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It’s Time for Conservatives to Stop Defending Police
nationalreview ^

Posted on 07/22/2014 9:32:19 PM PDT by chessplayer

Imagine if I were to tell you there is a large group of government employees, with generous salaries and ridiculously cushy retirement pensions covered by the taxpayer, who enjoy incredible job security and are rarely held accountable even for activities that would almost certainly earn the rest of us prison time. When there is proven misconduct, these government employees are merely reassigned and are rarely dismissed. The bill for any legal settlements concerning their errors? It, too, is covered by the taxpayers. Their unions are among the strongest in the country.

No, I’m not talking about public-school teachers.

I’m talking about the police.

We conservatives recoil at the former; yet routinely defend the latter — even though, unlike teachers, police officers enjoy an utter monopoly on force and can ruin — or end — one’s life in a millisecond.

On Thursday in Staten Island, an asthmatic 43-year-old father of six, Eric Garner, died after a group of policemen descended on him, placing him in a chokehold while attempting to arrest him for allegedly selling cigarettes. A bystander managed to capture video in which Garner clearly cries out, “I can’t breathe!” Even after releasing the chokehold (chokeholds, incidentally, are prohibited by NYPD protocol), the same officer then proceeds to shove and hold Garner’s face against the ground, applying his body weight and pressure on Garner, ignoring Garner’s pleas that he cannot breathe. Worse yet, new video shows at least eight officers standing around Garner’s lifeless, unconscious body.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: copsarescum; donutwatch; leo
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To: chessplayer

Imagine if I were to tell you there is a large group of government employees, with generous salaries and ridiculously cushy retirement pensions covered by the taxpayer, who enjoy incredible job security...

In spite of the benefits, there are continuous openings for police officers around where I live and there have been for years. Firemen are a different story.


21 posted on 07/22/2014 9:57:35 PM PDT by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: jsanders2001

I will support the peace keepers and enforcers until they are no longer law abiding.

Yep. Police officers have the same rights as anyone else when they are accused.


22 posted on 07/22/2014 9:58:54 PM PDT by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: jsanders2001

“Mthe vast majority are good guys so go try your divisive message on another conservative website.”

I don’t hold your view...


23 posted on 07/22/2014 10:01:59 PM PDT by babygene ( .)
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To: All

I can make the nicest cop go loony in about 5 minutes.

Nope, I’m not a fan. The police of yesterday aren’t the same as the police of today. The people may not be either - but that’s no damned excuse.

When they recognize my unique ability to be reasonable, intelligent and well rounded - I’ll recognize theirs. Until then I’ll be harassed for my appearance, my car’s condition or my gun at my hip.

So until they back off, I ain’t backin’ off. No sir, Not a fan.


24 posted on 07/22/2014 10:02:00 PM PDT by Celerity
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To: chessplayer

Do you mean blindly defending the police, or defending the police at all?

If you mean blindly defending police without examining the facts I will agree with you.

But if you mean to suggest we never defend a police officer anytime, anywhere for no reason other than he/she wears a blue shirt, my answer is ‘no’.

There are good cops and bad cops, quite obviously.


25 posted on 07/22/2014 10:02:22 PM PDT by MichaelCorleone (Jesus Christ is not a religion. He's the Truth.)
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To: KJC1
I’m a police officer. I have seen fine, upstanding officers railroaded and I’ve seen ones who are like Satan himself skate on everything they do. And I am sure most everyone here has seen that phenomenon in whatever line of work you are in, it just is more dangerous in this one.

And what I said about bad court decisions and bad laws goes both ways. While cops should face the same laws as the rest of us, criminals should be virtually barred from the court system and the infinite abuse of that system. Another place where bad court decisions and bad laws desperately needs to be fixed.

26 posted on 07/22/2014 10:04:18 PM PDT by kingu (Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
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To: jsanders2001
Yes. Coppers are like lawyers -and support each other fully.

98.8% of them provide a bad example for the rest.

I am reminded of the old whisper that most laboratories have replaced the standard white rat with black and brown ones due to 'multiculturalism', and in many cases with either lawyers or on- or off- duty cops (the lines are often blurred) for two major reasons.

First, the researchers were becoming attached to the rats...

And second, because there are some things that rats simply WILL NOT do.

27 posted on 07/22/2014 10:06:38 PM PDT by Utilizer (Bacon A'kbar! - In world today are only peaceful people, and the mooslimbs trying to kill them-)
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To: Respond Code Three

Personal experience is fact based.


28 posted on 07/22/2014 10:08:34 PM PDT by reasonisfaith ("...because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2 Thessalonians))
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To: chessplayer

I read stories about police officers shooting a beloved family pet or use excessive force to apprehend a suspect. The thing to remember is that these stories are reported by our less than unbiased media. Sure, there are police officers who behave like storm troopers, but before you believe every story you read, see or hear about these abuses, be aware that there may be facts omitted from the media story that may justify the actions of the officer or officers in question.

There is a local story going around about a gay pride parade participant who alleged she was assaulted by a police officer. For weeks the local media showed a video of the “victim” allegedly being assaulted by an officer. However, additional photographs have surfaced showing the “victim” beating up on the officer as he was trying to arrest her. I’m guessing the officer felt he had to use force to subdue her or she could have caused serious injury to him or others nearby.

Bad enough the courts have made law enforcement nearly impossible. The media too has been complicit in trying to destroy whatever law enforcement still available by putting out half true or utterly false stories. I see it all as the communists’ efforts to dismantle every institution available for peace and our protection. So we shouldn’t accept at face value every story put out by the propaganda ministry.


29 posted on 07/22/2014 10:09:29 PM PDT by fatnotlazy
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To: Respond Code Three

I can attest to personally knowing three ex- cops that have affirmed it as a fact and one of the reasons they left.


30 posted on 07/22/2014 10:10:14 PM PDT by Utilizer (Bacon A'kbar! - In world today are only peaceful people, and the mooslimbs trying to kill them-)
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To: kingu
Totally immune from prosecution because 'police hold a special status; it is expected that failure to immediately follow police directives is in itself an indication of life threatening danger.' Think the worst case in Robocop; you have five seconds to comply before your life is ended.

Ya change that and it all changes including reckless wild pursuits which also kill and injure innocents.

I'd love to have total immunity. Or like government state schools, where teachers/professors get what they call tenure...

BTW, how does one get tenure in the private sector? Where it takes an act of Congress to fire someone. In the real world of the private sector, your told, "You can be fired for any reason at all, and your liable for anything you do".

31 posted on 07/22/2014 10:10:17 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: Celerity
I can make the nicest cop go loony in about 5 minutes.

No you can't. I've never gone "loony" on any contact, no matter how obnoxious/insulting/violent a person has been. And neither have so many other decent officers LOL.

32 posted on 07/22/2014 10:12:32 PM PDT by KJC1 (When you are dealing with the devil, the only answer is God.)
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To: BlueNgold

Most cops stand solidly behind The Blue Line, and will not out the “few” *cough* that enguage in questionable (at best) actions -and if they do, they are ostracized by the rest.


33 posted on 07/22/2014 10:13:20 PM PDT by Utilizer (Bacon A'kbar! - In world today are only peaceful people, and the mooslimbs trying to kill them-)
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To: null and void

Ping.


34 posted on 07/22/2014 10:15:39 PM PDT by TADSLOS (The Event Horizon has come and gone. Buckle up and hang on.)
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To: Moonman62
The same rights as everyone else?! Go accuse a policemen of lying at a traffic stop. Will it be your word against his? No the cop is assumed to be telling the truth. Shot your dog because it "attacked" him? Assumed to be telling the truth. Some kid walking from his friend house to his own house has something in his hand and the cop that shoots him claims it was an AK when it was a wireless Xbox controller? Assumed to be telling the truth. Cops ram a pickup and then shoot it up, ineptly not even wounding the driver , and say "sorry we thought you were a wanted fugitive", despite the truck being a different make, model, and color than the fugitives vehicle and despite the owner of the truck was a foot shorter weighed 100 pounds less and was white where the fugitive was black they are assumed to be telling the truth.

Maybe I'm over reacting though. Let's try an thought experiment. Imagine you are walking down the street and you shoot a guy talking on his phone and say "He had something in his hand, I thought it was a gun" what is it that you think would happen to you? What do you think would happen to a cop?

35 posted on 07/22/2014 10:18:06 PM PDT by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)
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To: BlueNgold

Most,if not all the other, honorable profession cant end your career or life in a millisecond.


36 posted on 07/22/2014 10:21:31 PM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Life's tough.It's tougher when you're stupid.)
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To: jsanders2001
I will support the peace keepers and enforcers until they are no longer law abiding. Bad cops are like homos; a small percentage of them make the rest of their kind look bad.

Your problem, is like that of a lot of others, they expect the cops to police themselves but they seem unwilling to do that. There are some rare exceptions that suffer repercussions for crossing the blue line.

That leaves you all with the puzzle: are these other cops condoning this behavior by not speaking out, or do they perhaps engage in it themselves periodically?

That fat taxpayer pension for a lifetime of doughnut patrols and easy money are hard to jeopardize, no doubt.

Lots of questions, but all lead back to your premise that most cops are the good guys. That sort of narrows it down, no?

37 posted on 07/22/2014 10:24:55 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: reasonisfaith; Utilizer

Not good enough.


38 posted on 07/22/2014 10:26:12 PM PDT by Respond Code Three (Support Free Republic lest we eventually get a Republic which is not free.)
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To: Jack Hydrazine
Would you like me to post an endless number of articles of police abusing their power to the point of murder?

Pointless.

39 posted on 07/22/2014 10:27:50 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: Jack Hydrazine
"What about the large number of cops that see the average, law-abiding citizen as the enemy?"

Your posts #12, #13, and #19 do not support your statement. You have failed to sustain your assertion by going on to other matters. I pronounce your assertion as invalid and mere opinion.

40 posted on 07/22/2014 10:30:52 PM PDT by Respond Code Three (Support Free Republic lest we eventually get a Republic which is not free.)
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