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Isn't it strange how we never had this many problems with bad cops before the invention of body cameras? It's a pity that the upright and moral institution of p

by geofft 7y ago

Isn't it strange how we never had this many problems with bad cops before the invention of body cameras? It's a pity that the upright and moral institution of policing in the US, from its noble origins in runaway slave patrols, has been suddenly and inexplicably corrupted of late.

gchamonlive 7y ago
You assume there wasn't problems before, because none was being brought to public attention. You also assume there has been an increase in corruption because there is an increase in problems, as you say it. You are linking two separate issues through correlation and implying causation, which is a fallacy.
- yutyut 7y ago
  I believe they were being facetious.
- yellowapple 7y ago
  I'm reasonably sure that comment was dripping with sarcasm.
- _bxg1 7y ago
  That's the joke, bud
- TrumpMyGuns 7y ago
  Hahahahaha
wkimeria 7y ago
This made me lol! I'm black, I've had my share of "random" unfair and plain scary interactions with police, but until people actually begun seeing the proof I would always get variations of "A cop would not behave that way, you must have been doing something" from acquaintances (almost always white).
- throwaway17_17 7y ago
  Uh, you clearly did something to warrant scary, intimidating encounters with the police. Police don’t stop people for no reason. But, the fact that their reason was most likely you are black is certainly a good reason, right? This is SARCASM
  - wkimeria 7y ago
    lol! I knew the sarcasm would go over peoples heads.
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
Melting_Harps 7y ago
> Isn't it strange how we never had this many problems with bad cops before the invention of body cameras? Rodney King? And the subsequent LA riots in K-Town come to mind, where they arrested the Korean merchant owners defending their homes, busniesses and property. I think you need to understand that this is systemic, Police officers are vetted and no longer considered if they have High IQs, and the courts allow this: https://abcnews.go.com/US/court-oks-barring-high-iqs-cops/story?id=95836 https://abcnews.go.com/US/court-oks-barring-high-iqs-cops/st... Think about the implications you have with just 20 years of such low barriers of entry, and the ramped up militarization of police and its tactics?
- loeg 7y ago
  Rodney King is complicated. He's not the blameless victim you might think. At the same time, the cops responsible used ridiculously excessive force restraining him, and their initial acquittal was a sham (and everyone knew it, leading to the riots).
  - geofft 7y ago
    I'd like to live in a country where you can be a bit of a flawed person and still not experience any violence from the government, unless you're so flawed that you're actively hurting others and there's no other way to make you stop. In this world, none of us are blameless victims.
    - loeg 7y ago
      > I'd like to live in a country where you can be a bit of a flawed person and still not experience any violence from the government, unless you're so flawed that you're actively hurting others and there's no other way to make you stop. Yes, me too. But this is not responsive to my comment and if you feel that it is, maybe you're not familiar with the full series of events that night? I recommend the documentary LA 92. > In this world, none of us are blameless victims. Um, sure, in some abstract sense. But in a very specific and real sense, Rodney King was less blameless than most of us. * He was speeding while driving drunk, endangering others; * he failed to pull over when the police initially indicated he should (a non-violent authority granted to police by the state to enforce traffic laws); * he attempted to outrun LAPD by driving at high speeds through neighborhoods (in an attempt to avoid parole violation for previous robbery), further endangering others; * and finally after the chase was stopped, and he was out of the car on the ground, he attempted to get up and fight the police officers arresting him several times. * Here is where the the Holliday video starts. * Police first use violence against Mr. King: they taser him when he first gets up off the ground, refusing police direction to stay on the ground. * He gets off the ground again and attempts to attack a cop (Powell). * Here's the beginning of the video cut that KTLA broadcast. Notably, it's missing the part where he tried to attack Powell. * Police again use violence in self-defense. * He continues to refuse to submit to arrest and attempts to stand repeatedly. Police continue to use violence. * At some point the violence was no longer necessary to keep him detained and allow an officer to safely handcuff him, but continued despite that. That last bullet is unacceptable! I don't dispute that. But Rodney King meets your bar for actively hurting others justifying government violence. Yes, people shouldn't have to be blameless to avoid government violence. But it is a much more compelling demonstration of the problem when the victims are blameless. There are so many other recorded incidents of excessive police force with less problematic victims.

by geofft 7y ago

gchamonlive 7y ago

You assume there wasn't problems before, because none was being brought to public attention. You also assume there has been an increase in corruption because there is an increase in problems, as you say it. You are linking two separate issues through correlation and implying causation, which is a fallacy.

yutyut 7y ago
I believe they were being facetious.
yellowapple 7y ago
I'm reasonably sure that comment was dripping with sarcasm.
_bxg1 7y ago
That's the joke, bud
TrumpMyGuns 7y ago
Hahahahaha

wkimeria 7y ago

This made me lol! I'm black, I've had my share of "random" unfair and plain scary interactions with police, but until people actually begun seeing the proof I would always get variations of "A cop would not behave that way, you must have been doing something" from acquaintances (almost always white).

throwaway17_17 7y ago
Uh, you clearly did something to warrant scary, intimidating encounters with the police. Police don’t stop people for no reason. But, the fact that their reason was most likely you are black is certainly a good reason, right? This is SARCASM
- wkimeria 7y ago
  lol! I knew the sarcasm would go over peoples heads.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]

Melting_Harps 7y ago

> Isn't it strange how we never had this many problems with bad cops before the invention of body cameras? Rodney King? And the subsequent LA riots in K-Town come to mind, where they arrested the Korean merchant owners defending their homes, busniesses and property. I think you need to understand that this is systemic, Police officers are vetted and no longer considered if they have High IQs, and the courts allow this: https://abcnews.go.com/US/court-oks-barring-high-iqs-cops/story?id=95836 https://abcnews.go.com/US/court-oks-barring-high-iqs-cops/st... Think about the implications you have with just 20 years of such low barriers of entry, and the ramped up militarization of police and its tactics?

loeg 7y ago
Rodney King is complicated. He's not the blameless victim you might think. At the same time, the cops responsible used ridiculously excessive force restraining him, and their initial acquittal was a sham (and everyone knew it, leading to the riots).
- geofft 7y ago
  I'd like to live in a country where you can be a bit of a flawed person and still not experience any violence from the government, unless you're so flawed that you're actively hurting others and there's no other way to make you stop. In this world, none of us are blameless victims.
  - loeg 7y ago
    > I'd like to live in a country where you can be a bit of a flawed person and still not experience any violence from the government, unless you're so flawed that you're actively hurting others and there's no other way to make you stop. Yes, me too. But this is not responsive to my comment and if you feel that it is, maybe you're not familiar with the full series of events that night? I recommend the documentary LA 92. > In this world, none of us are blameless victims. Um, sure, in some abstract sense. But in a very specific and real sense, Rodney King was less blameless than most of us. * He was speeding while driving drunk, endangering others; * he failed to pull over when the police initially indicated he should (a non-violent authority granted to police by the state to enforce traffic laws); * he attempted to outrun LAPD by driving at high speeds through neighborhoods (in an attempt to avoid parole violation for previous robbery), further endangering others; * and finally after the chase was stopped, and he was out of the car on the ground, he attempted to get up and fight the police officers arresting him several times. * Here is where the the Holliday video starts. * Police first use violence against Mr. King: they taser him when he first gets up off the ground, refusing police direction to stay on the ground. * He gets off the ground again and attempts to attack a cop (Powell). * Here's the beginning of the video cut that KTLA broadcast. Notably, it's missing the part where he tried to attack Powell. * Police again use violence in self-defense. * He continues to refuse to submit to arrest and attempts to stand repeatedly. Police continue to use violence. * At some point the violence was no longer necessary to keep him detained and allow an officer to safely handcuff him, but continued despite that. That last bullet is unacceptable! I don't dispute that. But Rodney King meets your bar for actively hurting others justifying government violence. Yes, people shouldn't have to be blameless to avoid government violence. But it is a much more compelling demonstration of the problem when the victims are blameless. There are so many other recorded incidents of excessive police force with less problematic victims.