# Controversial encounters between law-enforcement and civilians - the omnibus thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 10, 2014, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942 "2014-10-10T07:35:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 383
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7641 "2015-12-31T19:46:11Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > Oh noes!!! I’m being used to create anarchy in society and the collapse of civilization! Well, yes. You _are_. Our society is filled with people who want to break the law. They want to use or sell drugs. They want to speed. They want to avoid paying their taxes. They want to steal from old ladies and take sexual advantage of the weak and so on. And in our society, when you do those things, you have to answer to the police. They can’t get the people to vote to legalize their crimes, so the next best shot they have is to undermine law enforcement. And that’s where the propaganda comes in. Rely on people’s visceral distaste for violence and hype up videos of police shootings. Lie, obfuscate, and exaggerate the circumstances to make the suspect sound like an innocent victim of police brutality. Spin anecdotes about how all cops are power-hungry bullies who hurt and kill people for fun. Talk, out of context, about how police in other countries “don’t need guns” and everything is so much better there because of it, or how a “real man” doesn’t need a gun to do his job. The ultimate objective here is to turn the mob against the police and drive them to vote indirectly for what they won’t vote for directly - a police department which is neutered, weak, and incapable of projecting force against criminals. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7642 "2015-12-31T19:54:10Z")
Of course, if you are someone like Ken Lay, you can steal from little old ladies with near impunity and not have to worry about the police shooting you down. Enron did a shitload more damage to a shitload more people than any Freddie Gray ever did, and Lay’s family got to keep most of Lay’s ill-gotten gains after he died _in Aspen_. Perspective, here, folks. Street crime is the symptom, not the actual problem. Some aspects of anarchy are starting to sound a bit appealing. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7643 "2015-12-31T19:54:51Z")
I just caught the video. Wow, is that fucked. Unless the audio is completely mismatched, they were telling the guy to relax, that they weren’t after him, at the same time that that other cop was stalking up on the car with the dog. What was the rationale of releasing the dog in the first place, even if it were a 45 year old biker in the car instead of a toddler? They were cleared, ferchrissakes! ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7644 "2015-12-31T19:54:57Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Our society is filled with people who want to break the law. They want to use or sell drugs. They want to speed. They want to avoid paying their taxes. They want to steal from old ladies and take sexual advantage of the weak and so on. The solution to this, of course, is to allow the police to randomly murder people. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7645 "2015-12-31T19:56:13Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Our society is filled with people who want to break the law. Our society is filled with people who want [del]to break the law[/del] the police to use lethal force only when necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7646 "2015-12-31T20:06:48Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > They can’t get the people to vote to legalize their crimes, so the next best shot they have is to undermine law enforcement. And that’s where the propaganda comes in. Rely on people’s visceral distaste for violence and hype up videos of police shootings. Lie, obfuscate, and exaggerate the circumstances to make the suspect sound like an innocent victim of police brutality. Spin anecdotes about how all cops are power-hungry bullies who hurt and kill people for fun. Talk, out of context, about how police in other countries “don’t need guns” and everything is so much better there because of it, or how a “real man” doesn’t need a gun to do his job. The ultimate objective here is to turn the mob against the police and drive them to vote indirectly for what they won’t vote for directly - a police department which is neutered, weak, and incapable of projecting force against criminals. So, let’s get this straight: poor street criminals are generating propaganda to weaken the police so that they can commit their low-level crimes. Street criminals have banded together to generate propaganda so that years from now the police will be weakened and unable to prevent street crimes. Doesn’t this plan seem a little insane to you? I mean, first problem–people capable of that sort of planning aren’t generally low-level criminals to begin with. And that’s like the least of the problems with your crazy insane stupid theory. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7647 "2015-12-31T20:13:06Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > So, let’s get this straight: poor street criminals are generating propaganda to weaken the police so that they can commit their low-level crimes. Street criminals have banded together to generate propaganda so that years from now the police will be weakened and unable to prevent street crimes. And they call it “black lives matter” in order to trick people into thinking it’s a racial issue. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7648 "2015-12-31T20:16:11Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > And they call it “black lives matter” in order to trick people into thinking it’s a racial issue. So BLM is a cover movement designed to weaken the police. OK. Do you think the police might also be implicated in this propaganda movement? I mean, it’s the police randomly murdering black people that was the impetus for BLM to begin with. Maybe the police are part of it? Keep digging, **Smapti** ; I think you’ll find this conspiracy goes all the way to the top! ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7649 "2015-12-31T20:19:27Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > Do you think the police might also be implicated in this propaganda movement? I mean, it’s the police randomly murdering black people that was the impetus for BLM to begin with. You’ll recall that the impetus for the “movement” was an officer shooting in self-defense when he was attacked by a man who’d just robbed a convenience store. You’ll also recall that said robber was described as a “boy” who was “murdered for jaywalking” and that he was supposedly “shot in the back” “with his hands up” and “execution style”, until the forensics and witness testimony revealed that none of those things were true. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7650 "2015-12-31T20:23:29Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > You’ll recall that the impetus for the “movement” was an officer shooting in self-defense when he was attacked by a man who’d just robbed a convenience store. You’ll find that the impetus for the movement was the ongoing long-term mistreatment and abuse of black people for financial benefit. Didn’t you read the DOJ report? The officer murdering that one black kid was just the spark that set the whole thing off. Clearly this is a long term plan, and clearly the police are at the bottom of it. Keep digging **Smapti**! ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7651 "2015-12-31T20:26:20Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > The officer murdering that one black kid was just the spark that set the whole thing off. The fact that you still call it a “murder” despite it having been conclusively proven that it was no such thing just proves the effectiveness of the big lie. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7652 "2015-12-31T20:32:14Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The fact that you still call it a “murder” despite it having been conclusively proven that it was no such thing just proves the effectiveness of the big lie. It’s a big lie that’s engulfed you too! The truth is right in front of your eyes–it was the long-term abuse of black people in Ferguson that created the BLM movement, right? It was the police who implemented and carried-out the long-term abuse, right? It was the police who murdered Brown that created the spark that set the whole thing off, right?Clearly the police are at the bottom of this whole thing! Don’t stop questioning now, **Smapti** , keep digging! ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7653 "2015-12-31T20:32:48Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > It’s almost as though you understand that police jumping the gun is a problem. You kinda get it when they’re setting dogs on infants, but you don’t quite get it when they’re gunning down unarmed children or old ladies. I’m still voting for replicant. A bot would be better programmed. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7654 "2015-12-31T20:35:06Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > The truth is right in front of your eyes–it was the long-term abuse of black people in Ferguson that created the BLM movement, right? It was the police who implemented and carried-out the long-term abuse, right? It was the police who murdered Brown that created the spark that set the whole thing off, right?Clearly the police are at the bottom of this whole thing! If you want to play it _that_ way, then it comes down to a dysfunctional system of city governments that rely excessively on police citations as a source of revenue, either because the voters refuse to set appropriate tax rates, or because the city is no longer fundamentally capable of paying its bills. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7655 "2015-12-31T20:38:24Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > If you want to play it _that_ way, then it comes down to a dysfunctional system of city governments that rely excessively on police citations as a source of revenue, either because the voters refuse to set appropriate tax rates, or because the city is no longer fundamentally capable of paying its bills. No, you idiot! If that were true then the BLM movement would be justified and not just a cover for the de-militarization of US police forces. Since the BLM people are just patsies, it must go deeper! Keep digging, **Smapti**! ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7656 "2015-12-31T20:41:00Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > Clearly this is a long term plan, and clearly the police are at the bottom of it. Keep digging **Smapti**! It’s insidious. Connect the dot, sheeple! ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7657 "2015-12-31T20:44:01Z")
…and more than a decade later…SDMB members are still trying to get Smapti to admit that a badge does not instantly transform a human being into an infallible agent of good. I am betting if Smapti’s on-line personality is their in person personality that they would be the first to volunteer to take a shower or ride on a train when the government asks. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7658 "2015-12-31T20:46:33Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > No, you idiot! If that were true then the BLM movement would be justified and not just a cover for the de-militarization of US police forces. It’s as if you don’t understand that they’re using the things you agree with in order to get you to support acting against your own best interest. The Republican Party’s been doing it for 50 years. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7659 "2015-12-31T20:49:01Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > …and more than a decade later…SDMB members are still trying to get Smapti to admit that a badge does not instantly transform a human being into an infallible agent of good. What it _does_ turn them into is an agent of the government who is entitled to respect and obedience. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7660 "2015-12-31T20:51:22Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > It’s as if you don’t understand that they’re using the things you agree with in order to get you to support acting against your own best interest. Trust me, I know as well as anyone that allowing the police to randomly murder black people is in my own best interest. So naturally I don’t want them to stop. I mean, can you imagine what would happen if they allowed them to vote? Unthinkable! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=382) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=384)