Brady Bunch wrote:

Goose wrote:

Yea, right.

Look at Tennyson's post 10, I was referencing what he said there.  It had absolutely nothing to do with you

The "no one" in that comment was directed to Common referring to the Obama Adminisration bashing police. Of course I know police get bashed by different groups and people, but DON'T lay this at the feet of the current administration. Do police forces need better oversight and training - for sure. Do they need the co-operation of the people they are there to support - for sure. For the life of me I don't understand why anyone wants to be a police officer today, but that heavers some still do. 

Unfortunately as in many things all we see is when something bad happens.Now I don't call that bashing, but it doesn't help the general perception. I don't know the answer to that one as nowadays it seems like the news organizations are more interested in publishing bad news. I guess good or mundane news related to policing is too boring to sell. 

Lastly, the "cops" can't do it all. We put way too much on their shoulders that belongs elsewhere (home, community, and social programs)

 

It's is a common "debate" tactic here to accuse anybody who offers any criticism of any police officer anywhere of "Bashing"  all police everywhere.
It's a rather deplorable thing to do.
But you go to debate with the folks you have,,,,,,,

Common Sense wrote:

TheLagerLad wrote:

One of the more tear-jerking moments of 2016 was the people who were protesting the Dallas police ending up mourning with the Dallas police when those five officers were killed by that psychopathic sniper.

In case you don't remember Common, President Obama said at the time, the shooting was a "vicious, calculated, despicable attack" and a "tremendous tragedy". Doesn't sound like someone who was "anti-police".

At the memorial for the officers, President Obama praised the Dallas police as heroes and called the killings "an act not just of demented violence but of racial hatred."

 

Are you telling me that Obama supported law enforcement? No I know that is not what you are saying Lager. A comment from Obama about the worst police ambush in years does not equal support.

Yes Common. Yes, I am

Read President Obama's Open Letter to America's Law Enforcement Community

To the brave members of our Nation’s law enforcement community:

Every day, you confront danger so it does not find our families, carry burdens so they do not fall to us, and courageously meet test after test to keep us safe.  Like Dallas officer Lorne Ahrens, who bought dinner for a homeless man the night before he died, you perform good deeds beyond the call of duty and out of the spotlight.  Time and again, you make the split-second decisions that could mean life or death for you and many others in harm’s way.  You endure the tense minutes and long hours over lifetimes of service.

Every day, you accept this responsibility and you see your colleagues do their difficult, dangerous jobs with equal valor.  I want you to know that the American people see it, too.  We recognize it, we respect it, we appreciate it, and we depend on you.  And just as your tight-knit law enforcement family feels the recent losses to your core, our Nation grieves alongside you.  Any attack on police is an unjustified attack on all of us.

I’ve spent a lot of time with law enforcement over the past couple of weeks.  I know that you take each of these tragedies personally, and that each is as devastating as a loss in the family.  Sunday’s shooting in Baton Rouge was no different.  Together, we mourn Montrell Jackson, Matthew Gerald, and Brad Garafola.  Each was a husband.  Each was a father.  Each was a proud member of his community.  And each fallen officer is one too many.  Last week, I met with the families of the Dallas officers who were killed, and I called the families of those who were killed in the line of duty yesterday in Baton Rouge.  I let them know how deeply we ache for the loss of their loved ones.

Some are trying to use this moment to divide police and the communities you serve.  I reject those efforts, for they do not reflect the reality of our Nation.  Officer Jackson knew this too, when just days ago he asked us to keep hatred from our hearts.  Instead, he offered—to protestors and fellow police officers alike—a hug to anyone who saw him on the street.  He offered himself as a fellow worshipper to anyone who sought to pray.  Today, we offer our comfort and our prayers to his family, to the Geralds and the Garafolas, and to the tight-knit Baton Rouge law enforcement community.

As you continue to serve us in this tumultuous hour, we again recognize that we can no longer ask you to solve issues we refuse to address as a society.  We should give you the resources you need to do your job, including our full-throated support.  We must give you the tools you need to build and strengthen the bonds of trust with those you serve, and our best efforts to address the underlying challenges that contribute to crime and unrest.

As you continue to defend us with quiet dignity, we proclaim loudly our appreciation for the acts of service you perform as part of your daily routine.  When you see civilians at risk, you don’t see them as strangers.  You see them as your own family, and you lay your life on the line for them.  You put others’ safety before your own, and you remind us that loving our country means loving one another.  Even when some protest you, you protect them.  What is more professional than that?  What is more patriotic?  What is a prouder example of our most basic freedoms—to speech, to assembly, to life, and to liberty?  And at the end of the day, you have a right to go home to your family, just like anybody else.

Robert Kennedy, once our Nation’s highest-ranking law enforcement official, lamented in the wake of unjust violence a country in which we look at our neighbors as people “with whom we share a city, but not a community.”  This is a time for us to reaffirm that what makes us special is that we are not only a country, but also a community.  That is true whether you are black or white, whether you are rich or poor, whether you are a police officer or someone they protect and serve.

With that understanding—an understanding of the goodness and decency I have seen of our Nation not only in the past few weeks, but throughout my life—we will get through this difficult time together.

We will do it with the love and empathy of public servants like those we have lost in recent days.  We will do it with the resilience of cities like Dallas that quickly came together to restore order and deepen unity and understanding.  We will do it with the grace of loved ones who even in their grief have spoken out against vengeance toward police.  We will do it with the good will of activists like those I have sat with in recent days, who have pledged to work together to reduce violence even as they voice their disappointments and fears.

As we bind up our wounds, we must come together to ensure that those who try to divide us do not succeed.  We are at our best when we recognize our common humanity, set an example for our children of trust and responsibility, and honor the sacrifices of our bravest by coming together to be better.

Thank you for your courageous service.  We have your backs.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

The National Fraternal Order of Police shared the letter on its Facebook page, and offered this comment (which I agree with 100%) 

The reason this letter has value is that we want and deserve to change the National Dialogue. The people of this country respect law enforcement. Now we continue to speak out about the issues that have helped create disconnects with members of the communities to work so hard to protect.
 
We can and do provide the best quality law enforcement that we can but we cannot be held responsible for the social issues such as poverty, lack of mental health services, unemployment, and abject poverty. The work now is to assist our communities by continuing to recognize that we are but one spoke in the wheel and we will do our part. Now it's time for politicians and government to assist us in working in the communities we have always worked in to make life better for all Americans.

Just Fred wrote:

Anytime a police officer is shot and killed it's certainly a tragedy and their job can be dangerous.  For what its worth, here's some data on police officers being killed in the line of duty:

"There's a widespread perception in the American public, and particularly within law enforcement, that officers are more threatened, more endangered, more often assaulted, and more often killed than they have been historically," says Seth Stoughton, a law professor at the University of Southern Carolina and former policeman.

"I think it's a very strong perception. People truly believe it. But factually, looking at the numbers, it's not accurate," he says.

FBI data on police officers "feloniously killed" - killed as a result of a criminal act - indicates that the numbers have been falling, he says.

Looking at the 10 years from 2006 to 2015 the annual average number of police deaths was 49.6, Stoughton says, which he notes is "down significantly from the high". 

Check out the graph presented in this article:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36826297

 

But by the same token the stats for 2016 show a markedly higher death rate. 

Officer down: Police deaths hit a 5-year high

Twenty officers died in eight multiple-shooting death incidents in 2016, including the Dallas and Baton Rouge attacks, tying with 1971 for the highest total of any year since 1932, the report said.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/12/29/officer-down-police-deaths-hit-5-year-high/95984998/
 

Last edited by tennyson (1/07/2017 4:26 pm)