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zorroloco
22-Aug-06, 21:58

cops
how do you feel about cops? as a youth, i hated them. they harrassed me, arrested me, and stopped me from doing things i wanted to do (many of which i should very much NOT have been doing!!!). they were the enemy.

as i got older, my feelings softened, and especially now as a high school teacher, i have a different perspective. my students often make disparaging comments about the cops. i feel it is incumbant on me to give them a broader vies (that is the crux of my job, helping them see the complex world in all its fantastic shades of gray). i ask them if they would like to live in a city with NO cops at all. i ask them how it must feel to have a job where every day, every time you do your job, you may have a gun pulled on you. i try to get them to understand that it is an important, incredibly difficult and dangerous and stressful job.

i then teach them, especially brown skinned males, how to have the best chance of not getting shot by a cop during a routine traffic stop (hands visible, no sudden movements, 'yes sir' 'no sir'). and yes, we talk about the fact that cops are human too, and just like all humans, some are good people, while some are bad, racist, and dishonest.

it is a complex issue to teach, and one that has increased my awareness of my conceptions and prejudices regarding police officers.

what are your feelings?
deadofknight
20-Sep-06, 00:19

Especially what????
"i then teach them, especially brown skinned males,...." so would you call that, logic, racial profiling, racism
or honesty? Perhaps, an "all of the above" answer would be appropriate.
sirtgl
20-Sep-06, 00:43

I've had no contact with american cops. But it seems they are quite different than the ones we have. Well, the entire culture is different, so it can't really be compared.

But I'm very positive towards the police. I have never had any trouble with them, and when I've had to deal with the police, they have always been very polite.

The only thing I don't like (and I bet this will feel quite trivial to you), is that the police should follow the same rules as everyone else, and still they don't. I don't like it when I meet a police car on a road that is for bikers only, or even to people on foot only. Or in public parks where you should under no circumstance drive by car. I could understand an emergency, but it seems the guys are just using these paths only as a shortcut or are just too lazy to get out of the car.
saintinsanity
20-Sep-06, 03:36

DOK
I don't understand your post. Are you surprised by the term "brown-skinned males?"
saintinsanity
20-Sep-06, 03:37

Oops
I forgot about the cops.

I like cops. They are on my side. If something bad happens, I just call the cops and they will come and help me.

My dealings with the cops from the other side of the law have been diplomatic and reasonable.
aaron--
20-Sep-06, 05:04

Cops
Now I'm a little older and law abiding, I find cops to be great. I see them riding around on bicycles, helping out at community events, and generally being very approachable and friendly.

However, when I was younger, they surely were a suspicious and intrusive bunch.

I guess the way you perceive the police depends on your relationship with them at that particular time.




flcrackers
20-Sep-06, 09:07

Cops this reminds me...
about the 4 things you don't say in Miami.

1. You have to admit that Castro has done a lot of good for Cuba.
2. Hey, what is that stuff, baking soda?
3. Oh yea, and what are you going to do about it?
4. HELP, POLICE!
obviously
20-Sep-06, 09:12

Would you trust your childeren with Jeff who told us he was arrested for being unfaithfull with a goat? I think the criminal record of teachers should be known to the public.
leo_london
20-Sep-06, 09:39

obviously...sailing a little close to the wind there mate.
If its a joke, which it must be...the use of a smiley would be appreciated.  



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