# Why I hate cops **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 19, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174 "2014-06-19T21:38:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![common\_good](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@common\_good](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/common_good)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/341 "2014-08-12T23:16:24Z")
Are you the real General Wesley Clark ? You sound as smart as he ! I’m not big on military hero’s, but You are one of them, Sir. If you’re not him, you must at least respect the man. Either way, thanks for the military insights on human behavior and policing. I have no service record. My ticket to Vietnam never arrived. But, I admire talent and performance of duty and clarity of thought and speech. Yours was the best post. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/342 "2014-08-13T00:03:47Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > If cops are insular, callous, aggressive and militant plus almost everyone is a criminal then why cooperate? I couldn’t give you one good reason. Locally, their main purpose seems to be to keep the random shitbags under just enough control so that they don’t upset the sqares so much to interfere with the organized shitbags’ business. ---
**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:** [August 13, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/343 "2014-08-13T20:27:07Z")
> [@common\_good](#): > > Nobody has mentioned the death-by-nightstick choking recently in the news. Wonder why ? I won’t mention where; if you don’t know, you don’t care. There’s not a lot of human compassion among ye enlightened, learned, men and women of science. You know, compassion is not antithetical to science. If he didn’t want to get choked out, he shouldn’t have been breaking the law and he shouldn’t have been resisting arrest. It’s not the fault of the police that he forced their hand. ---
**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:** [August 13, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/344 "2014-08-13T20:29:35Z")
> [@common\_good](#): > > Thanks for explaining how police-work is done in civilized cultures. That’s all I want; for police to serve the public, not shake us down on hunches or by profiling, which every police force in America denies doing, but undeniably does. In the 60’s all one needed to be pulled-over was long hair. Or too much pigment, or a thousand other arbitrary reasons. You know what else they don’t have in “civilized” countries? A universal right to bear arms. An officer has to be on edge and ready to become aggressive when any “innocent” punk could shoot him to death in a matter of seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/345 "2014-08-13T20:32:38Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > You know what else they don’t have in “civilized” countries? A universal right to bear arms. An officer has to be on edge and ready to become aggressive when any “innocent” punk could shoot him to death in a matter of seconds. And that’s all they see. That’s the problem. If you’re a scared little bitch, don’t be a cop. Go be a bag boy, where you belong. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/346 "2014-08-14T03:26:22Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Alas, I don’t think our OP is coming back. I get the impression that his beef with law enforcement derives from the fact that he was breaking the law and got caught. And that makes it alright? Sorry, I’m going to disagree with you: criminal behaviour is still criminal, even if it comes from the police, even if it happens to criminals. My ex-boss had a line of offensive jokes for everyone. For Priests. For Accountants. For Nurses. I’ve seen him run out of an engineering office for making a joke about liability insurance. Only the police caused bruises. It has been said, here and in other places, that dealing with scum is one reason why police behave the way they do. Criminal behaviour by the police normalizes and causes criminal behaviour by the people they deal with. I don’t accept the argument that they deserve each other, because the Police are supposed to be “our thing”. Since I’m responsible for them, I don’t want them executing tean-agers (hoons or not), nor triggering rioting, or even just being rude to people. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/347 "2014-08-14T17:28:02Z")
Just re-tweeted this: [![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bu3HHR_CEAA9_OP.png) ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bu3HHR_CEAA9_OP.png) ---
**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:** [August 14, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/348 "2014-08-14T18:24:26Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Just re-tweeted this: > > [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bu3HHR\_CEAA9\_OP.png](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bu3HHR_CEAA9_OP.png) …and? ---
**Author:** ![common\_good](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@common\_good](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/common_good)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/349 "2014-08-14T22:41:56Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > It really doesn’t. This is an unfortunately common fallacy. It is. There are lots of other fallacies, as well. And each has an exception to the rule. That’s your common fallacy, in this case; The assumption that an unnamed source must be fabricating is a fairly common fallacy. You know, some people still retain their respect for objectivity and honesty even on the internet. Cynicism is a good thing, but it’s like horseradish; don’t use too much. Gives ya’ bad breath. ---
**Author:** ![common\_good](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@common\_good](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/common_good)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/350 "2014-08-14T22:50:03Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I couldn’t give you one good reason. Locally, their main purpose seems to be to keep the random shitbags under just enough control so that they don’t upset the sqares so much to interfere with the organized shitbags’ business. Some of we working poor might object to being termed random shitbags but you got the landscape pretty accurate. We just call each other “people”. ---
**Author:** ![common\_good](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@common\_good](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/common_good)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/351 "2014-08-14T22:57:52Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > If he didn’t want to get choked out, he shouldn’t have been breaking the law and he shouldn’t have been resisting arrest. It’s not the fault of the police that he forced their hand. Really ? You’re gonna’ go with that ? But, you do have a point. Maybe the guy WANTED to be choked to death ? Yea, “death-by-police”. That’s a ‘thing’, now. He wasn’t breaking any law; it was a vending permit question he was discussing with the cops. The victim “forced the hand” of the police ? Attitudes like yours make me wretch. ---
**Author:** ![common\_good](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@common\_good](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/common_good)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/352 "2014-08-15T21:33:52Z")
Crickets chirping…Did your moms call you in for supper ? Silence is, sometimes, deafening. ---
**Author:** ![common\_good](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@common\_good](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/common_good)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/353 "2014-08-15T21:37:16Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > You know what else they don’t have in “civilized” countries? A universal right to bear arms. An officer has to be on edge and ready to become aggressive when any “innocent” punk could shoot him to death in a matter of seconds. 2nd Amendment guy, huh ? Needs a re-write, badly. ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/354 "2014-08-17T19:14:49Z")
I came across this 6 Completely Legal Ways The Cops Can Screw You [http://bikersofamerica.blogspot.ca/2011/07/6-completely-legal-ways-cops-can-screw.html](http://bikersofamerica.blogspot.ca/2011/07/6-completely-legal-ways-cops-can-screw.html) ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/355 "2014-08-17T19:27:14Z")
> [@](#): > > You know what else they don’t have in “civilized” countries? A universal right to bear arms. An officer has to be on edge and ready to become aggressive when any “innocent” punk could shoot him to death in a matter of seconds. You get want you want.You want guns every where than cops will be scared. Many EU countries do NOT allow police to carry guns. Countries like UK ,Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and India all front line cops do not carry guns because they hardly get gun calls or hardly find people with guns. They do have SWAT if such call comes in. In many ways having guns do not make them safe because almost every house they go to some one has a gun that could shoot at them. So many gangs and people have guns that in shoot out the officer needs many officer with guns on that call. Trying stopping a car load of 4 people in ghetto.And tell me you not afraid of going up to car even with gun.All 4 people dress like thugs. ---
**Author:** ![JEngelman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e79b87/32.png) [@JEngelman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JEngelman)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/356 "2014-08-18T00:18:39Z")
I have been stopped and frisked by the police on many occasions. Once two of them beat me up. I still consider them to be on my side against the criminals. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/357 "2014-08-18T04:00:35Z")
[Moderating] **sweat** , please don’t post the entire text of articles from other websites here. It’s a violation of copyright. I’ve edited out the text and left a link to the article. In the future, please restrict yourself to a link, and a short, representative quote from the material. No warning issued. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/358 "2014-08-19T16:55:29Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > The police are an integral part of the prison-industrial complex. It would, in fact, not work so profitably if they didn’t keep the most important component (prisoners) in good supply. Incentives to make arrests, confiscate property, and what not guide them more towards keeping numbers up than to upholding justice. … and those numbers are tied to millions of federal dollars. Don’t ever forget that. ---
**Author:** ![common\_good](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@common\_good](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/common_good)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/359 "2014-08-20T23:27:33Z")
All the deniers seem to have gone. What’s left are the OP’s kind of folk. Common. Thanks for the “back-up”, fellas. ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/360 "2014-08-24T04:34:10Z")
> [@common\_good](#): > > All the deniers seem to have gone. What’s left are the OP’s kind of folk. Common. Thanks for the “back-up”, fellas. The OP is probably gone. > [@](#): > > I have been stopped and frisked by the police on many occasions. Once two of them beat me up. I still consider them to be on my side against the criminals. And this is because guns are every where and more so in the ghetto and the drug war.They are frisking you for drugs and weapons. The police are caught up in legal system. If we ban say the iPhone 3 and such law than the police will be stopping everyone with the iPhone. The police are instrument of the state powers.Don’t blame the police for this blame the state power system. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174.md?page=19)