The two officers shown in this video are like caricatures of what I see as the problem that needs to be addressed in a police state. One officer treats a nonviolent citizen like a dog, only an animal that needs to be broken. The story is the same with almost all of these cases: If the person had only given the officer his name... If the person had only given the officer his address... But he didnt stay PERFECTLY still... But he used profanity when he was thrown against the car... These are all ways to place blame on an individual under the assumption that police have the right to assign guilt to ANY person and forfeit all rights of that person to have dignity. By the way, cooperation goes TWO ways. Otherwise its submission. If the person had just cooperated... NO. If all of these people had just SUBMITTED. WE HAVE A RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT. Know why I take these cases to heart? Not only because of the very real threat power abuse of citizens poses to civil liberties in our country, but because Ive been assaulted. Ive been held down, overpowered, injured by someone out of power-greed. But it was always in me to fight back. Magnify the effects exponentially, and I can only imagine what mental damage it would do to be singled out and abused by someone who has ultimate power in our society. The ones I would seek out to grant justice when Ive been victimized. Where the best I can expect for my dignity is to refuse to be victimized by it, receive serious injury at the hands of a power-hungry cop who wants me on the ground when I deserve to stand, and if I died nh encounter, have half of my country say it was my fault for not rolling over like a dog. In the video you see the second caricature of current law enforcement officers. He approaches with caution, seems genuinely conflicted about becoming involved in the situation, and goes through valid procedures while standing by as the other officer berates and threatens the citizen. GOOD POLICE OFFICERS ARE BEING BULLIED AS WELL. The other officer is his partner, his colleague, his fellow officer. This guy on the ground who is being forced to lie on his back on handcuffed wrists, who has been shocked like a dog with a shock collar for merely sitting up LIKE A HUMAN BEING... This guy is the perp. These people have perpetrated a crime merely by refusing to submit to illegal police actions, and now the reasonable officers are in an environment where calling these things out aligns them with an anti-cop movement. The focus needs to be on better training and psychological evaluation of officers, not on demonizing the entire police force. Those of us calling out the disturbed, barbaric officers need to be mindful of the position we allow for the officers risking their lives to protect us. What Im criticizing and will continue to fight is the climate that allows these actions to go unchecked. It not only wages war on civil liberties, but will create a necessity for brutality from all officers. If things continue this way, it will be dangerous to be a police officer simply because so many people in our nation will fear and resist ANY interaction with authorities. You see how easy it is to go from just going to the store, to that?
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 17:06:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015