Non GAA Discussion > General discussion

The US policing crisis thread

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Eamonnca1:
Just read an article in the Atlantic about so-called "rough rides." Apparently there's a plethora of nicknames for the practice of cuffing someone, throwing him in the back of a van, not strapping him in, and then driving around like a maniac to rough the victim up. "Bringing him to the front" is the act of sudden braking to slam him against the front panel, also known as a "screen test." In Philly they call them "nickel rides" after amusement park rides. If they've got that many names for it then it's a good bet that it's a fairly common practice.

For all this talk of condemning the rioting in Baltimore, which you have to do, I feel a bit uncomfortable with this American culture of hero worship for anyone in a uniform. If someone serves in the military you have to refer to them as a "hero" and thank him for his service, even if you know nothing about him or what he did when he was on tour. You don't know if he spent his time as a mechanic in the base or shooting up civilians on the street. And I certainly don't get this habit some people have of saying "I support the police." As far as I'm concerned I'll be grateful for when they do a good job the same way I'm grateful to the waitress who gives good service that I'm paying for.

I'd make an exception maybe for the likes of firemen since they're not generally armed and not in much of a position to abuse any power. But this doctrine of porcine infallibility makes me very uncomfortable and it will be America's undoing if they don't do a better job of policing the policemen.

foxcommander:
If you feel uncomfortable about the heroes in uniform then is it better to leave?
The Baltimore mayor is bang out of order for her comments on allowing rioters space to destroy.
What sort of message does that send? Liquor stores being looted ain't gonna solve issues.

Eamonnca1:
So that's my choice then? Worship at the altar of armed men in uniform or leave the country? Bit of a drastic choice, wouldn't you say?

illdecide:
Ye wouldn't get that behaviour in Lurgan ;)

brokencrossbar1:
Sounds pretty similar to a lot of the things that happened here for years.  There is also the favourite of lying the guy on the floor and using him as a foot stool.  This is common in many police forces as they have a serious power trip and are dealing in circumstances that the 'rules' go out through the gate.  Not nice.  As far as hero worshiping them well that's people's preference.  The US and the British love their armies so they do and see them as the extension of their 'empires', physical and psychological.  It's just the way of the world and it will never change for as long as there are 'baddies' and 'goodies'.

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