The NYPD of 9/11 and the NYPD of OWS

[Cyrano]

It’s difficult to understand. On 9/11, hundreds of New York cops put their lives on the line to save every human being they possibly could. And many died doing their job.

At OWS, many NY cops are behaving like thugs. They are macing, brutalizing and arresting peaceful protesters. (And I believe there are also many cops there who believe that what they’re doing is wrong, but are following orders because of peer pressure, or fear of losing their jobs.)

On one occasion, pure, undisputed heroism above and beyond.

On another occasion, pure, unjustified brutality.

I don’t know how to reconcile the differences between these two situations. But I’d like to hear your thoughts about them.

Also, if there are any cops here on DU, how about taking the risk of speaking out and explaining the difference.

[NYC_SKP]

1. It's basically the same police force, it's largely the same department.

35,000 officers serving almost 9,000,000 citizens in five boroughs.

Like any group, there are good and bad.

No different from doctors or teachers or plumbers.

I pity the poor progressive police officer who becomes one in order to make a difference.

Police crews sometimes adopt a mob mentality, and if the bad cops turn out to have any level of authority, the whole crew stinks.

But the stink really comes from much higher up the chain of command- to the Mayor.

Rarely, however, is it appropriate to bring blame on the governor or president.

Our government is such that only under the most egregious breaches of rights by cities or states does the federal government get involved.

We may be approaching that state of conditions.

:patriot:

[Uben]

2. The majority of cops are not like this coward

In fact, he should not be allowed to be a cop. HE has exhibited behavior that shows he does not have the wherewithal to "protect and serve". HE should be "protecting his ass and serving time" in prison. A coward is always a coward and will never be a man.
No decent man would do this, only a self-centered power-hungry piece of shit would do this sort of thing. We need his name and picture spread all over the internet so he can enjoy national humiliation. HE earned it. Coward.

[Cyrano]

3. Who are you talking about? There is no post referring to any one cop.

[kayakjohnny]

4. Very good post and good thought.

Quite provoking.

[ThoughtCriminal]

5. Courage and Authoritarian can coexist

It is a mistake to think that courage and self sacrifice only exist with one ideology. Brave men and women have risked and lost their lives, while at the same time supported some of the worst tyrants in human history.

[intheflow]

6. A decade of repressed PTSD emerging.

That's my guess.

[treestar]

7. Cops have varying duties

And they have to be standardized, and we can't expect to agree every time.

They are "thugs" when they do something you don't like and angels when they do something you do like.

Would the cops be such "thugs" if this were the Tea Party?

[Cyrano]

8. But it's not the Tea Party. It's peaceful protesters standing up for

justice. The Tea Baggers have never stood for anything but divisiveness and hatred. So about this "Protect and Defend" bullshit ...

Exactly when have you ever seen any cop "protect and defend" us from a group of armed Tea Baggers by arresting them for disrupting a Democratic political gathering?