NYT rightly calls out the NYPD's tantrum: 'They Hijacked Funeral for own petty "Look-at-us gesture'

[kpete]

Police Respect Squandered in Attacks on de Blasio

.......................

" They have taken the most grave and solemn of civic moments — a funeral of a fallen colleague — and hijacked it for their own petty look-at-us gesture. In doing so, they also turned their backs on Mr. Ramos’s widow and her two young sons, and others in that grief-struck family. "

.................

the rest:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/opinion/police-respect-squandered-in-attacks-on-de-blasio.html?ref=opinion&_r=0

[malaise]

1. But but but

It was only two minority cops who were killed and de Blasio upset them big time

[spanone]

2. kudos to the times!

[sabrina 1]

3. The media helped exaggerate their little temper tantrum also. There were thousands of cops

there who did not turn their backs on the Mayor and the family.

Bratton and even Ghouliani have also stated that what they did was wrong.

So their stunt appears to be backfiring.

[LiberalElite]

5. Ghouliani too!?!?

then we can be sure it's backfiring BAD.

[notadmblnd]

51. Rudy should have kept his mouth shut and gone shopping for something to

wear on New Years Eve.

[Live and Learn]

10. "There were thousands of cops there who did not turn their backs on the

Mayor and the family."

Do you have a source for that statement? I have seen only one picture with one officer not turning his back.

[thesquanderer]

11. The pic with one officer not turning his back...

...was at another event, not the funeral, IIRC.

[myrna minx]

4. Their petulant tantrum was so disrespectful to the family of their fallen colleague.

It was a disgusting and tasteless display of political showboating at the expense of a mourning family. Politics over honor. yuck.

[KingCharlemagne]

16. Could not have put it any better myself. Although I was going to use the

metaphor of 'waving the bloody shirt,' I like your 'petulant tantrum' and 'showboating' far more and think they better capture what actually transpired. Thanks!

[sarge43]

6. Good article and well said, however

"The police can rightly expect, even insist upon, the respect of the public."

One more time, respect is earned. It can not be demanded. Behaving like whiny, butt hurt drama queens at a murdered man's funeral doesn't earned respect. Show contempt, earn contempt.

[2naSalit]

19. Absolutely!!

[daleanime]

27. Amen....

[LiberalElite]

7. Wow. Kudos to the NYT EB nt

[adigal]

8. I love this part - so well written

"But none of those grievances can justify the snarling sense of victimhood that seems to be motivating the anti-de Blasio campaign — the belief that the department is never wrong, that it never needs redirection or reform, only reverence. This is the view peddled by union officials like Patrick Lynch, the president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association — that cops are an ethically impeccable force with their own priorities and codes of behavior, accountable only to themselves, and whose reflexive defiance in the face of valid criticism is somehow normal."

[starroute]

9. I wonder about the second funeral this coming weekend

I can't find out much about it except that it was delayed because relatives had to travel from China. But it sounds like some cops -- including many from out of town -- are intent on turning it into another media circus:

http://krvn.com/abc_national/cops-from-around-country-vow-to-return-for-2nd-nypd-funeral-abcid35164017/

Police who came from around the country to attend the funeral of NYPD Officer Rafael Ramos vowed Saturday to return for the service for his partner, Officer Wenjian Liu, who was killed alongside him.

“You won’t find this anywhere else. You won’t find this in any other field than law enforcement,” Officer Dustin Lindaman of the Waterloo, Iowa, police department said. “We’re brothers. When one of us goes down, we’re going to be there.” . . .

Some of the visiting police were among the hundreds of cops who turned their backs to the screens when de Blasio spoke. The killing of the two officers came amid heightened tensions between the police and de Blasio over what some police saw as a lack of support for the force on the mayor’s part.

Sgt. Myron Joseph of the New Rochelle Police Department said he and fellow officers turned their backs spontaneously to “support our brothers in the NYPD.”

[George II]

14. Interesting quote.....

"Sgt. Myron Joseph of the New Rochelle Police Department said he and fellow officers turned their backs spontaneously to “support our brothers in the NYPD." "

What about the "brother in the NYPD" who was lying in the casket at the time? He didn't need support? And if hundreds of officers turned their backs almost at the same time, how could that be termed "spontaneous"?

[niyad]

25. "support our brothers". . . I could have sworn that there are actually women in the nypd, as well.

I guess they don't count as part of the thin blue line, eh?

[daleanime]

28. "You won't find this in any other field than law enforcement....."

Why does this one line stab at me? Are cops simply above the rest of us, or are we literally beneath the cops.

[sarge43]

31. Oh really?

Chicago Fire Department


Military Funeral


Park Service


And no backs turned.

[daleanime]

35. That's what I'm saying.....

not sure if your misreading me or I'm misreading you.

[sarge43]

41. Wasn't a criticism of you. My apology. It was for the idiot that said it.

He needs to pull out his head and look around.

[daleanime]

43. Thank you....

and I whole heartedly agree.

[cwydro]

36. Heck

even the Hells Angels put on a good ceremony for one of their own.

What a clueless nitwit he must be.

[hootinholler]

32. Obviously he has never been to a firefighter's funeral

I've seen units from 400+ miles away sent to pay respect.

[roody]

30. brothers, but not sisters. nt

[Pacifist Patriot]

46. There are so many things to be bothered about ...

I almost feel a wee bit guilty for that rankling me as well. Almost. Sadly, although the plural of anecdote is not data, I know far too many females in law enforcement who are ignored at best and abused at worst because they deign to attempt join the club. *sigh* What year is this?

[closeupready]

12. Good. I'm glad they issued this. K&R

[certainot]

13. did the rw radio gods goad them into this? fairly normal event

in the US- politicizing anything for a rw PR moment. they have been attacking deblasio continuously on this.

it would help to be able to make the connection to help shame them (taking cues from proven liars and assholes) but there is no written record of what the 1200 radio stations that dominate buzz in this country are saying

[nichomachus]

48. This is an old tactic for these thugs

I remember 20 years ago at the Gay Pride parade in NYC. When the contingent of gay and lesbian police marched by, all the cops "working" the parade turned their backs on them.

[mountain grammy]

15. Good for the Times, but they still tiptoe around the cops..

WTF? They are so sensitive we must be careful not to hurt their little feelings or they'll beat us up.. no, really, they will.

[Ash_F]

17. Got to the end of the article and found out the Mayor raised police financing

What ungrateful fucks!

[SwankyXomb]

18. I'm sure some of our resident

badge-licking cop apologists will be along shortly to attack the Times for being anti-union.

[Helen Borg]

20. But but, when the CNN reporter asked them why?

they said that today is time to mourn, tomorrow is time to debate...

[LovingA2andMI]

21. These Written Words Are Right On Point!!!

"But none of those grievances can justify the snarling sense of victimhood that seems to be motivating the anti-de Blasio campaign — the belief that the department is never wrong, that it never needs redirection or reform, only reverence. This is the view peddled by union officials like Patrick Lynch, the president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association — that cops are an ethically impeccable force with their own priorities and codes of behavior, accountable only to themselves, and whose reflexive defiance in the face of valid criticism is somehow normal.

It’s not normal. Not for a professional class of highly trained civil servants, which New York’s Finest profess to be. The police can rightly expect, even insist upon, the respect of the public. But respect is a finite resource. It cannot be wasted. Sometimes it has to be renewed."

Honorable, Truthful and Right on Point. Thank You New York Times Editorial Board

[truedelphi]

45. Great selection from that editorial.

When the people in blue are as sincerely concerned with arresting "minor" criminals who pose threats of physical violence against women, when the police are less interested in car chases rather than honest police work, etc, then I think some of the respect will come back tot hem.

Using their uniforms to badger, harass and outright kill people of color doesn't give them much in the way of street cred.

[WillyT]

22. K & R !!!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

23. Now watch the cops roust some NYT reporter in retaliation.

[Tsiyu]

24. NYPD: Classless CLOWNS

without the first iota of respect, compassion or concern for anyone but themselves.

How do a bunch of grown adults convince themselves they are so special, they can treat everyone else like shit?

Must be some good drugs those cops are on, to have such delusions of grandeur.

[tridim]

34. They have big guns, a license to kill and a get out of jail free card.

That's exactly the kind of thing that causes power-trips.

[niyad]

26. about time the times got something right.

[Logical]

29. LOL, so today we like them or hate them? I lose track. Like with Maher, Moore, etc. LOL. nt

[lark]

33. In other words, the police are acting just like spoiled baby Repugs.

It's all about them and fuck everyone else. They deserve the right to kill anyone anytime with no questions ever - just because they have the right uniform. They disgust me. They are a big symptom of what's wrong with America. Fire their insubordinate, murder entitled asses - NOW.

[AtomicKitten]

37. K&R

[cwydro]

38. That's a great editorial. nt

[Major Nikon]

39. Politicizing a funeral is about as asshole as it gets

[True Blue Door]

40. They demonstrate to everyone how selfish and out-of-control they are.

[True Blue Door]

42. Just as long as the NY Times isn't playing its usual two-faced games

and won't immediately follow this editorial with another one taking the exact opposite side.

[Rex]

44. And if all those cops did that, why would anyone believe they are not unbiased

when it comes to deciding who to defend in court - a citizen or a cop? When a DAs livelihood depends on cops so who do they decide to defend in court - a citizen or a cop? When they insult their own profession and the dead at a funeral for two (minority) cops, because a powerful citizen had 'that talk' with his black son? When cops are listening to their union leader rioting into a mic on TVEE and not the police commissioner that slams them for their behavior at the funeral?

I blame a lot of this on their unstable sounding union leader Lynch. Then again, from what I've read the NYPD is known for bullying anyone they want to. Seems some of them are Too Big To Jail. Rudy 9/11 doesn't help either with his 'me too' attention grabbing headlines.

[Jackpine Radical]

53. "too big to jail--"

Suddenly this image flashed to mind--

[DeSwiss]

47. They just showed their true selves.

- What they truly are. And it''s ugly.

K&R

[Cha]

49. Good.. that's what we were saying on the day. thanks kpete

[napkinz]

50. ...

[riverbendviewgal]

52. My NJ brother is sooooo angry at the protesters and the NYC mayor

I sent him this link with the words "a good Police chief, respectful and respected. "

He absolutely hates Obama , blacks and immigrants. He also thinks Hannity should be President of the USA. !!!!!
This is the link I sent my beloved bro
http://gawker.com/police-chief-respecting-cops-means-respecting-protesto-1675787560?utm_campaign=socialflow_gawker_facebook&utm_source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

My brother replied with this.

"
i have read the first two lines of your emails...and that is all i am going to read... you seem to have a lot of time to search for articles that back up your liberal belief... i get it,,, you Hate cops..... now you get it... I dont... i hate liberal commies marching aroung streets chanting "What do we want? Dead Cops... When do we want them,,, Now"..... i dont know if you saw the funeral yesterday, but if you didnt , you missed a beautiful tribute to a hero... i get the feeling that if you did see it, you were very anguished that so many people were there for our men in blue.. and you probably were just waiting for some kind of protest from all the assholes... your nashville police chief is right in a way,,, but i would certainly llike to do if nitwits were burning down their town... dont forget,,, he is in nashville,,, usually people down south have a little more respect... and as far as what the man said about a permit, i agree wholeheartedly... if you dont , then we are on opposite sides of the spectrum... no one should have to right to disrupt the life of everyone else to get their point across... a permit should be granted, and an appropriate place should be agreed on as to where to hold their protest.....as far as the protestors,, i would not give them the time of day.... the first thing that they dont understand is that the two people they are protesting about condemned themselves... the cops were just doind their jobs... ihave no pity for those two thugs.... they were criminals disobeying the law... Michael Brown was the closest thing to an animal as you can possibly get...he was scum, and thank god he is dead before he can a law abiding citizen...i dont know if you saw the funeral, but if you did, you know cops came from ALL over... thank Canada for sending Royal Canadian Mounties.... i know you probably dont agree with them being here, but we down here really appreciate it...stop sending me this liberal propaganda..... Nashville is not New York,,, there is only one New York,,, and when cops are threatened , they stand togethor,,, what Governor Coumo said was absoolutely beautifulll,,,,, He said the New York Cops proved how great they are,,, they are out there protecting protestors and their right to freedom of speech while the whole time, they are the target of these protestors vile insults, and targets of things being thrown at them....the whole time they keep their composure... God Bless the NYPD>....God Dam these scumbag protestors who have the nerve to disrupt the city while they are mourrning the assination of 2 of their finest... God Dam Themmmm,,..... i wish i could put my hands around couple of their throats.... spoiled pukes....so , i hope you had a great birthday... it is shame that on your birthday, we laid to rest a hero... a true hero.... xxxx could have been a cop.... he would have been a great one... it is a shame how you hate certain things.... i am so proud of our police, especially when they turned their backs on that shameless piece of shit, mayor DiBlasio... he will never ever get the respect of the NYPD again.... that is his shame.....
I did not read the article... i refuse to bash the cops and take sides with a bunch of nitwits.....i am on the cops side... they are not all perfect, but 99.9% are. i refuse to support criminals and people that riot and burn buildings,, i also refuse to support people chanting they want dead cops... and i most will never ever would support anyone who follows al sharpton.... i just hope he fades away..... i would not want anyone to assinate him, because then they would make him out to be a martyr....he is anything but,,, he is the devil.....so, i dont know how you feel about cops, but that is how i feel... hey say put your hands behind your back, then put your hands behind your back... they wake up in the morning looking to kill people.. somethimes they have to , and it is dead wrong for these nitwits to second guess them when they are responding to law abiding citizens calling them for help.... that is how i feel.....the cops in las vegas are just important as the ones in New York,,,, the liberal media should have played that story up more,,, they didnt.... brick cops and canandian mounties are just as imprortan... thank god we have them,,, and God Bless all of them...


And this is what I answered him.

"I worked with cops. My best friend was on the OPP and then was my manager in the fraud department I worked in for over 10 years. I went to cop bars with her. I got to know them in and out of uniform.

She told me a real lot of her experiences of the corruption by bad cops she knew.
There are good cops and very, very bad corrupt cops. I hate those bad cops and the ones who lie and are brutal.

I hate when bad cops get away with the bad things they do. My belief is the grand juries are so very afraid that they will face retaliation from the cop brethren if they find the cop guilty.

The funeral was wonderful and good but those who turned their backs to the mayor made the funeral all about them. That was very disrespectful to the two cops who died. Just like that crazy Westboro Church that pickets funerals.

It is sad when you write that you won't read the article I sent. It is very sad.

God bless the good cops, not the brutal corrupt ones.

Condoning and allowing corruption and brutality is wrong.. I love unions and cops are in unions. I know unions are not perfect. In my own union, the president of our local took our union dues and gambled them away. When we found out we did not condone it and charged him. He avoided prosecution by driving himself into the Welland Canal.

You keep bringing up assassination of people you don't agree with and that you don't want but people you listen to must want that to happen.

Let us go back to just sending birthday greetings and holiday greetings.
I am with the thinking of pope Francis. Peace and love.

[reflection]

61. great reply and defuse.

You did great.

[calimary]

54. Petty is TOTALLY spot-on.

It was PETTY as hell! Made them look very small indeed. And petty. Petty AS HELL.

That event was supposed to be about the grieving widow and family, and honoring the memory of he who died. It wasn't the time for a display of grievances. It wasn't the time for grievances PERIOD.

ASSHOLES. Petty ASSHOLES. Makes me not care what they think. Makes me not give a damn about "their side" of it. Makes me want to tell them all to go do what dick cheney told Patrick Leahy to do - on the floor of the Senate no less. They just lost all credibility and standing - and any right to whine and complain about their "grievances." Their job was simple. Just show respect. SHUT the FUCK UP and show respect. For the lost brother-in-arms, and his loved ones who mourn him. And that was IT. Epic FAIL. Epic PETTY Fail!

[7962]

55. And even Guliani has said they are wrong for that stunt nt

[blkmusclmachine]

56. Shame on those cops. Shame! Shame! Shame!

[Hulk]

57. Amen to that!

Spot on. Such a disgraceful department of thugs and weak minded lemmings. Am guessing they all tune in to fox-nonsense for the daily "pump me up" message.

[kentuck]

58. Right-wing radio and the Republican Party are throwing fuel on the flames...

It boils down to: Who do you believe? The NYTimes Editorial Board or Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly and hundreds more like them?

Someone needs to smother this fire before it gets out of hand.

[Enthusiast]

59. +1 You nailed it.

[Enthusiast]

60. K&R! This post deserves hundreds of recommendations! A few to go.

[B Calm]

62. NYPD should take their protest and join forces with the Westboro Baptist Church.