Fuck the Police

[Ibby]

Court: Flipping the bird at a cop doesn't warrant arrest

In its decision, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that giving someone the finger is an “ancient gesture of insult” and “is not the basis for a reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation or impending criminal activity.”

There you have it, folks. It is your RIGHT as an American (or for that matter as anyone visiting or having immigrated to America) to flip off cops.

(disclaimer: while I do actually have very very deep-seated issues with the racist, sexist, heterosexist and cissexist criminal justice system in the US, the thread title is a tongue-in-cheek, attention-grabbing reference to the meaning of the gesture that has been affirmed to be legal to make towards police officers, and not an actual endorsement of actually telling cops to go fuck themselves or otherwise actually denigrating the police personally)

[ZenGum]

Hey, some cops deserve some nice warm loving through these cold winters nights.


Some.

[jimhelm]

Most cops are pretty cool if you get to know them. The assholes usually get weeded out. Thats been my experience anyway. They are just like the rest of us.

[Flint]

I always take the time to speak to them warmly and personally, even after I know they are giving me a ticket--even if they didn't 'have to' do it. I always think, poor guy is just doing his job and probably gets horrible, psychologically poisoning treatment all day; and here he is, not knowing if he will survive to tuck his kids into bed tonight. Not trying to be preachy, but these are the things that I feel. Maybe I sense his defensiveness and want to let him know, 'hey, man, it's okay, you're still a person--you deserve to be loved' you know?

Only once have I had a response that was not reciprocal, and I think this kid was a rookie--maybe too much testosterone, not enough life experience, who knows.

'People are people so why should it be that you and I should get along so awfully?'

Happiness is how you react, you can't change what happens.

[classicman]

I have had my share of run-ins with the police as a stupid, ignorant asshole 20ish something year old.
When I matured to realize that they were simply people doing a job that 99% of the rest of us don't have the balls to do, I eased up a bit on them.
It also seemed to happen around the time I stopped doing a bunch of stupid illegal shit and didn't have to worry every time I saw one. Hmmm...

[Ibby]

I've met a couple cops who were REAL shitbags.
I've met FAR MORE who are really good, decent folks.

that doesn't mean that law enforcement in this country isn't fucked up to the core, and especially fucked up when it comes do dealing with oppressed groups. I could definitely dredge up the dire, awful statistics about how law enforcement consistently and systematically disproportionately prosecutes trans* people, people of color, and women, and especially people at the intersections of those oppressions. So the default, especially for, for example, people like me, is to assume the cops aren't going to be "on our side".

the problem is less individual cops, and more the system itself.

Which is why I would NEVER flip off a cop. Or even be the littlest bit rude to them. That's a privilege I don't have.

[classicman]

If you keep seeing the entire world through that one lens, you'll end up with Macular degeneration and a shitty attitude before you reach 25.

[Ibby]

Or, i'll be keeping myself safe in a world where I have a FAR higher chance of being assaulted, murdered, arrested, or raped than you do. either-or. same dif, right?

(classic, what do you actually know about being something other than a cishetwhitemale?)

[Ibby]

until i can be seen through ANY lens by our culture other than the lens of my gender identity, I would be putting myself in actual literal real serious danger if I didn't look at every situation I could be in through the same lens.

[classicman]

No need to be a jealous prick. Get a dog.

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by classicman

Get a dog.

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by Ibby

I've met a couple cops who were REAL shitbags.
I've met FAR MORE who are really good, decent folks.

that doesn't mean that law enforcement in this country isn't fucked up to the core, and especially fucked up when it comes do dealing with oppressed groups. I could definitely dredge up the dire, awful statistics about how law enforcement consistently and systematically disproportionately prosecutes trans* people, people of color, and women, and especially people at the intersections of those oppressions. So the default, especially for, for example, people like me, is to assume the cops aren't going to be "on our side".

the problem is less individual cops, and more the system itself.

Which is why I would NEVER flip off a cop. Or even be the littlest bit rude to them. That's a privilege I don't have.

I pretty much agree with this.

Over the years I have had good and bad experiences of the police. I think it often depends on which part of the force (sorry, service) you're dealing with as to what kind of attitude you'll encounter.

I think like in any occupation there are good and bad, dedicated and dickhead.

One problem is that policing, like certain other professions (such as care for the elderly) has a tendency to attract people who enjoy exercising power over others. I don't think there's really anything that can be done about that, other than increased vigilance on the part of the employer and a greater willingness to act when incidents are reported.

We had an undercover report over here a few years ago in which a reporter posed as a police trainee and recorded their conversations. Turned out a sizeable chunk of the police recruits they talked to were active members of the British National Party and they were caught on camera talking about the things they'd do to a black suspect and how to avoid getting caught.

Another undercover report found similar attitudes prevalent amongst the wardens of an immigration holding centre for asylum seekers considered to be a risk of absconding.

My own personal experience of the police includes seeing them beat the everloving shit out of peaceful protesters on the one hand (the Met.) and escorting whilst bodily protecting protesters attempting to get clear of a growing and dangerous riot on the other(ordinary beat cop drafted in for numbers).

When I was younger and had one foot in the queer scene, I knew several people who were beaten by police having done nothing wrong, but who were picked up on a seeming whim because they were gay, or trans or different.

When I was arrested and questioned reagrding some minor fraud (I was 19 :p) their attitude towards me was relatively pleasant and respectful. During our conversation the officer I was talking with made some comment about how I wasn't 'some scrote off the estate'. So, had I been a teenager from one of the estates they'd have treated me differently, and had different expectations of me.

Most of my experience of the police, however, is relatively positive. My experience of individual police officers (and support workers) is generally that of highly motivated professionals. The work they did in the area I represented as a councillor was a massive part of the regeneration of that area and the attempts to build cohesion and trust within the community. There is no doubt in my mind that at least some of the youngsters in that area changed course and claimed happier lives because of the outreach work done by neighbourhood policing teams.

[lumberjim]

Originally Posted by Ibby

until i can be seen through ANY lens by our culture other than the lens of my gender identity, I would be putting myself in actual literal real serious danger if I didn't look at every situation I could be in through the same lens.

you're also white. don't you think people see a white person first and then begin to try and discern which gender label to affix to you? you see the world as YOU are, kid.

[DanaC]

Google 'number of attacks on transgender' and you will see page after page of newspaper reports on rising levels of serious attacks on transgender people.

Gender bending in any kind of visible way seems to provoke a visceral anger in many otherwise ordinary people. The response to homosexuality and/or gender nonconformity seems to be founded on a sense of injury. That those people threaten something fundamental. The response is often correspondingly serious.

[Spexxvet]

Fuck cops. At least this one. I know, I know ... sexist, etc.