I wanted to post the next part of the story I'm currently writing but I've been absolutely consumed by the news coming out of Ferguson. This is a clear cut case of the police acting way out of line. We don't detain journalist; we don't threaten them; and we damned sure don't shoot tear gas at them and then follow that up with non-leathal rounds to drive them away so we can seize their equipment. All of these officers need to be investigated and those that participated in these unconstitutional acts need to be stripped of their positions.
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| Reporters under attack by Ferguson County Police and then having their equipment seized |
You're in the Untied States of America and you're supposed to serve and protect the citizens of your community. You're supposed to be the good guys. Put down the sniper rifles, automatic weapons, and fucking act like it.
Is it legal to tape the police while conducting operations if Ferguson Missouri? I know it's outrageous but in some cities and states you actually aren't allowed to record the police while they are doing their jobs.... seems to me that's a case for the supreme court.
ReplyDeleteThe Supreme Court has ruled that you have the right to record the police. ACLU has been very active since all of this started in making sure everyone knows.
DeleteI thought they declined to hear the case in regards to a state striking a ban on audio recording of the police. Which did keep the state level case in place but it also kept from establishing a federal precedence against such laws.
DeleteAny place in the world where the law is 'you can't record the police' is basically saying it is within the law for the police to do whatever they want to whom ever they want and you live in a place without freedom.
DeleteTrue story.
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DeleteWhat sucks hard about this is that there shouldn't even be a discussion about it. The police should be trained to serve and protect, and be punished when they get out of line. I mean, to the point of almost being fearful of losing their jobs if accusations start flying toward someone. My wife, who is an EMT, along with her EMS coworkers, are always aware of the rules that govern them and actually care enough to police themselves. That needs to be instilled in our law enforcement.
DeleteThey've convinced themselves, along with certain politicians and political groups, that they are above the law and are "just doing their jobs". I call bullshit, and I think a law should be passed that unless the warrant serving, traffic stop, arresting actions are being recorded by someone, then they are powerless to do anything. I know, sounds draconian, sure, but I hate living in a society where I fear my local law enforcement.
This is what happens when you start outfitting police departments with military hardware. They, in essence, start to behave as such, with a "might makes right" attitude. Over the past 30 years, police departments have lost sight of what their main function is supposed to be, which is serve and protect. What we have now is crush anyone who gets in our way and sort out the bodies later. Glad we're keeping up with the cartels in our great war on drugs. Bah.
ReplyDeleteWish I could thumbs up this comment, agree with all of it. The police have no use for Bearcat's...
DeleteThe law has to tighten on equipment, and tactics allowed. No knock warrants have to be reduced in usage, there's no sane reason there are about 200 no knock warrants happening every day in this country.
ReplyDeleteWe have to put an end to grants that favor the purchase of equipment designed to assault the public at large.
The police have to be reminded they work for all of us.
This is why control of nukes needs to be at the county level. Cops get out of line or the Sheriff jiggers with the election box, nuke 'em. Giant arachnids start over running the neighborhoods, nuke 'em. Stop sending money, send them all the bomb.
ReplyDeleteStop giving me ideas for my next Gamma World campaign!
DeleteIt has been obvious since the Occupy movement was crushed what the function of the police is in 21st century America - to be "security forces" to keep the population in line and kept from disturbing the "rulers." I can say "been obvious since" for white people; it's been pretty obvious to minority communities pretty much forever.
ReplyDeleteI lived right next to downtown Seattle in 1999. The police haven't been the "good guys" in America for a long time now. They're just another gang, one you have to keep your head down and avoid if you can because they are given special privileges in the laws and so can act with near-impunity. That those privileges have been expanded in recent years is just making matters worse.
ReplyDeleteWe need to end the "war" on some drugs, end the expansion of paramilitary police units ("SWAT teams", in fact we should probably reduce them considerably) and institute strict controls on when they can be deployed, end legitimized breaking and entering… er, I mean, "no knock warrants", and end the idea of legalized theft by police… I really am slipping the tongue here - I mean to say "asset forfeiture".
Now, look at how many different things we have going on there. It's just out of hand. I leave it as an exercise to the reader to determine if any of these things look like a reasonable person would conclude that they violate "due process" and "unreasonable search and seizure" provisions we are supposedly guaranteed.
Gah. Sorry, this whole situation has me angry and frustrated.
DeleteNo need to apologize faoladh. This situation has us all angry and frustrated.
DeleteUntied States indeed.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a movement to militarize police work and if you're in a military, you are fighting enemies, not serving fellow citizens.
I recently obtained some insight into this issue from Jacques Ellul's The Technological Society. It is a grim read, but true.
ReplyDeleteThe PDF is here. Police control in particular is indexed on p.496 of the PDF, but one must read the whole thing to make any sense out of this seeming maelstrom.