Several of you have the mistaken notion that there's a wrong, crooked, dirty cop on every street corner just waiting to beat the hell out of somebody just for the exercise.
I don't march to that drumbeat. For every wrong, crooked, dirty cop there are a couple dozen that are out there beating feet, seeing the absolute dregs of humanity, staying above it all, and being a service to their community.
You guys can live in your persecuted world if you like. I choose not to.
Eupher,
As a Christian, an officer of the court (an attorney) and a recently admitted member of the DAR I take offense to your broad brush accusation whether you meant to include me or not.
One brutal cop is not excused by a dozen good ones. The 94 year old veteran that was bean bagged to death wasn't helped by anyone else in the room at the time nor by the thousands of good cops across the nation. We are now ruled by an out of control commander in chief should I not complain because my local politician is a good guy?
The question for me is who do we expect to exercise self-control? The cop with the deadly weapon or the suspect already in custody? If my daughter gets mouthy should I be allowed to smack the crap out of her because if she hadn't crossed the line I wouldn't have to do that? Or should I as the bigger or stronger of us and the one exercising authority exhibit some self-control when it's apparent I'm not in any danger?
The issue to me isn't about a world view that all cops are dirty (a popular minority view) but that the world we live in is allowing certain of these people who have been given authority to cross the line. It is our duty as citizens to see that our rights are protected and that may mean calling out those who cross the line.
Do not question for one minute that I don't honor those who execute their lawful duty on our behalf. I will not forget those who did just that on September 11, 2001:
The 23 NYPD officers, including four sergeants and two detectives, who died at the scene were:
Sgt. Timothy A. Roy, Sr., 36
Sgt. John Gerard Coughlin, 43
Sgt. Rodney C. Gillis, 33
Sgt. Michael S. Curtin, 45
Det. Joseph V. Vigiano, 34
Det. Claude Daniel Richards, 46
Moira Ann Smith, 38
Ramon Suarez, 45
Paul Talty, 40
Santos Valentin, Jr., 39
Walter E. Weaver, 30
Ronald Philip Kloepfer, 39
Thomas M. Langone, 39
James Patrick Leahy, 38
Brian Grady McDonnell, 38
John William Perry, 38
Glen Kerrin Pettit, 30
John D'Allara, 47
Vincent Danz, 38
Jerome M. P. Dominguez, 37
Stephen P. Driscoll, 38
Mark Joseph Ellis, 26
Robert Fazio, Jr., 41