Not All Cops Are Assholes

[SoDesuKa]

You may have heard that all cops are assholes, but it's not true. There's something about when they get together in a group that brings it out in them. And it appears to be difficult to resist, once a wave of asshole-ishness starts to sweep across them.

There are reports of groups as large as six cops not acting like assholes. Granted, the evidence is still largely anecdotal but with further research, scientists may get a handle on the key variables. However, it's well known that a single cop acting like an asshole will trigger a defensive reaction among the great majority of them. Remember what Spray Can Tony did right on camera? It was indefensible, but NYPD Communications Director Paul Browne issued a press release claiming Bologna was following established procedures. Of course he wasn't, and Browne himself was an asshole. Imagine how wonderfult it would be if that reaction were no longer inevitable.

It's possible that in our lifetimes we may see an end to police asshole-ishness. Just imagine the burden this will save future generations of Americans! Unfortunately, I don't know of a foundation that's funding reseach in this much-needed area. Write your Congressional representative, assuming he or she is not a Republican.



If they could help themselves, they would.

[Prometheus Bound]

1. Maybe you watch too much TV.

[SoDesuKa]

2. A Rich Fantasy Life

In my fantasy life I think of a future in which police enforce the law, not the social prejudices of the ruling elite. As Milton said, Ay me! I fondly dream . . .


Where your old Bards, the famous Druids ly,
Nor on the shaggy top of Mona high,
Nor yet where Deva spreads her wisard stream:
Ay me, I fondly dream!

[KG]

4. ++++

[blueamy66]

[phone]

nt

[blueamy66]

14. self delete

double post

[ixion]

3. The vast majority are, however...

better than 90% are assholes at best, in my opinion.

[backscatter712]

9. 99% of cops give the good ones a bad name... n/t

[Xicano]

22. Perhaps, but they give themselves bad names by not policing the law against bad cops.

There's no excuse. They are charged with policing the law. They have sworn to police the law. It is their duty to police the law. But yet when a bad cop breaks the law by abusing his authority, I don't see the so-called good cops jumping in and arresting the bad cops. Therefore in my book the so-called good cops are co-conspirators.

[backscatter712]

25. Absolutely right!

I'd respect the "good" cops more if they policed their own instead of standing silent and following the Blue Code of Omerta.

[Xicano]

30. +100

:fistbump:

:hi:

[ThomWV]

49. I could not possibly have said it better myself!

I love it!

[stlsaxman]

5. Yes. They. Are.

Every last one of them. Even "Rent-a-Cops"- hell, even more so with them because they don't require the training obtained in a municipality's police academy.

"Innocent until proven guilty" died with Jack Webb's "Joe Friday vigilantism"

[blueknight]

6. yes they are

they take these jobs because they have some type of social/personality disorder. which in turn, gives them a false sense of importance. assholes , all of them in my opinion

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. I think you've nailed it.

:thumbsup:

I could tell you a story or two...........

[ixion]

31. That's my belief as well...

the job attracts a certain personality type with a consistent set of character flaws.

[KittyWampus]

35. Those of us with family members in law enforcement would LOVE to hear about those character flaws

Talk about assholery.

[ixion]

44. Since you're obviously looking for a fight (which is ironic, in and of itself)

I'm going to decline to give you one. I'd be happy to discuss it with you, but I don't think that's your intent.

[tblue37]

21. Whenever the "good" cops let the bad ones get away with being assholes, the

"good" ones get asshole cooties smeared all over themselves.

[stillwaiting]

34. and deservedly so. nt

[Uben]

7. Cops deal with some shady characters

One has to remember, they are the one's who deal with the drunks that make highways dangerous and drug addicts that steal to support their habits. Am I pro-cop? Not really. I come from a family filled with law enforcement, and I have to agree, most are assholes. I don't have to take their shit because I am family, and quite frankly, there is not a one of them whose ass I could not kick in a fight. But, I also know the other side. Cops hang with cops, they share their stories with how they deal with certain situations and how they can do it safely, without getting hurt. It's what they do. Believe me, they put their rights ahead of yours. Most think people should do exactly what they say without question. Control is the operative word, and that's why most view them as assholes. No one likes to be "controlled", me included. But after having their teeth knocked out by a drunk who is ten feet tall and bulletproof, they are always on the defensive, and establishing control immediately and eliminating the possibility of it happening again is their primary focus. When you look at it that way, one can kind of see why they are assholes. I could never be a cop. I don't eat doughnuts!

[blueamy66]

15. Just wondering....

how many of your "family of cops" was forced to join the department?

[Uben]

18. Nary a one!

...and to be honest, every one of them was a wimp before they became cops.

[blueamy66]

23. okay, they were wimps before they were cops...

so what are they now? bullies? assholes??? whatcha got?

[stlsaxman]

17. No- you "don't have to take their shit" BECAUSE YOU PAY THEIR SALARIES!

To Hell with being "family". I shouldn't have to "take their shit" either, right.

Any time they go beyond defending The Constitution which they swore to uphold, they're dishing out shit for someone to "take".

Any instance of that is inexcusable and should be met with termination. Period.

[blueamy66]

24. great post

nt

[sendero]

46. This is a fair take..

.. however, way too many cops have been documented using excessive force against folks that reasonably pose no physical threat to them.

I do not blame a cop for defending his own body, but it seems to me that is almost rarely the case. If you are such a chicken little that you see everyone as a physical threat, you should be in another line of work, you are not cop material.

[lunatica]

10. Like soldiers in the military they follow their leaders' orders.

If their Captains tell them to exercise restraint they do. They're trained to both withhold force and to use it. Like soldiers in the military they follow their leader's orders.

If we stop thinking of them as group thugs we might be able to start thinking of them as a true reflection their leaders.

[TheKentuckian]

19. How does seeing them a group thugs negate that group thuggishness as a reflection

of their leaders and more critically their entire culture?

I think they are hand in hand, I just don't give out passes for following orders or dealing with criminals since that is pretty central to the role.

[Scuba]

11. The LEO's here in Wisconsin have been wonderful despite our ongoing protests. n/t

[snot]

12. Thx for the dry humor; a little too subtle for some folks.

[blueamy66]

13. Yes they are.

The one that came to my house when my eldery father "took a drive" walked thru my Dad's entire house, room to room, searching, before he asked me any questions and filed a report. Yeah, my Dad is hiding in a closet, smoking a bowl, you asshole.....

Thank God an off duty fireman found my Dad 100 miles south of his house in a ditch, 24 hours later.

Fuck the cops.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Supply Side Jesus]

28. sounds like someone has Daddy problems....

You should see a shrink

[femmedem]

20. My city's Police Chief said, "We are the 99%."

with a smile the last time I saw her. We were out celebrating the saving of a local park, which the city had nearly sold out from under its poorest neighborhood. (A referendum stopped the sale.)

Talking about Pepper Spray Cop, she said people's videotaping of police brutality and posting it on Youtube was "the greatest thing."

I adore our city's Police Chief. She is definitely not an asshole.

[Orsino]

26. "All Cops Are Assholes" is a bigoted, anti-progressive meme.

No, they don't all go into the field to bully, bait and beat. They really are the thin blue line between peaceful citizens and those who would do us harm.

That many or even most become tools of a corrupt system doesn't make them all evil, and we ought to drop the broad brush. They're underpaid and overworked citizens, and some of them are trying to do their best with very little help from us and the "leaders" we elect to defund them.

[Supply Side Jesus]

27. Bigotry is ok, when "we" do it

didn't you get the memo?

[EFerrari]

29. From what I've seen the last 2 months, they ARE those who woud do us harm.

[JoeyT]

32. Not loving those who would do us harm is a bigoted anti-progressive meme.

If we're going to stretch the definition that far.

They're better paid than firefighters, and we don't go around fucking people up with an axe every time they smart off to us.

They're paid better than teachers too, and if a teacher beat the sense out of a kid with a chair for some trifling offense people would go ballistic. (And rightly so)

Odds are pretty good neither of those groups would leap to the defense of the offender, union or not. And that's why there are no good cops. The "good" ones protect the bad ones, and that makes them bad too.

[blueamy66]

37. +1000

nt

[Skittles]

40. THANK YOU

lot of asshole on DU, for SURE

[kath]

41. At $110K a year for being a COLLEGE cop, Lt Pike is hardly "underpaid and overworked".

Jeebus - PhD scientists don't make that much.

[blueamy66]

47. Again, who forced them to join the dept

to be underpaid and overworked?

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[darth marth]

36. I have met many cops, that do take the job to serve and protect

This divide and conquer tactic of US hating all cops.....who would have an interest in perpetuating that I wonder....


This video depicts wall st giving the cops a teach in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGAKq6Cnnu0

[BlueIris]

38. Perhaps they need a twelve step group. Assholes In Groups Anonymous.

Then again, that would involve, you know, congregating and sharing the aspects of their addictions...in a group.

[SoDesuKa]

39. Assholes in Groups = AIG

Next time they need a bailout, let's not give them one. Fuck 'em.

[AverageJoe90]

42. Agreed. But the non-corrupt cops need to wake up soon.

[DefenseLawyer]

43. The problem isn't the various personalities of individual officers

The problems we see have very little to do with whether some particular officer is "an asshole". The bigger problem is the police "culture"-the mindset that permeates departments in how they train, who they promote and how they see themselves in the community. Most urban police departments have a "military" culture and mindset. They see themselves as warriors in a war-zone doing battle with the public. Bigger guns, more armor, kill or be killed. Us vs. them. Not part of the community, but combatants in a never ending war. That is the culture we need to change. Sure police have a "tough job". Lots of people have a tough job. And lets face it, it is the kind of job that will always have a certain attraction for "assholes". The problem I see is that for the most part the assholes aren't being trained to change their attitudes; they're running the place.

[B Calm]

45. As a professional truck driver I've seen my share of bad cops. I have learned

they're ALL ON A BIG EGO TRIP and are very stupid.

I get out of most tickets by just building up their ego even more than what it is.

[handmade34]

48. my daughter is in law enforcement

I can testify that they aren't all assholes

[madokie]

50. Nor is all assholes cops

it just seems that way sometimes :-)