J
you know we've mostly been nothing but cool with each other, but this is completely out of line. 1)are you still a mod? If so, personal attacks are even more unacceptable than if you just a random poster. 2)cops should be scrutinized. The alarming militarization and tendency toward aggression is something that we should all take note of. The police view us more and more as the enemy these days than is legitimate or acceptable. They are our employees. We do not work for them, we do not answer to them, and they should be darn near powerless when it comes to dealing with the public unless a genuine threat is at hand. A bitchy out of control 72 year old woman is not a genuine threat.
Dr D's point that they have become tax collectors is spot on. If you or anyone else doesn't see this...you're blind. No two ways about it. The police resort to violence ever more often, and somehow there are people who literally celebrate those actions! "She deserved it. She's a bitch." "He deserved it, he talked back to the officer." "I'm sure the cops were justified in that B&E and shooting a man's dog!"
I'm so fed up with this crap...we're lambs to the slaughter right now and a good chunk of us is CHEERING! Classical sociological "othering"...as long as it's not ME...it's THEM, it's OK. They probably deserved it.
The police are supposed to be our PROTECTORS. They have NO business , implied or explicit, assaulting us. EVER. Ever. Period. End of story.
If a cop puts his hands on me without justification, I will do my best to kick that fella's ass. I did not sign up for this crap. I do not authorize any cop to touch me unless I demonstrate to be a physical threat to his or others' safety.
Some will say this grumpy old lady was speeding so she was a threat. Fine. Write her the ticket. hand it to her. I don't even agree with ticketing, but it's a hell of a lot better than SHOCKING someone who is simply verbally abusive. "She deserved it" indicates something inside of anyone who says it, and that something terrifies me to no end. If you say "she deserved it" then in all honesty I would have no choice but to perceive you as a threat.
Dr D...mark...what is happening to these people?