You don’t WANT to hear anything good about them, so all you see is exaggerated degradation and corruption everywhere you look.
Jesus.
It is amusing how I’m probably one of the more pro-policing people around on Lemmy, because I have a deep understanding of the history of police and policing, its alternatives, its strengths, its weaknesses, its functions, and its development.
I understand how policing in America has twisted roots in the 19th century that have worsened connections to local powers, decreased accountability to the general population, and increased resilience against regulations; along with cultural developments from the 50s and 60s that have created a hagiography that has rendered them all but immune to electoral consequences; and legal developments from the 80s onward which have rendered what ‘responsibilities’ they previously had moot, changing the behavior of police from what they’re theoretically supposed to do, and into just ‘whatever they feel like doing at the moment’, putting innocents and criminals into the dubious mercy of people hired with no fucking oversight and a culture of perpetuating that.
I’m critical of police because I want police departments to be better. I’m critical of police because Robert Peel had a great idea, and America has fucked it worse than nearly any other developed country on earth. I’m critical of police because I want to be able to respect police - and right now, I fucking can’t.
Everyone wants police departments to be better, but not all police departments are corrupt. Everyone wants schools, churches, political organizations, and every other institution to be better and less corrupt, nobody is arguing against that idea.
There are bad apples in every situation. As a social worker with local police departments, I see the good that police do every day. You think that police are the source of America’s problems, I say they are about the only thing standing between us and total annihilation.
When people here in Utah began publically protesting after George Floyd’s death, what did they do - did they peacefully gather and demonstrate? No, they attacked public buildings and destroyed property, they dumped red paint all over public spaces and smashed bus windows and set fire to people’s cars and houses and looted businesses.
If that’s the world you want then that’s the world you shall have. Me, I’d rather live in a well-policed state with some modicum of sensible law abiding-ness going on.
Fwiw, after you cool down, go back and re-read what you wrote. Entirely separate from what you said, how you said it pissed a whole bunch of people off.
Jesus.
It is amusing how I’m probably one of the more pro-policing people around on Lemmy, because I have a deep understanding of the history of police and policing, its alternatives, its strengths, its weaknesses, its functions, and its development.
I understand how policing in America has twisted roots in the 19th century that have worsened connections to local powers, decreased accountability to the general population, and increased resilience against regulations; along with cultural developments from the 50s and 60s that have created a hagiography that has rendered them all but immune to electoral consequences; and legal developments from the 80s onward which have rendered what ‘responsibilities’ they previously had moot, changing the behavior of police from what they’re theoretically supposed to do, and into just ‘whatever they feel like doing at the moment’, putting innocents and criminals into the dubious mercy of people hired with no fucking oversight and a culture of perpetuating that.
I’m critical of police because I want police departments to be better. I’m critical of police because Robert Peel had a great idea, and America has fucked it worse than nearly any other developed country on earth. I’m critical of police because I want to be able to respect police - and right now, I fucking can’t.
Man I’m glad somebody else is aware of this. I feel less alone.
And don’t forget the lionizing of first responders after 9/11 that turned the effect of the Hays Code up to 11.
We’re sharing a drink called bitterness, but it’s better than drinking alone
Everyone wants police departments to be better, but not all police departments are corrupt. Everyone wants schools, churches, political organizations, and every other institution to be better and less corrupt, nobody is arguing against that idea.
There are bad apples in every situation. As a social worker with local police departments, I see the good that police do every day. You think that police are the source of America’s problems, I say they are about the only thing standing between us and total annihilation.
When people here in Utah began publically protesting after George Floyd’s death, what did they do - did they peacefully gather and demonstrate? No, they attacked public buildings and destroyed property, they dumped red paint all over public spaces and smashed bus windows and set fire to people’s cars and houses and looted businesses.
If that’s the world you want then that’s the world you shall have. Me, I’d rather live in a well-policed state with some modicum of sensible law abiding-ness going on.
Jesus fucking Christ.
Do you think they get paid to spread misinformation online or is it volunteer work?
Volunteer work. Never underestimate the willingness of bootlickers to do unpaid labor.
Finally you get my point and agree with me. I’m glad to hear it!
Fwiw, after you cool down, go back and re-read what you wrote. Entirely separate from what you said, how you said it pissed a whole bunch of people off.