buzz wrote: 
Doing ones duty is honorable, but there are no selfless acts. Dying for duty doesn't make one good... dying for another does. This has been my opinion, not a fact. As I've said, there are some good cops... there are also too many bad ones. We shouldn't try to justify bad apples by example of good ones.

 buzz wrote: 

Yes. and the Firemen too

 buzz wrote: 
I do.

I haven't had a lot of encounters with the police - an accident or two, the occasional traffic stop, and a couple of parties in college that got out of hand. My observation has been that if you don't give them attitude or act like you might be a problem, you'll usually get treated respectfully. They're doing a dangerous and difficult job that we all need and expect them to do, and yet somehow a lot of us resent them for doing it. (If you don't like the law, don't blame the police and give them sh*t about it - they didn't write the laws, you and your representatives did.) Yes, sometimes they seem aggressive or bullying. Sometimes that's necessary for them to establish control of a situation.

I realize there are examples of police brutality and misconduct. There are also examples of misconduct among sailors, novelists, accountants, garbage truck drivers, interior decorators, librarians, unemployed bicycle repairmen, go-go dancers, doctors, dentists, etc. They are far and away the minority in every case, and to tar every cop with the "thug" label is no different and no better than the mindset that every citizen is a criminal waiting to get caught.

Does anyone here remember 9/11 when police officers ran into the World Trade Center to save lives. Many never came out.

 Sean-E-Sean wrote: 
Oh? I'd be interested to hear how this person justifies epidemic police brutality in practically every American city then.

Not being a gun advocate I'd go so far as to say that the only good reason to pack is to protect yourself against the police.

 OlderThanDirt wrote: 
I was very concerned about this story when it first came out and I still am. Yeah, it's old, but I happened on it last night and it made me very angry again. I don't think the people that were abused ever saw justice... I think what that cop did was cowardly and wicked. But just because he wears a badge he holds some Nazi-like power over innocent people. I have never met a cop... ever... that wasn't some arrogant prick living a playground bullies dream. I am still absolutely certain there are some good cops... but given the human tradition of failing virtue, how long can they remain thus and keep their jobs? I brought it up again simply because I don't think abominable acts like this should be lightly cast aside and ignored... because how we think on these things and respond to them defines us.

A playful family dog shot down for no ill intent at all, before the family that loved him and begged for him to simply be left in the car where he was safe, indicates to me that this was a willful evil act that EVERYBODY saw... but no attempt at justice was ever seen. Because IT was just a dog? What about a best friend betrayed in cold blood? It makes me sick to my heart. This, to me, says something about our society we should be concerned about... we should be sick about, and intolerant of.

In the past eight years I don't think we've risen above this kind of apathy.

 duchamp wrote: 
I'll have to say I think our local cops do a pretty good job.

Last week when my car radio was stolen I called the police at their listed number - not 911 because the radio and thief were long gone and I didn't feel it was an emergency, which I explained to the person who answered.. 

They still were here within 5 minutes of my call and very nice even though we both knew there was very little they could do.

 Beaker wrote: 
Still trying to unload those 8-tracks? Let it GO, man.

 JrzyTmata wrote: 
The only times I've really needed them, they were utterly ineffectual. The other times I've encountered them? Aggressive jerks.

 Sean-E-Sean wrote: 
I called 911 once and they didn't come.      I stand by my assessment and not because of that one incident.  

 JrzyTmata wrote: 

...have yet to 'need' them in my life...

 callum wrote: 
Just One reason I don't trust the Mathematicians. 

 JrzyTmata wrote: 

you'll like em plenty when you need em.

 emeraldrose63 wrote: 

 callum wrote: 

...plus, who would the "control" group be?

I trust the police... to be police. I have no problem with them. I am just more comfortable when they are not around.

 callum wrote: 



Well , my nephew is a stand=up police officer in Memphis,Tn.
I love him, and I'll stick up for him any day!

 emeraldrose63 wrote: 
As a mathematician, what about the group of good people, or the group of groupless people?

 Sean-E-Sean wrote: 

Well, I am so glad that you said that.. I think this thread is a bit much. You can take any group of people, name it and find bad videos on each