

The Eric Garner piece didn't surprise me at all, and just reinforced my earlier post that cops are getting conditioned by all the liars.

The bit about Earl was shocking beyond belief. Hard to believe some people have to live like that in America.

I hope those 5 lawsuits tear that PD apart at the seams.
 
Holy fuck, the story about Earl is absolutely fucking revolting. This poor mentally handicapped man is just trying to work and live and these piece of shit cops wont let him. Wow. Animals. They should all be charged with fucking harassment. And that PD ought to be sued millions.
 
Listening to part two on local NPR station now. Earl and Alex's story and the numbers being talked about in the Miami Gardens case are just staggering.
 
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