Addendum
I should make it clear. That cop should have been fired. There is no excuse for that kind of behavior from a cop. But I don’t care for people using this as an example to write off all cops. Especially when many of these righteous cop critics probably would have kicked that woman back in the same situation. Hypocrisy was afoot and it was getting on my nerves.
People are saying I am white and privileged. I can’t possibly understand. It also seems to mean I can’t think critically about the situation or have an opinion. It doesn’t seem to matter that I live in a poor, mostly black neighborhood. Or that I went to a predominantly black high school. I can’t possibly have gained any intuitive knowledge of “what it’s like.” Yes, I am white and have the privilege that entails, but that does not mean I am oblivious.
Corruption is everywhere. Pick any profession and you will find it. From doctors to bankers. There are probably corrupt Red Lobster employees shorting your hush puppies for their own delight. But corruption in a seafood restaurant typically has less impact than corruption in a police force. Corrupt cops are a huge problem. And their numbers seem to be growing as of late. They have a lot of power at their disposal and when you add corruption into the mix, terrible things happen. It makes my blood boil when I hear about terrible cops. I was very disappointed in many of the cops involved with the OWS protests. But at the same time, the Albany police took a stand and refused to arrest protesters.
To generalize every single cop so harshly is not the right approach. We want more good cops, but if we treat none of them with respect, what decent person is going to want such a job? My uncle was a homicide detective. He is a good person. He did a horrible job that required him to wade through the lowest depths of society. He saw victims dead and bloodied almost everyday. And he put away a lot of the people responsible for those victims. People who might have killed again if no one was their to intervene. Would we rather have no cops? Leave justice completely up to society? That always works well. I’ll see you at the witch burning at sunrise.
I say speak out against the corruption. Speak as loud as your voice will allow. Demand higher standards for our police force. But don’t lump ALL cops into your shit pile. Make some distinctions. Recognize that among the corruption there are people struggling to make a difference. Just add one word to your statement. Change “I fucking hate cops” to “I fucking hate corrupt cops.”
That one word makes a huge difference.
