On 1/19/04 11:33 PM, "paul weir" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Finally, I would point out an ironic symmetry here. Sociologists > assure us that the vast preponderance of mayhem that occurs in our > streets is caused by a relatively small number of criminals, perhaps > as few as two or three percent of the overall criminal population. > This is a proposition that most people seem to have no trouble > accepting. We're also assured by the same authorities that only a > tiny number of cops engage in brutality. Now, why is it so easy for > most of us to accept the former, and so difficult for some of us to > accept the latter? I have my own ideas, but I'd like to hear what > others think. Here's my theory: I think most of us agree that there's only a few thumpers on the MPD, but what we're mostly disappointed in is that those few thumpers pretty much continue to run amok. Since cops don't generally work totally alone, there's got to be other cops seeing what's going on. This suggests that the other cops either condone the thumping by refusing to speak up or, are too afraid of Delmonico and the Police Federation to speak up. Whichever it may be, it speaks to a larger problem with the overall culture of the MPD that extends beyond just a few thumpers and I would further say that any Minneapolis cops who are disappointed in McManus being hired over an internal candidate might do well to look in a mirror to see why. To me, being a cop is kind of like being in a fraternity in that the screw-up by a single individual can wreck things for everybody. That's why at my fraternity, we stress that we ARE our brothers' keepers and we look out for one another to keep anyone from screwing up. Mark Snyder Windom Park REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
