First of all, lives matter, both those of cops and the general public. This whole 'police lives matter' stuff I see...well, duh! Of course their lives matter. Who said they didn't? Not me, for starters. Yes, police lives matter. Quit trying to muddy up the situation with that statement.
Saying that civilian lives matter does not mean police lives are any less valued. This is not a pissing contest. When possible, death should be avoided. That goes for police officers AND civilians. Police and community should work together, not against each other. They should be partners, rather than opponents. Now, what in the hell is so difficult about understanding this? Wish I knew.
The point is this: if you have to shoot an unarmed man ten times and kill him, then you had crappy training or were incompetent as a law enforcement officer. I don't know about you, but I like my cops to be trained well and not to resort to deadly force with unarmed people. There are other alternatives, so use them.
Just because you don't think it's okay to shoot an unarmed man ten times and kill him, that doesn't mean you think cops' lives don't matter. How you can even draw that assumption is, quite frankly, stupid. I've never said cops' lives don't matter; by the same token, I'll never say it's okay to sever someone's spine and commit second-degree murder.
And yes, that person may have done wrong things in the past, but that is immaterial to the FACTS AT HAND FOR THIS SPECIFIC EVENT. Resorting to ad hominem attacks in order to justify second-degree murder is pathetic. You should know this if you're intelligent by any measure, so cut it out. You know what the issues and problems are, so stop it.
Not all cops are bad people; however, cops ARE human and, as you might expect, some cops AREN'T good cops OR good people. Some of them do not deserve to wear the badge. Get rid of them so we have the police forces we respect. Don't let bad apples spoil the entire barrel or taint your reputations.
It's NOT OKAY to call for violence against cops.
It's OKAY to expect that law enforcement officers are held to a higher standard, and that they see their community (and all the people in it) as partners with them, rather than adversaries. Until this happens, you will continue to see incidents such as what happened in Ferguson and Baltimore happen over and over again. Treat the underlying cause, and not merely the symptoms. This is simple and common sense -- why don't some people understand it?
The police must get rid of the bad apples, stop protecting those who break the law (a uniform does not excuse lawbreakers), and get rid of the fabled 'blue wall of silence.' Otherwise, the police will eventually become no less than a gang of civil servants who believe they are, themselves, ABOVE the law.
Bad cops give good cops a bad name, and bad cops make it difficult for civilians to trust the very people who are expected to protect and serve their communities. In turn, when the public distrusts the police, then that makes the police officers' jobs that much more difficult. Police officers, the public is NOT your enemy. Most of us are silly, stupid assholes who fuck up, but mean no harm. It's okay to show your humanity, in other words.
Interpersonal communication is essential in all interactions, but especially when it involves people in the position of authority or uniform. And hey, without the public being stupid or people committing crimes, you wouldn't have a job. Just remember that you are not the Hand of God and you are not the judge, jury, and executioner out on the job. It's not okay to commit second-degree murder, whether you're in uniform or out of it.
Not all protestors are bad people (nor are they all on welfare or unemployed). If not for protesters throughout history, your asses wouldn't have some civil rights or protections you enjoy so much today. THINK ABOUT IT!
Not all people who are at a protest (or uprising) are there for the protest; some are criminals or opportunity seekers hoping to loot, damage, or burn. Don't trash the protest or protestors completely because of bad apples who also show up.
All races have protested -- white, black, Hispanic, etc. Protesters are not automatically 'thugs' or troublemakers because they protest. If you think this, then perhaps this country's forefathers were 'thugs.' I mean, they protested, fought, and went against the authorities of the day to FOUND this country.
Example: I protested against Westboro Baptist Church years ago here in the Springs when they came to town. I'm NOT a thug or a criminal, and I used to work in a police department. I have several friends who are law enforcement officers.
Do not paint everyone with a broad brush as if the entire situation is cut and dried.
Now, what do some of you not understand about any of this? It seems pretty clear to me.
Do the right thing. If you don't, this country will continue to suffer in a myriad of ways in relation to this issue.
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