Why cops are hated

[undergroundpanther]

“My problem is not with police protecting individuals from harm by anti-social types. My problem is with police who blindly support the status quo, and who protect corporations which are killing the planet, killing communities, killing all of us. Why aren’t CEOs arrested? Why aren’t CEOs executed for murder? It is insane and despicable that they are not. That is my problem with police.

Combine their paranoid, hostile perspective with the fact that they do not mind intentionally, consciously manipulating those with whom they come into contact—indeed, they are trained to intentionally, consciously manipulate those with whom they come into contact—and combine all of that with the fact that they have guns and we generally do not, and combine that with the fact that they have the full power of the state behind them to use those guns in ways that would cause the rest of us to be killed or imprisoned forever, and it becomes pretty damn clear why so many people hate cops: it’s not very fun to have someone hold power over you, especially when that person quite possibly does not have your best interests at heart, when that person has been trained to manipulate you, when that person can detain you or worse over misunderstandings, when that person, in larger cases, can destroy your life.

read more...
http://www.insurgentamerican.net/2007/05/28/why-people-hate-cops/

[Countdown_3_2_1]

1. CEOs will not be arrested because they are CEOs

They need to commit a crime first.

The police are not socialist enforcers. This is still a capitalist society.
A CEO will not be arrested for murder unless he commits a murder.

--> Maybe you should change the laws first.

[cherokeeprogressive]

2. The subject line of this post should be appended with "by some". n/t

[villager]

3. Though the essential thesis -- the cops are here to protect the banks -- remains correct

n/t

[FarCenter]

4. Traffic laws, drug laws, underage drinking, domestic violence, etc.

These are they types of laws that the cops enforce that sour their public relations.

[aikoaiko]

16. domestic violence?

:shrug:

[FarCenter]

17. One of the parties is likely to view the cops as taking unjustified action

Particularly since the cops can't just talk the situation down anymore and somebody winds up being booked with a record of arrest.

[OneGrassRoot]

5. Wow.

I can no longer deny that there is a definite vibe of "hate cops" here at DU.

:(

I've had family members in law enforcement, and know others who have made this a career.

While there are bad apples in every profession -- and when they are bad in law enforcement, I agree they are VERY dangerous and can ruin lives (and have) -- that hasn't caused me to dislike an entire profession, especially one in which the individuals truly do put their lives at risk every day.

They don't create the laws, they enforce them.

No doubt different areas of the country have more corrupt police departments than others, and certainly local politics can be a huge factor in police departments.

Have so many here ONLY had bad experiences with the police and never had them be of service in any way?

Is the military viewed with the same disdain as the police? It's a sincere question, since many of the same issues raised in the excerpt in the OP pertain to military personnel...or easily could.

:shrug:

[izquierdista]

9. Yes, with American cops

The cops in foreign counties can be reasonable and treat you as a human being, although it varies. The more socialist institutions in the country, the more likely cops will treat you as an average member of the working class. That's how I know America is a fascist country; cops show great deference if they perceive you as a member of a protected class and dish out the abuse if you aren't.

[OneGrassRoot]

10. A very broad stroke you just painted with, but I must assume that's your experience...

and I respect it as such.

Sorry that's been your experience.

:(

(edit because it should have been a frown, not a smiley face)

:( again

[izquierdista]

18. That IS my experience

And I'm probably not alone in it.

[hfojvt]

12. smoke them if you got them

I think those who smoke pot are likely to have mostly bad experiences. They are always on the wrong side of the law.

But the same is true of the poor. My supervisor once said that he didn't get pulled over for seatbelt violations, and I said "duh, they are not gonna pull over a middle aged white guy driving a nice car for a seatbelt ticket" They are gonnna pick on younger and poorer people. And if you got hair like Jesus wore it, well that is a flashing blue light that says "probable cause" right there.

[DirkGently]

13. Bad cops are bad. Good cops are good. Don't know why we can't leave it at that.

It's not like we can do without law enforcement. And it's not like they make the policies that are hurting people right now. And the choice certainly isn't behind blind worship of authority and directing hatred toward everyone in every law enforcement job in the country.

If we want a society of laws, we need someone to enforce them. Has to be done right, and it's a big deal when it's done wrong. But it's unfair to broadly condemn everyone involved.

Please don't consider that DU is broadly anti-cop. I think people's emotions carry them away when they see creeping fascism and generalize without considering it fully.

We need GOOD cops. Real human beings trying to make a difference. There are plenty -- they just don't get most of the headlines.

[provis99]

20. all cops are experienced liars and manipulators at best.

If he lies to you, no harm comes to him; if you lie to him, you go to prison.

Yet people would take the word of a lying cop over an honest citizen.

At worst, they are nothing more than hired thugs for the government, no different than mafia enforcers. I read a lot about cops starting fights with motorcycle gang members; because the don't see themselves as government civil servants out to help the citizenry, rather they see themselves and the Hell's Angels as rival gangs.

[Curmudgeoness]

6. The anger against police is displaced. Look at the DAs and the courts

because police are busy enough dealing with the crimes that they are there to deal with.

It is the district attorneys, the attorneys general, and the courts who have to step up to the plate. If a DA puts out an arrest order for a CEO, it will be a police officer who will enforce that order and arrest the CEO. Police officers really are just the worker bees in the society. I am not prepared to demonize them on this issue.

[MicaelS]

7. And yet some of the same people who hate cops

And the military, are the same ones who want to severely restrict civilian ownership of guns, so that only the police and military have guns.

[hfojvt]

8. I say that cops are like supervisors

there's never one around when you need one, and there's always one around when you don't.

When my laundromat got robbed (causing about $2,000 in damages for about $20 worth of quarters and a pipe wrench) the cops were useless. Never caught those guys.

When my bicycle got stolen, the cops were useless. Never caught the guy even though I told them that this old guy told me he knew who had it.

Just like supervisors. When you are working hard, they are never there to catch you in the act. When they are needed to handle some problem, they are AWOL, nowhere to be found. Oh, but stop for one minute to talk to somebody, or sit down for a few minutes and they are all over that.

Just like cops. Drive ten miles an hour over the speed limit and bang, they are all over that. Not to mention the number of times I have gotten pulled over because I drove home from work at 4 a.m. "Signal isn't working", "license plate lights are out" "lights aren't on" (what can I say, the downtown is pretty well lit, I drove for four blocks without noticing that my lights weren't on), "you need a light on your bike" "a bike needs to stop for a stop sign on an empty street", and on and on and on. Mo tickets, but damn it would be nice to be able to drive or bike a mile and be left the hell alone.

[Dawson Leery]

11. This is an accurate description.

This country has a problem indeed. The majority are too trusting of those in uniform and authority in general. The masses assume that those in authority are ALWAYS looking out for their best interests. They are not. In the end, the uniform is a tool to enforce the status quo.

With the GOP's open war on unions, I am concerned the police unions, especially the FOP may come over the Democrats.
This is one set of unions I do not support and do not want to do business with.

[rug]

14. That is their fundamental true function.

[Dawson Leery]

15. Recall that the state police were founded as an organization to break up

mine/steelworker strikes.

[HelenWheels]

19. I used to really admire the police until

I started protesting for peace during the Iraq war. We protesters were often harassed by police officers. After one of us was attacked and knocked down by a man who evidently didn't like our message we called the police. An officer came right away, took down information and threatened to cite the victim. He then said, "I don't have to protect you people." We reported the officer to the Chief of Police, who was a Democrat. The Chief had a staff meeting and told the cops, "You will protect these people." After that we were treated some what better.

The attacker, a prominent dentist, ended up having to pay the victim $2000 that he donated to the disabled veterans.

[Bonobo]

21. Because many of them are brutal and do not act like public servants

but like domineering jerks.

[Cool Logic]

22. My guess is that they will be hated even more if they begin arresting...

and summarily executing people.:crazy: