RARA-AVIS: Re: The Tough Cookie Crumbles

From: sforstater (sforstater@yahoo.com)
Date: 08 Jun 2009

  • Next message: Karin Montin: "Re: RARA-AVIS: Günter Ohnemus (was Re: Recent reads)"

    hold on. i thought there were 2 kinds of cops, good and bad. and they always work together, cos that's the way to get perps to talk.

    --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, Kevin Burton Smith <kvnsmith@...> wrote:
    >
    > Dave wrote:
    >
    > > Kevin,
    > >
    > > I think you've been reading too many crime novels.
    >
    > A curious statement from someone who writes crime novels, perhaps. But
    > hey, what can I do? I write about and review crime and detective
    > novels. It's probably more honest for me to read them first.
    >
    > Like, did you actually read THE DISASSEMBLED MAN or just give them a
    > blurb? Or did they just use your name without telling you? I notice
    > they've removed your blurb from the Amazon page.
    >
    > But I digress...
    >
    > > The police can't resort to the use of firearms in every (most)
    > > situation--there would be riots in the streets if they did.
    >
    > Read the newspapers. There already ARE riots in the streets over
    > police use of firearms. Sometimes the demonstrations, if not the
    > resulting riots, may even be warranted.
    >
    > > Mike's been telling me he's been having to engage in 3-4 physical
    > > altercations a week on the job, usually in trying to break up bar
    > > room brawls. Why any guy in Matteson, no matter how drunk they might
    > > be, would try to take Mike on is beyond me. Anyway, there's a reason
    > > why most cops have to be tough to do the job.
    >
    > Because they're not able to diffuse situations? Not able to judge when
    > physical or even deadly force is warranted?
    >
    > A smart cop tries to calm things down and minimize confrontation and
    > violence. Not roll up his sleeves and start swinging, living out some
    > failed-jock John Wayne fantasy.
    >
    > I would suggest one reason there already ARE riots in the street, from
    > Montreal to LA and everywhere in between (maybe even in Matteson and
    > Madison), is because some cops are, unfortunately, too preoccupied
    > with proving how "tough" they are.
    >
    > I've known a few cops. Some are big alpha male bruiser lunkheads, but
    > most aren't. Some are short, some are slight of build, some are out of
    > shape. Some are smart, some not so much. Some of them are idealists
    > who want to protect and serve, some of them are failed jocks who like
    > carrying guns and swinging their dicks. And a few don't give two shits
    > about the law they've sworn to uphold.
    >
    > There's no denying cops have to be tough -- it's a tough job. But
    > there are all kinds of tough. A really good cop also has to possess
    > tremendous amounts of compassion, empathy, fairness, humility,
    > intelligence, diplomacy, courage, mercy and common sense, and the
    > toughness of mind to know when to use each. Relying solely on
    > schoolboy definitions of toughness is as likely to cause trouble on
    > the job as to prevent it.
    >
    > Kevin
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
    >



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