Why does everyone HATE the police?

Amidst some of the hype posted on this subject, we have to remember that in any segment of the population the standard distribution curve appears. Cops? A certain percentage will be bad cops of one type or another. A certain percentage will be exceptional cops. The rest fall in between the two extremes. The standard description for the "bad" end of any distribution curve is "the ten percenters."

Most cops do their job well, under ever stronger duress and restrictions as time goes by. Moreover, they are faced with a general population that increasingly tend to believe that they have the God given right to do exactly as they please without regards to general peace and tranquility and the rights of others. In short, a lack of discipline. Liberty does not guarantee lisence.

I spent twenty years of my life in the Marines. Three years of that in places where it was perfectly OK for people to try to kill me. It was expected and one could "prepare" for the eventuality of the attempt. For the police it is entirely different. They go out every day in the effort to maintain social order never knowing if this will be the day that it turns into a combat zone. They never know if the little punk giving them lip will suddenly turn violent. They never know if the routine traffic stop will turn into a shoot out. They never know if a "domestic violence" call is going to turn against the answering officer. They never know.

Is it any wonder, then, that many of them tend to view the general population with a somewhat jaundiced eye?

Yeah, virtually any one of us can cite anecdotes where a cop was wrong, or exceeded his authority, the popular press is extremely fond of citing each and every instance of what they consider police wrongdoing. It's not a bad idea, really, it keeps those ten-percenter cops from getting out of hand.

What is generally not reported with the same enthusiasm are the ninety percenters who do their job, day to day, in the effort to minimize the effects of disruptive members of the population on the rest of us. My hat is always off to them. I make it a point to greet them when I see them. I enguage them in non-police/political discussion whenever the opportunity presents itself. I generally support their actions vis-a-vis those who consider police fascists or a threat to their personalized version of liberty which is really lisence to act without regards to the rest of societal norms, mores and laws.

Their job is to protect the population from the societal deviates, enforce the law and to maintain the day to day tranquility so that the rest of us can go about our business in peace and freedom. This is not easy.

Halfback

Cycloptichorn: Agreed! So let it be written, so let it be done. :wink:

Halfback

well then you would appear to be more reasonable than your fascist-humping counterpart.

More jibber-jabber. React to the post at hand, without aggregating.

extreme measures are great philosophical amusements, but don't assume everyone criticizing the police is out to get rid of them. i'm sure there's some kind of balance that can struck, although i may be wrong. calling all critics "whiners" isn't going to leave society duly checked, however.

I don't know if you are wrong but whether or not the critics of the police are "out to get rid of them," they are certainly bound, intentionally or otherwise, to emasculating them.

I have had my problems with individual police. So have many numerous others. If one extrapolates these problems to encompass the entire force, then one is probably bent (idiotically) on "getting rid of them."

If one believes in a pure earthly avatar of nobility, then, clearly, the vast majority of humanity comes up short. Police are certainly no different.

Society has established rules that benefit Society. Any and all rules require enforcement, and/or compliance unless one anticipates an entirely altruistic populace (fat chance).

Positive reinforcement is a half-assed play. Their must be consequences as well. Their are loads of people who will break the "rules" as long as Society doesn bug them. They don't need positive reinforcement, and they don't care for same. Just let them keep on doing the same old same old, with recrimination, and they could care less about Society's praise.

So let the miscreants break the rules because on the basis of moral relativism, we can understand why they would. This will inevitably lead to the destruction of Society.

Bottom line: We each have a life to protect and advance. Many of us have families to protect and advance.

What is more important, the rights of the miscreant or the security of ourselves and our families and friends?

If you answer the former, God bless those you love, but I suspect you are talking out of your ass. When it comes down to it, you will find it quite satisfying to protect your own.

all good cops have earned some great reward. i'm not saying they all receive it, hell, some of the best people on earth don't. but you and i both know that's a fact of life. good cops don't do it for the pensions or the prestige. if you want to reward good cops, by any reasonable means, i'll support it. i already support firemen in any way i can. some cops are just as good as they are.

but i'll keep my concerns as long as i feel i have good reason to, and besides that, what i do with my ass is my own business.

Indeed

I hate the police with respect to the vast majority of police auto chases.

They seem to be oblivious to the death and destruction in which a large percentage of these chases result. Moreover, they seem like cowboys who glory in the chase.

I hate the police with respect to the vast majority of police auto chases.

They seem to be oblivious to the death and destruction in which a large percentage of these chases result. Moreover, they seem like cowboys who glory in the chase.

If people didn't speed, there would be no speed traps.