# 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:** 386
**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, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7701 "2015-12-31T22:34:44Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > “Tool” isn’t an insult. It’s a statement of fact. The police don’t decide policy. They enforce the policies they’re ordered to. The police aren’t the only tools… ---
**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, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7702 "2015-12-31T22:36:10Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > We’re kinda saying that they commit crimes all. the. fucking. time. As has been established in other threads, a _very small number of individuals_ are responsible for the overwhelming majority of criminal complaints against police. You, of course, are content to smear the entire corpus of law enforcement officers in the entire country because of the misdeeds of those few. ---
**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, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7703 "2015-12-31T22:41:58Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > As has been established in other threads, a _very small number of individuals_ are responsible for the overwhelming majority of criminal complaints against police. > > You, of course, are content to smear the entire corpus of law enforcement officers in the entire country because of the misdeeds of those few. Pot meet Kettle (aryan version) You are doing the same with minorities and the poor. ---
**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, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7704 "2015-12-31T22:43:28Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > Pot meet Kettle (aryan version) You are doing the same with minorities and the poor. I have no interest in smearing minorities or the poor. This is neither a racial issue nor a class issue. ---
**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, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7705 "2015-12-31T22:54:00Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I have no interest in smearing minorities or the poor. This is neither a racial issue nor a class issue. Ah…so it is purely a police vs the rest of them issue. ---
**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, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7706 "2015-12-31T22:58:49Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > Ah…so it is purely a police vs the rest of them issue. It’s a law-abiding citizens vs. criminals issue. The police are on the side of the law-abiding people. Which side are you on? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7707 "2015-12-31T22:59:31Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > We’ve been over this already - the anarchists who want the police defenseless and incapable of stopping them from doing whatever the hell they want. Stop playing dumb. Sounds as realistic as “liberals” who enjoy killing babies and want to legalize pedophilia. Sorry for whatever warped your brain. It must suck to be so incredibly damaged. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7708 "2015-12-31T23:02:31Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The police are on the side of the law-abiding people. Not always, as you have admitted. ---
**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, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7709 "2015-12-31T23:11:05Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Not always, as you have admitted. The police, as an _institution_, are on our side. _Individual_ police officers may sometimes make mistakes or commit crimes. The latter is not an indictment of the former. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7710 "2015-12-31T23:12:56Z")
It is when that institution conspires to protect those members who commit criminal acts. ---
**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, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7711 "2015-12-31T23:15:17Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > As has been established in other threads, a _very small number of individuals_ are responsible for the overwhelming majority of criminal complaints against police. A minority are killers, a larger minority are corrupt, a still larger minority are abusive. But none of them would get away with it if the majority didn’t turn a blind eye to the abuses. When that one cop was videoed gunning down an innocent man in cold blood, how many cops were caught on video lying to protect him? ---
**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, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7712 "2015-12-31T23:15:57Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > The police do not create laws but they do create policy in both what laws they enforce and how they enforce them. **Smapti** seems to view the police as JJ&E: > [@Smapti](#): > > And there’s absolutely nothing controversial about most of these stories except in the minds of those who want to propagate the idea that the police are evil bullies who can’t be trusted with power, so they can achieve their goal of neutering the police and rendering them unable to punish the petty crimes they want to commit consequence-free. unless of course that dangling clause refers to the petty crimes the police want to commit. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7713 "2015-12-31T23:18:23Z")
For anyone engaging with **Smapti** (including me – I have to continually remind myself), it’s helpful to remember that you’re dealing with someone [who believes](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17715425&postcount=447) that _the only morally correct actions for a slave in the pre-1860s US was to obey their master_. He literally believes it was immoral for a slave to resist enslavement or try to escape. This is helpful in recognizing the extreme broken-ness of this person. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7714 "2015-12-31T23:19:27Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The police, as an _institution_, are on our side. For most of American history, in many or most parts of the country, the police as an institution was the hostile and dangerous enemy of black people. Individual police officers may have gone against this and treated black people with respect, but the institution overall was the enemy of black Americans. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7715 "2015-12-31T23:22:56Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > It’s a law-abiding citizens vs. criminals issue. The police are on the side of the law-abiding people. Which side are you on? The toddler was a law abiding citizen. The toddler’s father was a law abiding citizen. The police were not on their side. The police set a dog upon the child to chew her. ---
**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, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7716 "2015-12-31T23:28:45Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > For most of American history, in many or most parts of the country, the police as an institution was the hostile and dangerous enemy of black people. And that time is past now, so let’s stop pretending we’re living in Jim Crow days. ---
**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, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7717 "2015-12-31T23:28:51Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > The toddler was a law abiding citizen. The toddler’s father was a law abiding citizen. The police were not on their side. The police set a dog upon the child to chew her. But, but, but…couldn’t the child been a threat? We all know Maggie Simpson shot Mr. Burns. Children can be dangerous–better use dogs or shoot them. Just to be safe. ---
**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, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7718 "2015-12-31T23:28:54Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > The toddler was a law abiding citizen. The toddler’s father was a law abiding citizen. The police were not on their side. The police set a dog upon the child to chew her. You gotta break some eggs to make an omelet. An omelet of justice! ---
**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, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7719 "2015-12-31T23:29:46Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > The toddler was a law abiding citizen. The toddler’s father was a law abiding citizen. The police were not on their side. The police were on their side. This particular officer screwed up. Why are you incapable of reconciling these facts with one another? ---
**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, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/7720 "2015-12-31T23:30:09Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > And that time is past now, so let’s stop pretending we’re living in Jim Crow days. That’s rich. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=385) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=387)