I agree. It's better to be wary of the police, military, unaccountable government, big business, etc, than be hero-worshipping starry-eyed apologists who overlook or play down the negatives. This lets things get worse until no one can miss how bad they've gotten, and how many people have been harmed in the meantime. Save us from easy sentimentalism.
Much more important to set up a civilan review board with subpoena power teeth, then maundering about our wonderful boys in blue. Many people have no reason to see them as wonderful when stopped for driving while black, or pepper-sprayed and beaten when peacefully protesting foreign wars or corporate arrogance and crime. All too often the number one function of the police is to enforce the desires of the financial elite or better off against all the rest of us. This inspires in me something other than love or respect; it makes me want to bring them under citizen control so they respond equally to and for all of us. David Shove Roseville On Tue, 12 Nov 2002, timothy connolly wrote: > Mark Wilde writes "the police, fire, rescue and other > emergency responders do their job professionally and > effectively a great majority of the time, and they > don't receive enough positive recognition for it". > > Nothing can be farther from the truth. > > Nearly every time the media shines its light on the > police, to name just one group, invariably coverage is > skewed in the favor of the police. > > Aside from that, why should police be entitled to any > more positive recognition than the rest of us mere > mortals? > > I wish I had a chorus of apologists when I screwed up > on the job or in life so I never had to confront my > own guilt. > > Talk all you want about the danger of the job but keep > in mind officers back each other up in large numbers, > they wear vests, etc. > > Keep in mind also that two Minneapolis police officers > have died at the hands of criminals in the past decade > (aside from an officer injured in 1957). How many > citizens have been killed by police in that time and > you have a relative idea of the danger they face. > > Tim Connolly > Ward 7 > > __________________________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > U2 on LAUNCH - Exclusive greatest hits videos > http://launch.yahoo.com/u2 > _______________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
