Reply #11: I was not slamming... [View All]

[GTurck]

anyone. Cynicism often drives people to apathy. "What's the use they are all a bunch of crooks anyway". I was using Lakeoff's idea of framing. When we use the terms and ideas of the opponent to make our own point we make a circle back to them. As independents, liberals, Democrats or whatever I was cautioning against sounding like a winger when you seemed not to mean to. I am sorry if that was not conveyed well.
I have my own trouble with policing dating back to before 1968 in Chicago. I grew up there and remember how the police were often the most corrupt people on the street. They were to be avoided.One never knew though if there really was an honest, caring cop (there were) in the city. But back then, in Chicago, you only needed to know or be related to a policeman to get on the force and be of a certain height or weight. The training was all on the job - no psychological screening, no college, nothing but cronyism. 1968 was a watershed across the country and more and more departments started screening and demanding better trained applicants. There is still a long way to go. But I stick by my point that it is the 'us vs them' attitude, alas coming from both sides, that causes many problems. Add those who are dead set on making trouble and the situation is explosive.
Did you know that every community has a police board or liason from the city council? Did you know that you can testify before that board or to the liason - if not the entire council? Standing up to tyranny is great. For myself I work the system. When I see an injustice or something that I think needs to be done I jump in with both feet. That is how I became a library trustee in a district where people were being ignored for all the wrong reasons. That is how I became active in the Democratic Party. My protesting however is all done on paper in letters to my representatives and in the op-ed pages because I cannot see why an officer should have to decide if I am a threat to his/her safety or not and act accordingly.