4 ms·

Let me add this article: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/the-benefits-of-fewer-nypd-arrests/384126/ http://www.theatlantic.com/national/arch

by smtddr 12y ago

Let me add this article: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/the-benefits-of-fewer-nypd-arrests/384126/ http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/the-bene... >>But the police union's phrasing—officers shouldn't make arrests "unless absolutely necessary"—begs the question: How many unnecessary arrests was the NYPD making before now?

pnathan 12y ago
That's a very important phrase that should be shouted from the rooftops. Because if there are unnecessary arrests, it's a travesty of our court system. :-/
fennecfoxen 12y ago
I suspect think there can in fact be desirable arrests which are not necessary: arrests for petty theft and shoplifting, vandalism, malicious mischief, et cetera.
lotsofmangos 12y ago
As many as the quota required. http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/second_cop_confirms_nypd_arrest_quotas/ http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/second_cop_confirms_nypd_arr...
Terr_ 12y ago
> begs the question Gah. "Begging the question" means assuming something is already proved. Alas, people misuse "beg" as a synonym for "suggests" or "raises"...
- nyolfen 12y ago
  phrases can take on new meanings and no one looks good whinging about prescriptivist language use dude
  - scdlbx 12y ago
    That literally kills me.
    - undersuit 12y ago
      Irregardless.
nsnick 12y ago
That is not what begs the question means. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question
- Chinjut 12y ago
  That's one thing "begs the question" was at one point used to mean. "begs the question" has also often been used to mean "begs for the question to be asked", which seems perfectly reasonable to me. Your own link notes that the use of "begs the question" to mean "assumes the initial point" arose as a mistranslation of Latin. I see no reason to cling to that mistranslation as the only possible use of the English phrase.
rhino369 12y ago
Very few arrests are necessary to maintain public order, especially in the short term. Nobody is going to die if you don't arrest a guy for jerking it on the subway.

by smtddr 12y ago

pnathan 12y ago

That's a very important phrase that should be shouted from the rooftops. Because if there are unnecessary arrests, it's a travesty of our court system. :-/

fennecfoxen 12y ago

I suspect think there can in fact be desirable arrests which are not necessary: arrests for petty theft and shoplifting, vandalism, malicious mischief, et cetera.

lotsofmangos 12y ago

As many as the quota required. http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/second_cop_confirms_nypd_arrest_quotas/ http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/second_cop_confirms_nypd_arr...

Terr_ 12y ago

> begs the question Gah. "Begging the question" means assuming something is already proved. Alas, people misuse "beg" as a synonym for "suggests" or "raises"...

nyolfen 12y ago
phrases can take on new meanings and no one looks good whinging about prescriptivist language use dude
- scdlbx 12y ago
  That literally kills me.
  - undersuit 12y ago
    Irregardless.

nsnick 12y ago

That is not what begs the question means. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question

Chinjut 12y ago
That's one thing "begs the question" was at one point used to mean. "begs the question" has also often been used to mean "begs for the question to be asked", which seems perfectly reasonable to me. Your own link notes that the use of "begs the question" to mean "assumes the initial point" arose as a mistranslation of Latin. I see no reason to cling to that mistranslation as the only possible use of the English phrase.

rhino369 12y ago

Very few arrests are necessary to maintain public order, especially in the short term. Nobody is going to die if you don't arrest a guy for jerking it on the subway.