Another reason not to trust police

[Craig S.]

Talk about a horror story:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/01/09/police.kill.dog/index.html

Really, there seems to be no excuse at all for this incident. I really think cases like this point out the need for better-educated, better-trained officers.

[KCBOOMER]

This story really turns your stomach.

[pathogan]

sadists....

[Max Power]

My wife saw this story and the video on the TODAY show this AM - - she was so pissed that I thought she was going to drive down there today and make someone pay for this act. I missed it - - and, I am glad I did.

To me, this was worse than a murder -
a. because if you aim a gun at a person, at least they (most of the time) have the brain power to beg for mercy or duck, whereas an animal has no chance whatsoever and
b. the act was committed by someone who's job is to protect and serve.

This is, just as the thread is titled, something to remember and consider.

Yes, 9/11 was tragic and those policeman who died were heroes. Any policeman who dies in the line of duty is a hero. Heck, any policeman or trooper that does his/her job everyday the right way, period, is a hero. But, there is a segment of policemen who are indeed bad news waiting to happen.

You should never just assume that all cops are heroes, IMHO.

[Craig S.]

Originally posted by Max Power
You should never just assume that all cops are heroes, IMHO.

I don't like the idea of anyone approaching my car with a gun, cop or not. I admire all of those officers who proudly and capably serve their citizens every day, but I'm still wary. Any cop, even in a podunk town, carries a great deal of power and responsibility, and it's not always wielded well or correctly.

Stories like this are truly frightening.

[Ytown Tribe fan]

I wonder if this would have happened three years ago. It sounds like something that would happen in the late '40s or early '50s. But it's more than race, it's an attitude of SOME in law enforcement towards everyone else since 09-11-01.

Don't believe there's a connection? Go to the nearest airport and watch the TSA thugs at work. I see them every day at work and too many of them absolutely enjoy giving ordinary people a hard time.

True story: in the break room/lounge where I work, the TSA goons and others regularly gather during breaks and compare stories about passengers they've humiliated. "Did you see the ****'s on THAT lady!", and so on. "I thought that old guy was gonna have a heart attack!" "Freakin' poodle tried to hunch my leg! I shoulda kicked a field goal with it!" I just grab my soda and leave.

These are SUPERVISORS talking here, mind you -- not just baggage scanners. Being cruel and humiliating passengers is endemic. It's a defacto part of the job description and everyone knows about it and no one in authority gives a damn. The FAA doesnt care and who knows what the TSA thinks? They don't really answer to anyone.

I'm happy to stay in the airport weather station and would NEVER fly again if I could totally avoid it. My dad, who is a small man of 78, watched these guys belittle and frighten an elderly woman ahead of him in line and stated that he'd never seen anything like it since WWII Germany.

Sorry about the rant. But I've seen these guys with my own eyes and they are goons and thugs given free reign since 9-11 and that is a fact.

[Craig S.]

YTF, I don't consider that a rant. I very much believe in the role of police in our society, but I really worry sometimes. None of what you said surprises me in the least.

I don't want this to turn into a political or anti-cop thread, but these concerns certainly exist.

[pwdennis]

I wouldn't doubt that TSA behaves as you've indicated but I have yet to see it in either Midway, O'Hare or Orlando. I would suspect that what you described occurred in a small town airport where image is of no importance, although from some of my experiences at JFK or LaGuardia, I wouldn't be surprised if one of those airports was involved

In any event, the need for screening of airport security personnel has never been greater

[satchel]

Originally posted by pwdennis
In any event, the need for screening of airport security personnel has never been greater

... for many reasons.

The story that started this thread is sad and scary. The havoc that police can wreak when they overstep their authority is terrifying. And yet ...

I'm just glad I don't have to do their job. Discriminating between what is a threat and what is not in a tense situation would not be something I would do well.

[Max Power]

There's been a lot of buzz in NYC lately about toy guns painted black, and real guns painted neon colors to look like toys, and cop's rights to shoot anyone carrying something that looks like a gun.........and, IMHO, I have no problem with a cop shooting anyone, any age, sex, whatever, who's pointing anything that looks like a gun at them.

But, last time I checked, dogs don't carry guns. No question, the cops were, oh, so, wrong on this one.