Too many of the police are really missing the mark on that.
On a personal note the two police officers I know over here (one is a neighbor) are top fellas and well respected in the community. I’ve no way of knowing, but I’d like to think most are like that.
Clearly there are institutional problems to one degree or another in different forces, and some are racist and uncaring. The outlook of many police also seems programmed to see everything as a threat, which often means situations are ratcheted up, instead of being cooled down. Mind you, with so many guns in play among the general public, it strikes me as a shitty job to have, as your life is in danger frequently.
Also worth noting that three of those happened without the Southern states, during the ACW or in the Reconstruction period before their representatives were re-admitted to Congress.
Worth noting we’ve had about 6 more mass shootings, one including about 10 dead, since the last mention of one in this thread. Not criticising anyone, just trying to give perspective to understand that as awful as it is that they make the news as often they do, that frequency is actually a massive underrepresentation of actually how often they happen
As an interesting aside, I thought about being white and talking to police officers when I was leaving for work one morning, a few months ago. About six police officers were swarmed at the next door neighbor’s house. Apparently a door had been left ajar and an alarm was triggered, and we live in a nice neighborhood, so naturally they piled in to make sure nothing bad was happening.
When I saw all the police cars my first reaction was to get out of my car and walk over there to let them know what was going on.
The neighbor was overseas for a couple of months working, and my wife was going in to their house periodically, taking in mail, packages, that sort of thing. She left a door ajar by mistake.
It struck me that I thought nothing of approaching a group of officers who were investigating the situation, to explain to them what was going on. George Floyd was still fairly fresh in mind, and I imagined that if I were a black man, I would likely have kept on driving to work, since approaching the police may or may not result in a good outcome for me. It was a jarring thought.
I noticed in France I get pulled up by police much more frequently when my son is sitting beside me than at any other time. I don’t think it’s due to his 2nd generation white British origin so it must be the 3rd generation Algerian side. I keep telling him to shave his beard off.
My thoughts are that many police off duty one on one are just fine (some do abuse their position but it’s rare) the problem is when they are at work with their comarades, they change. In a group they can become a completely different person, particularly the black ones.
Type of neighbourhood changes things dramtically also.
I am receptionist night watchman in hotels. In that role I have no problem talking to police, calling them, they are a protection for me. Walking about in my nieghbourhood is another story.
Sorry Flobs, I’d always imagined your job as something like that if Christopher Pine in 'The Night Manager’s. But I’m sure your experience is more glamourous than that and you don’t get too many guests like Richard Roper!
PS. It’s a brilliant adaption of a leCarre novel with Tom Hiddleston , Olivia Coleman and Hugh Laurie:. I highly recommend it!
I started off as a chemist, life wasn’t kind in some respects however I did get to see my kids grow up. They are both more respectable than me, , In this region there’s not much for old gits like me and fortunately covid made things a little easier, hotels needed old gits like me, so now I have a fine job (just like Forest Gump). Now I can afford some fun luxuries.
If ‘The Night Manager’ is on Netflix I’ll give it a go, I haven’t watched much tv recently as with a job I could afford a good stereo and now I listen to music all the time when at home.
We’ve got the first televised Jan 6th committee public hearings tonight. I have absolutely no idea what to expect, but Im going to crack open a bottle of wine and take them in.
I think it is a massive moment in the Republican party. Whether or not they grow a backbone is another question, but the resentment towards the Greenes and Boeberts is turning tribal. Pence is an old guard social conservative who doesn’t have the charismatic effect of Trump, but much deeper roots in that party. For Trump to so casually show disdain for his life is stunning.
I hated the “the press took him literally but not seriously, but the voters took him seriously but not literally” framing, but this sort of Trumpian “truthful hyperbole” is why he gets away with it. If everything you say is awful and it doesn’t change how you’re covered then the awful becomes mundane. And worse, those who then try and present comments like this, even if not meant seriously/literally, are painted as the problem…“creating a narrative”. John Oliver used to this great but depressing running “we got him” gag, and this is no different.
As for Pence, he was essential in 2016 to earn the support of the Koch wing of the party, but those in that wing that stayed are now indistinguishable from the Trump/Maga wing. Pence has and will be equally cast aside by and willfully accepted as collateral damage
, In this region there’s not much for old gits like me and fortunately covid made things a little easier, hotels needed old gits like me, so now I have a fine job (just like Forest Gump). Now I can afford some fun luxuries.