Oh, shoot!

[Cynique]

I figured it was just a matter of time before things came to a head in the ongoing conflict between black males and white policemen. It's a situation that is deeply rooted not only in the history of this country but in the DNA of it combatants. It has much to do with authority, and those who resent the ones who possess it, a situation dating back to the days of slavery. African Americans have always been this country’s stepchildren, and heirs to its injustice. Centries later in the year 2016, a showdown looms. as blacks have finally joined the ranks of terrorists. The retaliatory killing of 5 white policemen by a gunman angry over the slaying of 2 black men could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and a sand storm of vengence threatens to be the result.  

The only hope is that cooler heads will prevail, and a consensus that all lives matter will be reached. But, bringing  this rhetoric to fruition calls for political correctness which is currently out of favor. So the rift between whites and blacks seems destined to continue because in a society where institutionalized racism remains, black is black and white is white and “neer the twain shall meet”.   IMO

 As luck would have it, the one person benefiting from this tragedy is Donald Trump the spokesman for those who want to return to the past. These events are sure to have an influence on the millions of white voters trying to make up their minds about who to vote for. Outrage over the deaths of 5 policemen in Dallas at the hands of an uppity black buck doesn‘t bode well for the liberal agenda. Hillary is in great danger of  once again losing her bid to be the first woman president, left to spend the rest of her days babysitting her grandchildren, her wardrobe of pant suits going to waste.                  

SMH. What lies ahead for the USA? Lord, if you haven’t given up in disgust, have mercy on America, The Ugly.  (Meanwhile, all you good Christians out there, pray that my forecasts won't come true.)

[Pioneer1]

With this being an election year I was thinking the same thing about Trump.
This incident will probably benefit him because it will stoke the fears of an already on-edge White conservative demographic.

As far as the shooting......
They say only one man was involved but when it first broke out I saw reports where SEVERAL people were being held in custody.
I know they say the guy was ex-military but wouldn't it be pretty hard for one lone man to gun down 11 trained officers.
As with most muliple shootings that are covered in the media, the "facts" keep changing over and over again.

Like I said numerous times.
The solution to this problem of police brutality and racism is to have MORE well trained Black police officers who know our people and can deal with them justly instead of overreacting, which ultimately leads to situations like this

[Troy]

I'm becoming more and more convinced that there just simply are not that many smart, conscientious, and righteous people. We all want police officers with all of these qualifications; but where are they going to come from?  

Cops are asked to put their lives on the line, work crazy hours, and deal with the worst of humanity all for a relatively low wage. It is simply unrealistic for us to expect exemplary behavior from all of them at all times   What surprises me is that we don't have more low life racist cops doing evil things.

If you want cops to behave better you really have to compensate these professionals accordingly.  Cops as have to be treated professionally by their superiors.  Cops in my neighborhood seems to be under a great deal of pressure to give out tickets. This is stressful for both the community and the police officers. Of course this increases the number of confrontations and the likelihood another brother gets killed.  Usually the extra, and unnecessary, pressure cops are put under is political in origin.  

[Pioneer1]

Troy

There are a lot of smart people.....
And there are a lot of righteous people....

But there aren't too many who share BOTH virtues....lol.

I actually agree with you that the police in most big cities aren't compensated enough for doing what they do on a daily basis. This lack of adequate compensation leads to stress, divorce, and corrupt policing practices like shaking down pimps and dope dealers for extra cash or being paid off.

While a job paying 40 or 50 thousand a year with full benefits may be considered a "good job" to most Black people, being a police officer are still considered a lower class occupation by White American standards. They largely seen as uneducated and barely into the "middle class".
So a lot of White cops are angry about their socio-economic condition and the stress it causes them socially and financially among thier peers.

But there are quite a few who are not only NOT stressed out by their work but actually get an adrenaline rush out of it.
These are the "cowboy" types who think their gun and badge puts them above the law and gives them the power to be judge, jury, and exocutioner on the street.

At the end of the day, police officers know the stresses of the job BEFORE the sign on and take their oath.
If at anytime they feel the pressures of the job are too much for them or they disagree with the policies they are charged with enforcing, then they should do the honorable thing and resign instead taking out their frustrations on the public.

[Cynique]

Easier said than done.  One person's bad cop is another one's law enforcement officer.

[Troy]

@Pioneer1, I agree with most of what you wrote, but I'm not sure most people who go into the law enforcement can truly appreciate what the job entails until they actually on the job; but this is probably true for many jobs.

I think cops are respected among their peers, because as you wrote a job paying 40 or 50 thousand a year with full benefits is considered a "good job" to most Black people--plus they get to carry a gun...

Now folks in the arts crowd might feel different about cops--even if we make less money and have no benefits (but class is more than about income, right?).  And of course highly paid and wealthy folks would look down on cops, but they look down on everyone.  However, both of these groups are relatively small compared the masses of people who revere cops or would love to be in a position to be a cop.

So I would not expect a cop to resign--especially if they have some years in.  In NYC after 20 years they get a pension that pays a livable wage for the rest of their lives; some on the job frustration is not enough for anyone to give that up.

[Pioneer1]

Cynique

One person's bad cop is another one's law enforcement officer.

I agree.
A cop can be morally "bad" but if the laws he's enforcing are bad in and of themselves then he'd actually be considered a good cop doing his job.

For example.......
If the state closes the public mental hospitals and dump thousands of mentally ill people on the street and then turn around and give police officers the right to use deadly force against anyone acting erratic or that they perceive as a threat....they could literally kill hundreds of people in the street and have it justified by law.

The term "police" comes from the word "policy"...because they are the authority who enforce the POLICIES of the state.
If the state is producing bad laws/policies then the police who enforce them will be found doing that which is morally wrong but that which they are legally obligated to do.

 

 

Troy

The thing I've noticed about White men....and I've noticed this since I was a teenager....is that most of them LOVE authority.
They love telling people what to do and making them do it.
Whether it's law enforcement, or just being a manager or supervisor on a job.
It's a power trip for so many.

Even if the job does't pay much or you don't get a financial raise upon becoming manager
I've seen White people accept the stress of management and supervisory positions that pay next to minimum wage.....just for the satisfaction of bossing people around and having the power to fire them or send them home.

Just look at a lot of middle aged to older White men who could be truck drivers or construction constractors.....
Look at how they wear their cell phones....on their hip like it's a weapon.

For most I don't think it's even about the money so much as the power to tell other people what to do and MAKE them do it.
The image and sense of power and authority is almost intoxicating to a lot of White males and it carries over to the police force.