# Not All Cops Are Trigger-Happy Rednecks **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 25, 2010, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930 "2010-07-25T06:55:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![alindallas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@alindallas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alindallas)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/61 "2010-07-26T05:26:41Z")
I don’t hate cops. I just feel better when they’re not around. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/62 "2010-07-26T06:30:52Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > You’re an imbecile. But we know this already **Hal Briston** , you don’t need to keep proving it to us. > > You see, the rest of us -with normal working brains- understood his question to be “who claimed that **ALL** cops are…”. > > The post you so kindly provided as evidence of your idiocy, is about the **SPECIFIC** cops who are tazing the hell out of the 57 year old woman. > > You’re welcome. Please, before you accuse random people of being imbeciles, make sure they actually are. Since you say so, I have no doubt that Hal really is an imbecile, but he is right and you are wrong. The quoted post is saying that “Inbred redneck dickless assholes” is synomonous with “Cops”. So yes, it’s saying that ALL cops are inbred redneck dickless assholes, just like all things that are small are also little. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/63 "2010-07-26T07:18:52Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > > [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > > > Why view them as all good or as bad? They’re human beings. There are good ones and bad ones. It’s like saying that we shouldn’t complain about politicians because only a few are bad. I don’t see what’s wrong about calling attention to the corrupt ones. It doesn’t mean they’re all horrible. > > Except that I’m not saying “don’t complain about the bad cops because there are so few of them” but “don’t label all cops as evil because some are regretfully bad, a problem that should be fixed”. I agree that we should not label all cops one way or another. But ‘regretfully bad’ as a descriptor doesn’t quite cut it in some instances. And the ‘problem should be fixed’ will not happen unless the public\* raises hell and scares them\*. There are police officers out there who are criminals. Not ‘acting like criminals’ but are, in fact, criminals with badges. I live in Los Angeles, amid some of the worst police corruption cases in the country. We have actually had police officers who were convicted of moonlighted as hit-men (at least 3 that I can find right now in a quick search. I thought it was just an LAPD thing. sadly, the internet has proven me wrong) We have had LAPD officers convicted of dealing drugs and robbing banks. And one instance of an LAPD officer killing another LAPD officer in a case of road rage. > **[Christopher Commission](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Commission)** > > The Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department, informally known as the Christopher Commission, was formed by then-mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley, in April 1991, in the wake of the Rodney King beating. > It was chaired by attorney Warren Christopher (who later became U.S. Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton). "The commission was created to conduct 'a full and fair examination of the structure and operation of the LAPD,' including its recruitment and training pra... I would offer much more vocal support of L.A.'s Finest if it weren’t for their despicable habit of protecting the corrupt cops in their ranks. Someone here posted that they had no reason to be afraid of the cops. There are some cops that everyone needs to be afraid of. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/64 "2010-07-26T08:38:54Z")
> [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > > [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > > > If the majority of police officers were so altruistic, they should be willing to do the job for a minimum wage. Nobody is forcing them to take such a challenging job. > > One could say the same thing about doctors, lawyers, firefighters, and pretty much anyone else who does a job they like because they like helping other people. Yes, that’s right. Helping someone is its own reward and if those people were really in their profession to help others, not set yourself up as being so important that you need better financial recognition, then they too should be happy on a minimum wage. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/65 "2010-07-26T08:56:19Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > > [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > > > > [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > > > > > If the majority of police officers were so altruistic, they should be willing to do the job for a minimum wage. Nobody is forcing them to take such a challenging job. > > > > One could say the same thing about doctors, lawyers, firefighters, and pretty much anyone else who does a job they like because they like helping other people. > > Yes, that’s right. Helping someone is its own reward and if those people were really in their profession to help others, not set yourself up as being so important that you need better financial recognition, then they too should be happy on a minimum wage. OK, you tell all those people to go work for minimum wage while I buy every house on the market and give the deeds to random homeless people on the street. Alright? ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/66 "2010-07-26T10:26:28Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > > [@Stoneburg](#): > > > > It would be helpful if the OP could link to the post of the person who claimed that “All Cops Are Trigger-Happy Rednecks”, because I can’t find it. > > Yeah, the OP should get it right – it’s [“inbred redneck dickless assholes”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12719323#post12719323). Awww! I’ve got a widdle _stalker_! Isn’t she the _cutest_ thing? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/67 "2010-07-26T13:58:18Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Actually saying they do a job they like because they like helping other people makes no sense. Why is a person enjoying their job such a silly notion to you? > [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Helping someone is its own reward and if those people were really in their profession to help others, not set yourself up as being so important that you need better financial recognition, then they too should be happy on a minimum wage. Out of sheer curiosity, what do you do for a living? ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/68 "2010-07-26T14:02:34Z")
I’m a student of life, currently unemployed, because if I had to work for someone else, unless I was stoned, I’d end up on a charge sheet for knocking someone out. Yes, I have anger issues and avoid them the best I can by not putting myself in situations where I get angry. There you go; a bit more personal information, for those who like to use such things as ammo. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/69 "2010-07-26T14:23:13Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > > [@kushiel](#): > > > > I’m with the OP. > > > > I’m also smack-dab in one of the demographics least likely to have contact with the police. Young white female driving a 4-door family sedan who doesn’t smoke pot, have illegal weapons or do anything that would grab the attention of a police officer. > > > > It’s hard for me to have sympathy towards people who do something they know will get them in trouble (like carrying marijuana on their person) and then bitch when they get caught. > > Why don’t you get a fucking clue. No one here is saying we should sympathize with criminals. The whole point is that sometimes it’s the COPS who act like criminals. > > Those who view them as bastions of all that is good and right tend to turn a blind eye to their abuse of power. > > I do believe that some on the other side of the fence do the opposite and think of them all as untrustworthy. > > The truth lies in the middle as is usually the case. Because almost everyone on this board that bitches about corrupt cops and how much the cops suck are people who feel like they are being violated with a metaphorical taser because they can’t concealed carry. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/70 "2010-07-26T14:27:51Z")
This “concealed carry” fetish tickles me. Does carrying a weapon give you some kind of a magic aura that stops criminals shooting at you, or do you just rely on your “quick draw” instincts? ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/71 "2010-07-26T14:34:46Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > There you go; a bit more personal information, for those who like to use such things as ammo. I’ll forgo any fish-in-a-barrel comments and instead commend you for tossing an admission like that in a thread such as this. Gutsy. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/72 "2010-07-26T16:05:27Z")
Just to muddy these waters a bit further, if you want to look at a truly dangerous profession, look up the statistics on injury and death for construction workers. In North America, where we have OSHA and OHS, never mind in countries where life is cheap. > [@](#): > > Across the United States, construction ranks as the most dangerous industry, representing about 20 percent of all work-related fatalities, according to federal statistics. > > Deaths rose from 1,131 in 2003 to 1,226 in 2006. By comparison, 836 workers died in mining accidents last year, and 447 died in manufacturing. The government reports between six and seven construction deaths per 1,000 workers. (From [this site.](http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=4139502&page=1)) I always think of statistics like this when people talk about how dangerous it is to be a cop, and make excuses based on that. Which is worse - killed by a criminal or killed because your project was behind schedule? ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/73 "2010-07-26T17:36:56Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Just to muddy these waters a bit further, if you want to look at a truly dangerous profession, look up the statistics on injury and death for construction workers. In North America, where we have OSHA and OHS, never mind in countries where life is cheap. > > > [@](#): > > > > Across the United States, construction ranks as the most dangerous industry, representing about 20 percent of all work-related fatalities, according to federal statistics. > > > > Deaths rose from 1,131 in 2003 to 1,226 in 2006. By comparison, 836 workers died in mining accidents last year, and 447 died in manufacturing. The government reports between six and seven construction deaths per 1,000 workers. > > (From [this site.](http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=4139502&page=1)) > > I always think of statistics like this when people talk about how dangerous it is to be a cop, and make excuses based on that. Which is worse - killed by a criminal or killed because your project was behind schedule? Playing devils advocate, Construction workers make up 20% of work related fatalities, yes – how many do cops make up? What is the ratio of cops to construction workers? I think there are probably more construction workers than their are cops (maybe 2, maybe 5 times as many), and I doubt that cops make up 10%, or even 2% of the total on the job fatalities, to give it an even stat by weight… I’m just curious, as you cited one out of four numbers needed to get an accurate understanding of the situation. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/74 "2010-07-26T18:18:09Z")
[http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/1500/1/?redirectURL=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-04-08/the-20-most-dangerous-jobs/](http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/1500/1/?redirectURL=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-04-08/the-20-most-dangerous-jobs/) Here are the top 20 occupations for injury. Cops are no.12. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/75 "2010-07-26T18:24:33Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > [http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/1500/1/?redirectURL=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-04-08/the-20-most-dangerous-jobs/](http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/1500/1/?redirectURL=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-04-08/the-20-most-dangerous-jobs/) Here are the top 20 occupations for injury. Cops are no.12. Hm, no window washers on that list. Thought for sure they’d be on there. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/76 "2010-07-26T18:57:53Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > > [@gonzomax](#): > > > > [http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/1500/1/?redirectURL=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-04-08/the-20-most-dangerous-jobs/](http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/1500/1/?redirectURL=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-04-08/the-20-most-dangerous-jobs/) Here are the top 20 occupations for injury. Cops are no.12. > > Hm, no window washers on that list. Thought for sure they’d be on there. I was about to ask if you meant squeegee kids, but then realized you meant the people who wash windows on high rises. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/77 "2010-07-26T23:18:46Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > > > Just to muddy these waters a bit further, if you want to look at a truly dangerous profession, look up the statistics on injury and death for construction workers. In North America, where we have OSHA and OHS, never mind in countries where life is cheap. > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > Across the United States, construction ranks as the most dangerous industry, representing about 20 percent of all work-related fatalities, according to federal statistics. > > > > > > Deaths rose from 1,131 in 2003 to 1,226 in 2006. By comparison, 836 workers died in mining accidents last year, and 447 died in manufacturing. The government reports between six and seven construction deaths per 1,000 workers. > > > > (From [this site.](http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=4139502&page=1)) > > > > I always think of statistics like this when people talk about how dangerous it is to be a cop, and make excuses based on that. Which is worse - killed by a criminal or killed because your project was behind schedule? > > Playing devils advocate, Construction workers make up 20% of work related fatalities, yes – how many do cops make up? > > What is the ratio of cops to construction workers? > > I think there are probably more construction workers than their are cops (maybe 2, maybe 5 times as many), and I doubt that cops make up 10%, or even 2% of the total on the job fatalities, to give it an even stat by weight… I’m just curious, as you cited one out of four numbers needed to get an accurate understanding of the situation. That’s a good question; I suppose you’d need to know construction workers per capita, cops per capita, and deaths in each field. Or look at **gonzo’s** link. 🙂 My point is more general, though - we think of cops as having a very dangerous job and give them a lot of leeway for it, when in fact there are many other jobs that are as or more dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/78 "2010-07-27T02:27:34Z")
Cop stories have proven to be good TV. You don’t get wrapped up in programs about the work of a garbage collector . That is why people think cops have such a dangerous profession. But cop shows are dramatizations. they are not the truth. It is not nearly as dangerous as it is portrayed. But after 50 years we think they can solve any crime in an hour. Doctor shows are the same. They have had incredible TV press for decades. That is part of the reason we think they are so special. People have been trained to believe it. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/79 "2010-07-27T04:07:33Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Cop stories have proven to be good TV. You don’t get wrapped up in programs about the work of a garbage collector . That is why people think cops have such a dangerous profession. But cop shows are dramatizations. they are not the truth. It is not nearly as dangerous as it is portrayed. But after 50 years we think they can solve any crime in an hour. > Doctor shows are the same. They have had incredible TV press for decades. That is part of the reason we think they are so special. People have been trained to believe it. What’s really weird is that almost all of the time the camera footage is from the cop’s own cruiser…and rarely does it catch him being the abusive jerk many say he is! And when it does…“you’re fired” Amazing how that works. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930/80 "2010-07-27T15:08:58Z")
> [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > > [@gonzomax](#): > > > > Actually saying they do a job they like because they like helping other people makes no sense. > > Why is a person enjoying their job such a silly notion to you? > > > [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > > > Helping someone is its own reward and if those people were really in their profession to help others, not set yourself up as being so important that you need better financial recognition, then they too should be happy on a minimum wage. > > Out of sheer curiosity, what do you do for a living? A person enjoying a job? I have no problem with that. It is a sentence that with 2 likes in it that is annoying. If you said they do the job because they like helping people .i would be OK. I are a retired design engineer. I often was a liaison between engineering and manufacture.I kind of liked it ,except it was a life of endless deadlines that were nearly impossible to make. There was never enough time . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-all-cops-are-trigger-happy-rednecks/547930.md?page=5)