The WOKE Thread (Merged from WTF?)

[pawnman]

3 minutes ago, Buddy Spike said:

If they're cleared of wrongdoing, why would there be additional consequences? Just because?

 

If they're cleared of wrongdoing, fine.  But there are far too many examples of cops who are fired by one city and hired a month later at another city.  

Additionally, the entire culture of the "thin blue line" and refusing to "rat out" your fellow officers means that a lot of those acquittals only come because fellow officers are intimidated into not testifying, even when there's clear evidence of wrong-doing.

Maybe you guys have faith in a system that acquits the cop who shot Philando Castile for complying with directions, or acquits two police officers for beating a man to death on camera, or finds no fault in police managing to kill and unarmed, handcuffed suspect already in custody.  To me, that doesn't look like accountability, no matter how many statements the mayor makes about it.

But I'm clearly outnumbered, so I'll tap out of this part of the conversation.  

[uhhello]

I would need a solid 7 figure salary to deal with what the everyday cop has to deal with.  Best case you're going home at the end of the day having not been involved in taking someone else's life or seeing one taken in front of you.  You know all the worst cases.  They can do everything right and they are still going to get grilled for a good chunk of time.  Then to top it off you're dealing with the absolute worst society has to offer every day and every shift.   Not good for your mental health.  
We at least get to go "somewhere" and deal with death/violence/you name it and then come home and not be exposed to it for the giant majority of career fields.  

That being said, that's no excuse for some of the folks caught on camera doing the shit they pull sometimes.  I went on a binge for a couple weeks watching first amendment auditors.  Some of the cops attitudes and actions exhibited didn't make them suitable for a third world mall cop let alone a cop in the USA.  All too often attitude and aggression come into play and they have to be the ones to win.  

I don't know what the answer is but one thing I know for sure is it's not less funding.  Crisis counselors and mental health frontline response instead of armed police to most of these instances where folks are shot is only going to lead to more folks hurt.  Cops can't allow their fellow cops fuck up on a regular basis and not do something about it.  There has to be more police accountability, not from some politician but from within.  I know that's hard but lots of career fields do it without issue.  

[Buddy Spike]

3 hours ago, pawnman said:

If they're cleared of wrongdoing, fine.  But there are far too many examples of cops who are fired by one city and hired a month later at another city.  

Additionally, the entire culture of the "thin blue line" and refusing to "rat out" your fellow officers means that a lot of those acquittals only come because fellow officers are intimidated into not testifying, even when there's clear evidence of wrong-doing.

Maybe you guys have faith in a system that acquits the cop who shot Philando Castile for complying with directions, or acquits two police officers for beating a man to death on camera, or finds no fault in police managing to kill and unarmed, handcuffed suspect already in custody.  To me, that doesn't look like accountability, no matter how many statements the mayor makes about it.

But I'm clearly outnumbered, so I'll tap out of this part of the conversation.  

That’s the problem, you’re buying a false narrative.

Philando Castile was armed, high, and not complying (reached into his pocket).  

You watch too many movies if you think “fellow officers are intimidated into not testifying.”

But hey, be the change you want to see.  Go join your local agency’s reserve division and see what it’s all about.  

[Lord Ratner]

4 hours ago, pawnman said:

If they're cleared of wrongdoing, fine.  But there are far too many examples of cops who are fired by one city and hired a month later at another city.  

Additionally, the entire culture of the "thin blue line" and refusing to "rat out" your fellow officers means that a lot of those acquittals only come because fellow officers are intimidated into not testifying, even when there's clear evidence of wrong-doing.

Maybe you guys have faith in a system that acquits the cop who shot Philando Castile for complying with directions, or acquits two police officers for beating a man to death on camera, or finds no fault in police managing to kill and unarmed, handcuffed suspect already in custody.  To me, that doesn't look like accountability, no matter how many statements the mayor makes about it.

But I'm clearly outnumbered, so I'll tap out of this part of the conversation.  

I have faith in the country that enslaved black people, imprisoned japanese people, and wiped out the Native Americans, and a military that played with prisoners at Abu Ghraib and killed civilians at My Lai because I'm capable of recognizing failures without using them disproportionately to characterize the entire system.

 

The perpetual insistence in characterizing "the system" as broken when it is by far a successful and predictable system, with notable deviations, when compared to the rest of the world, is troubling. Just another case of anecdote over statistics.

[brabus]

 

6 hours ago, Lord Ratner said:

I'm capable of recognizing failures without using them disproportionately to characterize the entire system.

 

Exactly. But on the other hand, did you know the B-1 community has a systemic problem with child porn.
 

https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/crime/2015/05/12/ellsworth-pilot-sentenced-child-pornography/27166693/

Edited February 15, 2021 by brabus

[pawnman]

10 hours ago, Buddy Spike said:

That’s the problem, you’re buying a false narrative.

Philando Castile was armed, high, and not complying (reached into his pocket).  

You watch too many movies if you think “fellow officers are intimidated into not testifying.”

But hey, be the change you want to see.  Go join your local agency’s reserve division and see what it’s all about.  

ITS ON FUCKING VIDEO!

He told the cop he was armed and asked for instructions. The cop said he wanted his ID. Castile TOLD him the ID was in his pocket.  Cop still wanted ID.  Castile reached for the ID and the cop shot him.

Being high is not a capital offense. 

[pawnman]

1 hour ago, brabus said:

 

Exactly. But on the other hand, did you know the B-1 community has a systemic problem with child porn.
 

https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/crime/2015/05/12/ellsworth-pilot-sentenced-child-pornography/27166693/

Didn't have a whole lot of fellow B-1 folks rushing to his defense.

Maybe we just need an aviator union that forces every pilot to side with every other pilot, no matter what they've done wrong.

[brabus]

22 minutes ago, pawnman said:

Didn't have a whole lot of fellow B-1 folks rushing to his defense.

Maybe we just need an aviator union that forces every pilot to side with every other pilot, no matter what they've done wrong.

Exactly, haven’t met a single cop or heard a single cop (on podcasts, etc.) blindly defend Floyd, for example. They’ve all cringed at what happened. The point of my sarcastic post was to highlight how stupid it is to paint entire communities, organizations, etc. with a broad brush. Terms like “systemic” are wildly overreaching and only contribute to extremely misleading “10% true” narratives. This isn’t roll call, it’s real life...wildly embellished bullshit has no place here, yet that’s what the media, govt, and the masses love. 

[Buddy Spike]

46 minutes ago, pawnman said:

ITS ON FUCKING VIDEO!

He told the cop he was armed and asked for instructions. The cop said he wanted his ID. Castile TOLD him the ID was in his pocket.  Cop still wanted ID.  Castile reached for the ID and the cop shot him.

Being high is not a capital offense. 

Yup.  I watched the video.  Maybe you should too.  He was armed, told the officer he was armed, and the officer told him not to reach for it.  He did it anyway.  He was high and not comprehending instructions.  Whether he was reaching for his ID or the weapon is obviously up for debate. 

You’re right, being high is not a capital offense.  But it is DUI, child endangerment and illegally carrying a weapon.

Like I said, join your local reserve division.  Get the actual training.  Find out for yourself instead of throwing rocks from the cheap seats.  

Here’s the actual dashcam.  As usual, your narrative is incorrect:

 

[pawnman]

28 minutes ago, brabus said:

Exactly, haven’t met a single cop or heard a single cop (on podcasts, etc.) blindly defend Floyd, for example. They’ve all cringed at what happened. The point of my sarcastic post was to highlight how stupid it is to paint entire communities, organizations, etc. with a broad brush. Terms like “systemic” are wildly overreaching and only contribute to extremely misleading “10% true” narratives. This isn’t roll call, it’s real life...wildly embellished bullshit has no place here, yet that’s what the media, govt, and the masses love. 

So we should expect those cops standing around while Chauvin killed Floyd to testify at Chauvin's trial, then?

[Buddy Spike]

Just now, pawnman said:

So we should expect those cops standing around while Chauvin killed Floyd to testify at Chauvin's trial, then?

Chauvin didn’t kill Floyd.  A lethal dose of Fentanyl, Meth, alcohol, and pre-existing issues from COVID did. Good lord, dude.  You just slurp up all the hysterical false narratives, don’t you?  

[ClearedHot]

13 hours ago, uhhello said:

That being said, that's no excuse for some of the folks caught on camera doing the shit they pull sometimes.  I went on a binge for a couple weeks watching first amendment auditors.  Some of the cops attitudes and actions exhibited didn't make them suitable for a third world mall cop let alone a cop in the USA.  All too often attitude and aggression come into play and they have to be the ones to win. 

Same here and it really changed my thinking...and my brother is a deputy chief of police!  I support police officers but it is truly sad that many, including from federal agencies like the FBI, don't know or care about the Constitution or the oath they took to protect and defend it.

If anyone is interested I recommend you check out a few channels on Youtube including Audit the Audit which does a great job of breaking down some of the more egregious cases and reviews them with case law.  News Now Houston is the "godfather" of first amendment auditors and does a much better job of remaining calm than some of the others that default to screaming at the police.  Honor Your Oath is run by Jeff Gray and he is again another one of the calm ones who never insults the police but he does assert his (our) rights.  Finally, The Battousai is run by Phillip Turner, his arrest and subsequent lawsuit  Turner Versus Driver resulted in a landmark ruling on police conduct.

[pawnman]

39 minutes ago, Buddy Spike said:

Chauvin didn’t kill Floyd.  A lethal dose of Fentanyl, Meth, alcohol, and pre-existing issues from COVID did. Good lord, dude.  You just slurp up all the hysterical false narratives, don’t you?  

You think he'd have just collapsed and died on the street without Chauvin kneeling on his windpipe?

Fucking hell, no wonder you think cops are perfect.

Can't wait for the defense of the guy who shot Tamir Rice next.

[busdriver]

23 minutes ago, pawnman said:

kneeling on his windpipe?

He was kneeling on the side of his neck not the windpipe, so half of a carotid choke.  I would guess the other side artery was likely restricted to some degree, but not fully since he knelt there for a long fucking time before he became unresponsive.

Watch the Tony Timpa video.  Died the same way, no knee on neck.  The knee is a red herring, the confounding factors (for both cases, in my estimation) is a prone restraint and drug related physiology.  So not being able to breath is true, but it had nothing to do with the knee.

Qualified immunity is a problem.  I'm not convinced just erasing it is a good idea, but it's something to look at that could allow better accountability of department policy within the current system.

Having higher standards for police officers in general is warranted.  With that comes a need for more money not less however.  More training time requires more officers on the pay-role to cover the additional requirement.  Want higher caliber people?  Be prepared to pay them more.  Etc. etc.

[Lord Ratner]

2 hours ago, pawnman said:

ITS ON FUCKING VIDEO!

He told the cop he was armed and asked for instructions. The cop said he wanted his ID. Castile TOLD him the ID was in his pocket.  Cop still wanted ID.  Castile reached for the ID and the cop shot him.

Being high is not a capital offense. 

I'm with you on Castile, for clarity. It's the perfect example of a failure of policing, and why we need better training and better funding for the cops.

 

But it is not representative of American policing as a whole.

[busdriver]

1 hour ago, Buddy Spike said:

.....  He was armed, told the officer he was armed, and the officer told him not to reach for it.  .....

......He did it anyway.....

......Whether he was reaching for his ID or the weapon is obviously up for debate....

 ....But it is DUI, child endangerment and illegally carrying a weapon.

..... Get the actual training...  

Think about what you posted for a second.  Assume Castile was a 100% honest, just high, but otherwise legally armed.  He told the officer he was armed and where the gun was located.

Was the officer reasonable in the way he handled a legally armed citizen?  I would contend, no. 

Smelling weed is not an indication that the dude is a violent junkie.  It's weed not PCP.

The training is the problem.  And I'm well aware of what gets taught.

[jazzdude]

Having higher standards for police officers in general is warranted.  With that comes a need for more money not less however.  More training time requires more officers on the pay-role to cover the additional requirement.  Want higher caliber people?  Be prepared to pay them more.  Etc. etc.

So where's that extra money coming from? Not sure people have an appetite for increased taxes, especially if they fear police (government) is corrupt.

I would also assume that civil forfeiture laws would also need to be tightened, which puts additional budgetary pressure on police departments.

I'd bet police aren't going to get more funding until the police start rebuilding the relationship with their community first, and that solution is very much a local one.

Even though it's primarily a local issue, our modern lives also include going to other communities routinely. Things like going to the next town over to shop/attend events/etc. So the issue isn't completely a local one.

[Disco_Nav963]

45 minutes ago, busdriver said:

He was kneeling on the side of his neck not the windpipe, so half of a carotid choke.  I would guess the other side artery was likely restricted to some degree, but not fully since he knelt there for a long fucking time before he became unresponsive.

Watch the Tony Timpa video.  Died the same way, no knee on neck.  The knee is a red herring, the confounding factors (for both cases, in my estimation) is a prone restraint and drug related physiology.  So not being able to breath is true, but it had nothing to do with the knee.

Qualified immunity is a problem.  I'm not convinced just erasing it is a good idea, but it's something to look at that could allow better accountability of department policy within the current system.

Having higher standards for police officers in general is warranted.  With that comes a need for more money not less however.  More training time requires more officers on the pay-role to cover the additional requirement.  Want higher caliber people?  Be prepared to pay them more.  Etc. etc.

Matt Yglesias (liberal writer who can do math and isn't into bumper sticker solutions) wrote a lengthy column on exactly this point (more funding, not less): Fixing the police will take more funding, not less

[Buddy Spike]

2 hours ago, pawnman said:

You think he'd have just collapsed and died on the street without Chauvin kneeling on his windpipe?

Fucking hell, no wonder you think cops are perfect.

Can't wait for the defense of the guy who shot Tamir Rice next.

He wouldn't have died had he not been struggling.  He was complaining about not being able to breathe WELL before Chauvin was kneeling on the back of his neck (not his windpipe).  Chauvin was also acting IAW department policy. The length of time could point to excessive force, but Floyd died because of Floyd's poor life choices.

I don't think cops are perfect.  I think you're caught up in the emotion and slurping the bullshit that the media is feeding you.

 

[Buddy Spike]

1 hour ago, busdriver said:

Think about what you posted for a second.  Assume Castile was a 100% honest, just high, but otherwise legally armed.  He told the officer he was armed and where the gun was located.

Was the officer reasonable in the way he handled a legally armed citizen?  I would contend, no. 

Smelling weed is not an indication that the dude is a violent junkie.  It's weed not PCP.

The training is the problem.  And I'm well aware of what gets taught.

He was not legally armed. It is illegal to carry a firearm while under influence of drugs.

Castile said he had a weapon and then reached for it despite being told not to.

 

[FLEA]

1 minute ago, Buddy Spike said:

He was not legally armed. It is illegal to carry a firearm while under influence of drugs.

Castile said he had a weapon and then reached for it despite being told not to.

 

One important fact is that the police officer in this case, was in fact indicted, and sat before 12 citizens who judged him in a trial. 12 people who were vetted by both the prosecution and defense for the ability to be objective, saw ALL the evidence in the case, and heard both stories. Then, all 12 unanimously decided this officer was not guilty based on EVERYTHING we knew about the event, and acquitted him. That's a pretty big deal in my opinion. 

[Buddy Spike]

Just now, FLEA said:

One important fact is that the police officer in this case, was in fact indicted, and sat before 12 citizens who judged him in a trial. 12 people who were vetted by both the prosecution and defense for the ability to be objective, saw ALL the evidence in the case, and heard both stories. Then, all 12 unanimously decided this officer was not guilty based on EVERYTHING we knew about the event, and acquitted him. That's a pretty big deal in my opinion. 

Yup.  But according to the peanut gallery, he's still guilty.

[Clark Griswold]

Checkmate

VIDEO: Cop plays Beatles' 'Yesterday' while cellphone camera records him, presumably to trigger copyright claim so clip is blocked - TheBlaze

 

[pawnman]

57 minutes ago, Clark Griswold said:

Checkmate

VIDEO: Cop plays Beatles' 'Yesterday' while cellphone camera records him, presumably to trigger copyright claim so clip is blocked - TheBlaze

 

[arg]

6 hours ago, FLEA said:

One important fact is that the police officer in this case, was in fact indicted, and sat before 12 citizens who judged him in a trial. 12 people who were vetted by both the prosecution and defense for the ability to be objective, saw ALL the evidence in the case, and heard both stories. Then, all 12 unanimously decided this officer was not guilty based on EVERYTHING we knew about the event, and acquitted him. That's a pretty big deal in my opinion. 

And OJ was found not guilty. A lot of folks don't believe that.