I didn’t hear the conversations myself, but my understanding is some police were complaining about the lack of respect they were receiving at a recent protest regarding cannabis in Keene Central Square. I have some thoughts for cops who don’t understand why you are becoming so universally despised.
It used to be somewhat safe to target young people. There were plenty of folks from an older generation when police were primarily peace officers, before you transitioned more and more into “law enforcement” officers and started viewing everyone, especially younger people, as potential law breakers instead of as the people you were trying to protect from a small number of truly dangerous criminals in the population. You had easy brownie points with that older generation. Many of them didn’t fit the profile for your law enforcement and when they hear about police abuse, they tend to assume it’s an isolated case. When mostly younger people are targeted for victimless crimes, they assume they deserved it.
Times have changed and they will continue to change. Those older generations who remember the good ole days are passing away. They’ve been replaced by people who have been targeted for petty harassment over victimless crimes many times or at least know people who have. They see you as predators rather than protectors, and rightly so. They are merely following a healthy instinct for self-preservation when they fear you, and when they fear you, they naturally hate you. I try not to hate you myself, but I admit it takes effort.
I would like for a dialogue to remain open between police and the growing numbers in the population who disapprove of what you have become. I know it sounds insincere considering I make fun of people in my comics, but I generally stick to representative fictional characters unless a particular individual has earned special recognition. Generally, while I stand up for my rights, I try to show respect in hopes that the same respect will one day be returned.
Yeah, I beat my dog every day and yell at him. He seems to hate and fear me for some unkown reason.
Probably a statist dog.
I’m not willing to softpedal it. Certain cops are heroes, despite whom they serve. They are such rare and glaring exceptions that one has to wonder how long before their “brother” officers murder them outright, or set them up.
The rest of them are a well equipped but poorly trained army of occupation. They do not really even PRETEND to be in favor of liberty in ANY WAY. They routinely break their own laws and are about as likely to be called to account for it as for the sun to rise out of the Pacific over Los Angeles tomorrow.
I’m just short of my 41st birthday. I will completely concur with Dale’s assessment of the attitude of at least two generations. We’ve all been fucked over by the police at least once. In my younger days, I was pulled over on suspicion of being a man in a car more times than I can count. And even then, they would make up something as a “reason” that was blatantly false and completely falsifiable. Such as “your tail lamp is out” when I can see it reflecting off their windshield. Then they’d get mean when I called them on it.
But I discovered something. When I quit being polite, some years ago, they first escalated, then they started leaving me alone. Cops are herd animals. They have surrendered their personal identity for a corporate mentality that doesn’t allow for variables at all. When someone (a)confronts them and is (b) openly contemptuous, they are unable to process it. You can almost see the operating system crash in their eyes.
They are weapons of the state. They serve no other purpose. I’ve seen many libertarians and anarchists state that they have no duty to serve and protect, as is their motto. I contest this. Y’all are asking the wrong question. Those supreme court cases did NOT say they had no duty to serve and protect, they merely said they had no duty TO THE PUBLIC!!!
They serve and protect, all right. They ARE the domestic army of the United States of America. Lately, they’ve been completely unsubtle about it.
Remember. When seconds count, it only takes a few minutes for the police to respond.
And when they get there, they’ll blame you regardless of fault.
I just wanted you to know that I posted this comic over at a livejournal community devoted to political cartoons, so you may see some extra status traffic.
And if you want to see what kind of debate this generates over there:
http://community.livejournal.com/politicartoons/1568179.html
The last time there was a standing army in America it was viewed as tyranny, a military enforcement of tax “law”(Stamp Act) and we revolted…what makes law enforcement any different today?
I totally agree Dale.
I’ve posted this to ‘Stand And Unite’.
http://www.facebook.com/standandunite