Police Officer got what he deserved, right...

[genie_weenie]

Sadly, the recent posts condemning and damning the police (as a whole) were quite upsetting to me. I feel the deepest sorrow for the family of http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/07/ap/national/main3800804.shtml">Randall Simmons, slain when he went in after a barricaded suspect, who had claimed he killed three relatives.

I'm certain a post will appear demanding I produce links to offending posts, but I will not. While I agree that normally those making claims must support the claims if in the wake of the Ohio Strip search incident you didn't read numerous posts vilifying the police as barbarians, blackwater-lite, fascists then you haven't been reading DU.

Between those posts and the political in-fighting, you are for the party or against it strains, DU is becoming difficult to peruse.

Have at it...

[Mountainman]

1. Sometimes I think we need to stop the pissing contests. Just let it go.

Immature people will come here and post things such as you describe for what ever reason. I think it is to start a pissing contest mostly. We know their comments are not worth the time it took to post them so why not just let it go?

I wish DU would get back to the days when adults posted here and not the immature kids we have a lot of now.

[peace13]

3. What is lost is tolerance.

There is very little patience for anyone with a different opinion. I remember having the troll title thrust upon me because I did not represent the popular thought here. It is a bad feeling and I think it drives some good folks away. We really don't listen to each other. Granted, there are many people here stirring the pot but that will never change. I agree, we need to ignore the pot stirrers and they will go away. Peace, Kim

[lumberjack_jeff]

14. Letting it go does not change the tone.

Confronting peoples stereotypes and biases makes noise in the short run, but it can pay longer term benefit.

[acmavm]

2. I haven't seen anyone claim he had it coming. I think that you're

lying. Or else you'd prove it.

[genie_weenie]

5. Well, it took 2 posts.

Here is one recent thread after the Ohio situation please read
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x89734

And yes no one posts I think Randall Simmons needs to be killed but what is the feeling towards Cops (All Inclusive) in that thread.

[acmavm]

7. Oh wait a minute here. This is just one big bullshit thread. The

link you posted show the police sexually assaulting and committing battery on an innocent woman. When I watched it I myself felt that there wasn't anything to severe that could happen to those perverted sadists in blue uniforms.

I still can't imagine anything that would make me feel pity or compassion for those thugs.

[genie_weenie]

9. Read the posts #7 for instance

and there have been more as I stated if you haven't seen them you probably haven't been reading the DU in a while.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x89734#89742">7. I absolutely hate cops!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x89734#89798">39. Welcome to the Police States of America
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x89734#90357">315. Cops shave their heads to keep themselves from being identified when they abuse people

do I need to cull through the entire post and find more? I could but shall not, because it's an endemic of group labeling, "All cops are nazis..."

[acmavm]

15. Gee, no I didn't see all them, but then again I think those particular

cops deserve any punishment they may get. Here or in the afterlife.

[atreides1]

4. Not Sure if It's Deserved or Not

Not all police officers are evil, but then again not all police officers are good!!! The police are just like the rest of us, some good who try to do the right thing because it is the right thing, and some bad who love the power and authority that a badge and a gun gives them.

I read about officer Simmons about 15 minutes ago, he was killed in the line of duty dealing with a man who had claimed that he had killed relatives.


I don't know if officer Simmons deserved this because I don't know officer Simmons, in this incidence he was doing his job and was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I'm sorry he's dead, and I'm sorry that his partner was wounded, that would be officer James Veenstra, who at last report was undergoing surgery and was expected to survive.

[genie_weenie]

6. Of course,

like mankind some do good so do not. But, it's the broad brushing which is disheartening especially after the Ohio Incident.

And sometimes when people post the http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x89734#89742">following it's time to call them on it and demand they be honest and admit this cop "obviously" deserved it...

Edit: to fix spelling mistake

[TahitiNut]

12. "it's the broad brushing which is disheartening"?? It comes with the territory.

That's what happens when people wear UNIFORMS! (That's why it's called a "uniform" - all the same.) The "we're all the same" knife has two edges. It cuts both ways.

While any intelligent person understands the unique nature of every human being, we should also understand the socially normalized codependencies that we invite by affiliation with any uniformed group, whether it be KKK or military. When we do so, we suppress our own individuality and cloak ourselves with the repute of the uniform and ALL those who wear it. Those who seek to personally benefit from the extraordinarily "good" behavior of others who wore such a uniform may, at the very least, be 'embezzlers' of goodwill. In any event, once such a "benefit by association" is sought, then the good will come with the bad will. When that uniform represents a public trust and corresponding grant of authority, it is understandable that the public will penalize the violations of that trust by penalizing those who also wear that uniform. This makes it even more incumbent upon those who wear such a uniform to insist upon a high standard of behavior - and NOT, as too often occurs, cover up or defend bad behavior.

[PDJane]

8. I admit that my view of the police force is jaundiced.

Once upon a long time ago, I was married to a police officer, and I've had several dealings with them since....although not, thank you, as a client/arrestee.

I have found that yes, there are very good police officers, literate, intelligent and compassionate. There are also too many of the other kind; the kind that are racist, homophobic, abusive and generally vicious people. My post made the distinction clear; those men and women should not be allowed to wear a uniform. Those who fall into the profession after some life experience generally have a better attitude than those who start out wanting to be police officers, in my experience. Those who spend their entire adult lives wearing a uniform are generally not the kind of folks I want to have to deal with. Those folks develop, all too often, very bad habits. Is that a generalization? Yes, it is. I have just said so. It is, however, my experience.

That said, I don't believe that anyone deserves death, abuse, torture or general violence, and yes, some of these folks do deal with that on a regular basis. And yes, I have worked for the legal profession too long to excuse the system which rewards bad behaviour in the police, in the guards, in the lawyers...a very black sense of humour is a defence.

[Echo In Light]

10. Why do you sport an Anarchist avatar if you're so cozy with centralized/state authority?

[genie_weenie]

11. I'm too tired for a nuanced discussion of

anarchism, minarchism, voting, individualism, and the nature of aggression, the status of mankind (evil, good, neutral, selfish)

I'm just pointing out posts lambaste Cops (the people) more frequently than the system of Government which keeps them under control, Like trying to destroy Sequoia by picking at the individual leaves...

[Echo In Light]

13. We're existing in an era where authority is becoming more draconian, hence great transparency...

and skepticism are required.

The Strong Arm of the Law: Violent force by police gets a pass
Seattle officers are rarely disciplined in cases against civilians, P-I finds

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/349469_force31.html