I’m an old white gay man - which means that usually, these days, I’m profiled as non-threatening, and left alone by cops. But I’ve certainly had to deal with violent anti-gay cops and cops who treated me badly over the years. It’s been about 7 years since the last time I was called a “fucking faggot” by a uniformed cop, who thought that was an appropriate response to my walking on a sidewalk near him, and about 15 years since I was last physically pushed around by a cop. Yes, I’ve also seen cops do good things and defuse violent scenes - but I don’t trust cops I don’t know any further than I can spit. They have to demonstrate they can be trusted before I can relax around them. Black and Hispanic friends and acquaintances have, of course, had many more bad interactions with cops who were both racist and homophobic.
Being gay has been educational - I don’t think I would have noticed as many of the pervasive incidents of racism around me if I hadn’t been sensitized to that kind of crap by being the target of similar crap.
This. I’ve had to learn how to modulate my reaction when police are around, because I get anxious and fearful and they register that as indicating I might be dangerous or guilty of some crime.
Many years ago I adopted a dog who had been used as a fluffer for dog fights, which totally messed up his mind. In working with specialist trainers on this issue, I learned the term “fear aggression”. Dogs don’t distinguish between the two. They react the same way whether they’re feeling fear or aggression, and also if someone ELSE is exhibiting the signs of fear or aggression. That’s what the police do as well: they sense the (completely reasonable) fear that some people feel when around them and they react as if that person is being aggressive. And if they themselves feel fear, they lash out in aggression.
Please tell me those police officers will be fired. I know they won’t but they should lose their jobs. This is fucking insane that anyone should have to put up with that behavior from people who are supposed to protect you.
Not after the police fought for the right to take your garbage from the curb and search it without a warrant. Once it’s at the curb, trash is fair game. (Unless you’re a suspicious type scrounging scrap metal or items with a deposit.)
This incident truly is disgraceful. Those predators were goading the guy into a rash move or comment and they were ready to pounce. I’m sure they went home to their loved ones with an extra shine on their halos.
My question is, where were their supervisors or senior officers who might have had a modicum of common sense?
Looking from the outside, it appears that the US has a fundamental problem with its police forces. How are people screened for these jobs, because if it’s designed to ensure only suitable people are employed, it appears not to be working.
OTOH, that shouldn’t be taken to imply that the problem is just a few thousand extremists in the ranks. The entire system of American policing is structurally white supremacist and always has been.
“Morrison, who has been with the Santa Rosa Police Department for 18 years, also spent 12 years as a teacher working with high-risk students in Los Angeles, Kucker said.”
Yeah we have our own issues with police culture. Its being worked on progressively, and I have had many good interactions with the police here. But in some places, race is still definitely an issue.
