Well a conviction would be nice. Major reform would be nice. An end to cop thuggery, cover ups, lies, and abuse of power would be another encouraging benefit.
Major Reform? How about leadership from the top down that does not incite social disorder? How about a society that supports officers and expects a no tolerance policy for violent criminals? The only abuse I see is a minority opinion that police are the problem, instead of a culture that makes excuses for bad behavior.
It's this war zone mentality that leads to the militarization of law enforcement and many of the problems we see with regularity. When the police decide they're at war with the public, anything goes and we can expect them to act with impunity and do as they please. The Chicago PD lied, destroyed evidence, misrepresented McDonald, and murdered him because they fully expected to get away with it. Given the current climate this was (unfortunately) not an unreasonable expectation.
I guess your idea of a war zone & mine are different but, given that there have been 2725 shootings, 456 deaths in Chicago alone this year, I believe "war zone" identifies Chicago quite accurately. Incidentally the police are not at war with the public but, the criminal element that reside amongst the public. McDonald has been charged for his crime, you can join the protest with the rest of the disingenuous in Chicago that want to highlight one police shooting of a black man while ignoring the 456 homicides 80.2% of which are black males shooting other black males... your outrage is sorely misplaced.
http://heyjackass.com
I'd trace these abuses back to the so-called war on drugs, when police were essentially encouraged to declare war on the public at large, with the results we see. When they stopped being peacekeepers and became law enforcers everything changed. A combative, antagonist approach to the public, as opposed to placing a premium on ensuring public safety, totally alters the dynamic between Joe Blow and the police.
So, I assume you are asserting that thugs make up "the public at large"? This is where we part ways...the way I see it, thugs, especially violent thugs, have no expectation that their thuggery will not end in injury or death to them. The police are protect the law abiding public, the thug sporting a weapon, or show willingness to assault the officer has no expectation of being protected nor should he. I personally have never been roughed up by a cop but, then again I show the man the respect due...maybe that is the problem, respect.
"Dangerous job is dangerous" excuses absolutely nothing.
Changes everything, including how you protect yourself & react when you face danger... You have unrealistic expectations IMO.
Yes: One murderous cop may or may not get away with it. Let's throw a parade. Sorry, but that's nowhere near good enough. Greater civilian oversight over police use of force, the blue wall of silence, better protection for whistleblowers--much, much more remains.
Sorry, don't see it...I say don't be a thug, show the man the respect due his position (i.e. respect authority) and you have a overwhelming chance that your interface with law enforcement will go smoothly and you may just find that the officer will show you the same respect. Amazing how civility works that way...
The good cop fallacy. Yes, there are good guys who are cops (I know some of them). But they aid and abet the bad ones, if only with their silence.
The 99% of good cops are aiding and abetting? You have proof that this is the case? Do I believe that they are not quick to indict their own without the proof being overwhelmingly conclusive? Yes but, that is hardly aiding and abetting, and is understandable with thug protecters so willing to convict them on appearance rather than facts.
Was McDonald's shooting justified or not?
I believe it was not but, he will have his day in court to explain it...if he can.
We're not just talking about "violent criminals," at least I'm not.
I guess that would depend on your definition.
Was Tamir Rice a "violent criminal"?
Unfortunate incident, something similar happened locally, and I live in a relatively small town. Kids playing laser tag at the local high school after dark, police were dispatched that there were "people at the school with guns", officers arrived searching the grounds with weapons drawn, cop comes around the corner to a person pointing a gun with a red laser at him, kid was shot dead. It was terrible thing but, when an officer is faced with a potential life & death situation mistakes like this can be made, it seems that this was the case with Tamir as well.
Was Eric Garner a "violent criminal"?
Actually Yes he was, he was asked to submit to authority multiple times before he assaulted the officer then the incident escalated into a physical altercation. Had Garner obeyed authority, not resisted the officer this would not have ended the way it did...Garner is responsible for his own death as I see it.
Another unfortunate case where an officer trying to protect himself from the family dog accidentally shot the owner. I know, I know... he should have just stood there and allowed himself to get mauled but, the sane all agree that while unfortunate, the officer was justified in protecting himself from attack, and the unfortunate result from doing so was unintentional.
I wonder if she would have been shot if she restrained the dog as the officer asked before the officer was forced to protect himself from it. :think:
Or try this on for size: If you don't want harm to come to you, don't be a cop.
Sorry, doesn't fit...How about this: Don't be a thug, respect authority, and your interface with law enforcement will not end up in injury or death to you.
Yep! You guessed it, I could not give a damn whether a thug gets injured or killed for their thuggery, and I hail the men & women that put their lives on the line to protect & serve the innocent, law abiding citizenry.
