Ferguson officer placed on unpaid leave after calling Michael Brown memorial 'a pile of trash'

[JohnR! 5,495]

I don't think anyone ever liked interacting with the police in any situation other than a social gathering. However, no matter how bad the situation, short of pulling a gun on a cop, one could expect to walk away alive. Even in the southern states that was true.

No, people didn't like interacting with the LAPD. Usually when you were approached by a cop, it meant in the very least you were going to get a ticket.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The police should only be feared if you live in a totalitarian state.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

If the policed are not feared, folks will wander the streets, looting, burning, doing....oh, wait.

[Rattlehead 69]

Fitting sinc by all accounts, michael brown was criminal trash... Good riddance.

[Teddy B 17,252]

If the policed are not feared, folks will wander the streets, looting, burning, doing....oh, wait.

Police can be both respected and feared.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

If you're relying solely on quasi military police forces to prevent civil disorder then you've already lost the battle.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

If you're relying solely on quasi military police forces to prevent civil disorder then you've already lost the battle.

How do you figure? History would demonstrate otherwise. Empires did not fail because of excessive brutality. Usually they failed when they became lax, and a more ruthless group took advantage of their weaknesses and excesses.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

As simplistic an analysis as that is, it's not relevant.

The point being - criminal behavior is complex and happens for a variety of reasons. The presence of the police is not the only reason why someone would not choose to commit a crime.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The simple solutions are usually the best solutions. It is amazing what you can get a horse to do if you stick a cattle prod up its posterior.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It only makes sense if you've given up on trying to improve general standards of living, educational outcomes, access to healthcare etc.

But sure, we can sack off the whole shebang and defend an establishment that continues to keep large sections of its population in inescapable generational poverty.

Of course this is just VJ. We don't need to take serious things seriously. A few trite one liners are all that are required ;-)

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

A few trite one liners are all that are required ;-)

Four in one post! Wow! You are the king.

[GandD 5,966]

I thought respect contained a dash of fear. Police are to be respected. Not feared...... unless you are breaking the law.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

Criminals, bad role models and garbage end up where they belong:

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

I thought respect contained a dash of fear. Police are to be respected. Not feared...... unless you are breaking the law.

Not really. You can respect someone without fearing them. It's all in how you carry yourself. Look at people like Ghandi. I don't fear him, but I respect him. Or MLK, or any one of the POTUS.

The police should be respected. But not acting like a bad knock off of Judge Dredd. But by policing the communities they've sworn to protect. By getting to know who's doing what. By reaching out and working with the people to root out the trash.

[Teddy B 17,252]

Police should be respected by law abiding citizens and feared by law breakers.