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Reblogged:Police Lives Matter

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I boil that all down to, "I see it as endemic, but even if I didn't, we should all worry about every injustice everywhere." I disagree, with both. I have a short life. I'd rather not spend my time demonizing all cops on behalf of a horrible few, feeding into a falsehood propagated by ignoramuses (and the media who cover them) who have nothing better to do than run and yell in the streets, and start unwarranted vigilante warfare like Dallas against the main barrier protecting me from said individuals.

Edited by JASKN
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46 minutes ago, JASKN said:

I don't think it serves your purpose to negatively paint police officers -- people just like you and me...

They are not people just like you and me. Or at least I can say for certain that they are not people like me. I could never throw someone into prison for a "crime" that hurts no one. I could never be willing to hurt -- or kill -- that person for resisting my efforts to do so. I cannot even stomach the thought of it.

But maybe you could do those things? Many such people must exist somewhere, for tyrannical states -- here or elsewhere -- could never exist at all without the willingness of many such men to execute their orders.

46 minutes ago, JASKN said:

...who are forced to work within this same system...

They are not forced to work as police officers.

46 minutes ago, JASKN said:

-- as some kind of evil meta-force that "we need to do something about."

Yes, we need to do something about the police force: we need to make changes to to the police force in order to address the kinds of shootings and other instances of brutality that we are increasingly aware of.

You've said that you don't want to make such changes, because you'd rather address problems at their root... but as I've replied elsewhere, I don't think we should wait until we can make the laws just before we try to protect those people who are currently being hurt by the system, as presently constituted.

46 minutes ago, JASKN said:

It's riding right along with the #blacklivesmatter crowd.

If I don't agree wholly with #blacklivesmatter, that doesn't mean that they're wholly wrong. I'm not a hippie, but when the hippies protested the draft, they were right to do so, too.

46 minutes ago, JASKN said:

The broadest possible context should instead be considered.

If you have more to offer by way of context, please do; it will be considered.

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4 minutes ago, JASKN said:

I boil that all down to, "I see it as endemic, but even if I didn't, we should all worry about every injustice everywhere." I disagree, with both.

I don't think the sort of brutality we're discussing is quite "endemic" to the police. For instance, I cited that my own corner of "white suburbia" is relatively unaffected. But it seems to be somewhat more pressing elsewhere.

Nor did I say that "we should all worry about every injustice everywhere." But certainly, when confronted with injustice, we ought not put on blinders or become apologists on the side of the unjust. I expect individuals may care more or less as suits them (as with Boko Haram or any other issue), but yes, injustice within our system ought to be corrected.

If I didn't know this community so well as I do by now, I would otherwise expect that to be uncontroversial.

4 minutes ago, JASKN said:

I have a short life. I'd rather not spend my time demonizing all cops on behalf of a horrible few...

Don't. I wouldn't spend my time demonizing all cops on behalf of a horrible few, either, just as I wouldn't spend my time demonizing "the people" for voting for or otherwise supporting a corrupt system. But it is the case that America has these laws, and it is the case that some people vote for them, and it is the case that some people go into business enforcing them, and yes -- I'm going to recognize the reality of that situation.

That some police are further brutal or corrupt is not "demonization" or "anti-police," it is simply the truth. And if it is a systemic or cultural problem which manifests as that brutality or corruption, as it appears it might be, then we ought to take measures to correct for that.

You personally don't have to do anything at all in support of those efforts -- go enjoy your short life as you see fit -- but when you argue against those who do support those efforts in word or deed, you know, expect a response.

4 minutes ago, JASKN said:

...feeding into a falsehood propagated by ignoramuses (and the media who cover them) who have nothing better to do than run and yell in the streets, and start unwarranted vigilante warfare like Dallas against the main barrier protecting me from said individuals.

Yet it's possible to not "run and yell in the streets" or "start unwarranted vigilante warfare," yet believe that there exists a problem which needs to be addressed. You may not believe that there exists any such problem, despite the cases we've seen recently, and I will only wonder, going forward, if there is any number of similar incidents which will eventually cause you to suspect otherwise.

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Not much else to say if you think I've seen even one video of police abuse/violence/negligence but "suspect otherwise" that there is a problem. Maybe you meant the problem, the one you say "appears" it "might be," the one I'm arguing we shouldn't turn into another non-truth so as to, again, avoid succumbing to a falsehood on the other side, like Dallas.

I think the focus of this argument is telling.

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4 hours ago, JASKN said:

But for proponents of freedom and rights-protecting law, I don't think it serves your purpose to negatively paint police officers -- people just like you and me, who are forced to work within this same system -- as some kind of evil meta-force that "we need to do something about."

I painted -some- police officers negatively. Are you talking about people who make wild generalizations about cops, or me, or who?

Besides that, I literally don't understand how it seems you care so little about it, as if it's on the level of a local issue like a stupid zoning law that limits how many trees you can keep in your yard. I mean you didn't argue that there are no improvements to make. You seem to be arguing "Who cares? Ain't my problem. Not widespread enough." My only real point is that it is your problem, and mine, and everyone in the US. Law and order is so important that even locally bad police departments must be improved/fixed - law is  the most important issues of all. Law enforcement is a critical part that needs to be done properly for US law to be taken seriously. If you agree, then your words don't reflect it so far.

I'm saying it's widespread -enough- that it's time to alter the system.

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17 minutes ago, Eiuol said:

I literally don't understand how it seems you care so little about it, as if it's on the level of a local issue like a stupid zoning law that limits how many trees you can keep in your yard.

[...]law is the most important issues of all.

[...]I'm saying it's widespread -enough- that it's time to alter the system.

Could you estimate how many people die each year as a direct result of FDA regulations (without even including daily sufferers without death)? How about how many businesses are not created, are destroyed, or are stalled because of financial market fuckery, prolonging human suffering? There's a lot to worry about beyond/in addition to a few rotten cops. There's a lot more to worry about than is possible to worry about in your lifetime, so I follow the "biggest bang for the buck" principle. Maybe if the rotten cops indicated a rotten cop system, I would worry more. But right now, I'm more worried about the welfare shitheads who don't harass me in certain streets only because of that non-rotten cop system. 

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Should say "one of the most important", or at least, you're right to say it isn't the single or sole issue. The FDA is a big issue to me as well. But I can't really rate either as worse, just different. Although it seems like you don't think there is any evidence at all that maybe more than 1 or 2 bad apples exist... I mean, forget even shootings, the authority given to cops often exceeds what they require or what is proper for their expertise, as far as I've seen. 

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