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If the cop said "I hate gays" the gay person couldn't arrest them, giving them a permanent record.
C'mon. Since when is saying "I hate the police" on a street corner grounds for arrest? In my day, people said "Kill the pigs" all the time, and all they got was a little tear gas, if anything. Now, I didn't agree with saying things like that back then, but I am also not one to believe that cops deserve undeniable respect in all cases. Just a few of the personal experiences, as an older white woman, that have led me to that position.
(1) When I was a young woman and out walking my dog (a great dane), one of New York City's finest yelled out a truly vile sexual remark to me regarding myself and my dog and the activities he presumed we engaged in. Everyone on the street turned and stared. I was mortified, humiliated, and angry ... but too scared to confront him. That's harassment and demeaning. Abuse of power.
(2) When I was a young mother pushing my second baby in a carriage around a lake in Minneapolis, I saw a group of police push two teenage kids into their squad car. The kids had their legs spread and arms up on top of the car, faces on the vehicle. They were unarmed and motionless. Then the cops, for no apparent reason, began to kick and hit and slam these defenseless kids, from behind. I was absolutely appalled and started to go demand their badge numbers. But realizing I had a 3-month-old baby with me, I again felt too scared to confront them. I will always regret that. Whatever those kids had done (and I suspect it wasn't much), there was no reason to physically abuse them.
(3) A few years ago, in the bar/restaurant behind my building in a very nice neighborhood, some young, twenty-something office workers were playing pool. Three off-duty cops beat them up, and when uniformed police were called to the scene, the off-duties waved them away and continued beating up the men. By the way, those cops were exonerated in by a Cook County judge recently, despite evidence on videotape and evidence that cops were turned away from the scene after several 911 calls were placed.
I won't even tell the story about when my husband asked a policeman politely what the law was when he was asked to move his car, and the policeman responded "I am the law" and slapped him with a criminal court appearance. Turned out the "violation" ( violation for asking what a law was, given that six or seven chauffeur-driven cars were also idling in front of the same building, and there was no sign prohibiting standing) was a traffic court violation that cost $15. But it took a lawyer and about 12 hours of phone calls to find out the cop was just being an asshole.
I've also had good experiences with police officers, and appreciate their service. but they are not always due the benefit of the doubt. They are public servants, and they need to respect the public. We pay their salaries. They should not harass us, beat us up for no reason, issue fake vindictive tickets, or arrest people for exercising their free speech.
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