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Joined: Jun 2016
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While the ongoing protests and rioting are way over the top, it is curious to see a large number of non-black participants. Some have suspected Antifa activists, others neo-Nazi types try to foment a race war. One of those arrested appears to be an old-fashioned anarchist. It could very well be a combination of bad actors that only coincidentally have the same immediate objective. It seems curious that despite numerous arrests by police that few real answers are coming forth. Is this lack of candor due to politics or another cause. Our police can be legitimate heroes risking their lives or a self-serving group that acts outside the law. Excessive force by Police in making arrests is unfortunately common. Most of it goes unrecognized, despite complaints, thanks to the old blue shield - police looking out for fellow cops or other friends to shield them from prosecution. My own experience with the blue shield came some years ago. My younger brother was in an unsignalized crosswalk when a driver - evidently in a hurry to beat oncoming traffic - made a quick left turn and struck my brother sending him flying. That driver abandoned his car and ran from the scene. My brother was taken to the hospital and died three days later from internal injuries. The police eventually tracked the driver down and gave him a ticket for failure to yield right of way. When I talked to the police lieutenant in charge after my brothers death he refused to add any additional charges to that driver. No vehicular manslaughter, no leaving the scene of the accident, driver not checked for drug or alcohol abuse, no reckless driving, no anything but a slap on the wrist. The incident was not reported by the local press. I read accounts of people getting tazed to death for mouthing off to cops. Remember the 50s crooner Jimmy Rogers ("Honeycomb"). He was severely beaten by LA cops one night- he was hospitalized for months and was never able to resume his career. It's not just black victims either though they seem to be subject to mis-treatment on a disproportionate basis. It may be from being too resentful for being stopped or something similar. Other examples include no-knock searches authorized on dubious evidence and conducted in the the wee hours of the night by SWAT teams breaking down the door guns blazing. If the victim is lucky, it's only the family dog that gets shot. People have money and other property taken from them despite not being charged and frequently have to sue to get it back. The ugliest thing in my view is unfortunately a common business model. The local drug syndicate that supplies recreational drugs - marijuana, cocaine, etc. pays off the local cops to look the other way. Law Enforcement is fed a steady diet of small time drug dealers poaching on their territory to make them appear to be doing their job while the syndicate gets enforcement at a bargain price. It is a sad truth that not only some American cops behaving this way but police around the world do much the same with some places worse than others. In my view, the only thing that will stop this is courageous leadership and investigation capability outside of the judicial system that is all too often corrupted by the police. At one time civilian review boards were proposed but were shouted down by police unions. In a previous post of mine on stasis - the breakdown of civil order - I submitted that it is a threat to all polarized societies. Sometimes a strongman on the left or right will break it, others will see a decline into chaos. The thin blue line is often the difference - but to be trusted and respected by all, means that its integrity must be above reproach. Our cops need to clean up their act and quickly too. Things will likely get worse before they get better.
This message was edited by jpdell33 on 6-4-20 @ 11:51 AM
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