1 - Goose
- Cogito ergo sum
Offline 
- Registered: 1/29/2015
- Posts: 13,427
Again
Once again we will go thru the drama of yet another black person dying either during or after a confrontation with a white police officer. Much will be made of her mental state. One side will blame the police. One side will blame the prsioner.
It won't end in a way that is satisfactory to anyone.
The thing that strikes me about so many of these cases, Freddie Gray, Garner, and now Bland, is how a very minor situation escalates to the point of a death. It all seems so pointless and avoidable.
Bland is no different. Yea, she had a nasty attitude. yea, she was confrontational and uncooperative.
But, the thing started because she changed lanes to let a police car pass, and failed to signal.
It was kinda a BS thing for the cop to pull her over in the first place. Then he acts like he's captured the Boston bombers. Why demand she put her cigarrete out? Why not, "Miss, you changed lanes without signalling. That's technically illegal, but I'm not going to ticket you. Have a nice day.". Yea, she was nasty. But a professional should be able to de-escalate a tense situation.
Dispute Over Sandra Bland’s Mental State Follows Death in a Texas Jail
We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists.
- florentine
- Exchanger
Offline
- Registered: 1/29/2015
- Posts: 358
Re: Again
I saw a TV Dr. speculate about whether she was bi-polar. He said her outbursts and behavior when she was pulled over suggested to him that she was in a manic phase and she could have slipped into the depressed phase while in jail. She could have been in such despair that she actually did hang herself. It sounded like a reasonable theory the way he explained it.
- Just Fred
- Duke of Cortona
Offline
- Registered: 1/29/2015
- Posts: 3,863
Re: Again
...the thing started because she changed lanes to let a police car pass, and failed to signal.
Exactly. For some reason that little tidibit gets lost or is ignored in the conversation. I mean, seriously, what sort of 'Barney Fife' police officer would arrest anyone for changing lanes on a highway to let a police car pass for not using their turn signal?
In fact, does anyone know of anyone who was arrested for changing lanes on a highway for not using their turn signal?
- Conspiracy Theory
- Dark Overlord
Offline
- From: Earth
- Registered: 1/30/2015
- Posts: 1,396
Re: Again
No Fred.
I can't even recally anyone being pull over or ticketed for not signaling.
The reason for pulling her over was profiling but they'll never admit to that.
I'd been pulled over once when I was driving from Houston to York with all my stuff packed in the car.
Tinted windows, out of state plates, sitting heavy on the suspension...drug profile.
The officer's reason for pulling me over: My license plate light was out. I went back to the driver's side and turned my lights back on...the light clearly worked.
All that aside. All of this crap about her mental state isn't the issue. The fact that she should never have been there in the first place is.
If you make yourself miserable trying to make others happy that means everyone is miserable.
-Me again
---------------------------------------------
- flowergirl
- Exchanger
Offline
- Registered: 2/03/2015
- Posts: 1,840
Re: Again
The cop was looking for trouble and found it.
Several month ago my car was slammed by a kid who didn't learn the rules of yielding on the roadway. He blindsided me from the left. When the cop approached my window he asked, "What did you hit?" I wanted to smack him a good one for asking such a stupid question. What? Because I was a female driver he just made that assumption? Because I'm old? Afterwards, I started to get out of my car and he told me stay inside. I wanted to ask him if he thought that piece of hanging front bumper would fall off on 83 before I got home so I got out. He gave me a real smart-ass answer. Cops are not always in the right but the brotherhood protects them.
- The Man
- Exchanger
Offline
- Registered: 3/07/2015
- Posts: 779
Re: Again
flowergirl wrote:
The cop was looking for trouble and found it.
Several month ago my car was slammed by a kid who didn't learn the rules of yielding on the roadway. He blindsided me from the left. When the cop approached my window he asked, "What did you hit?" I wanted to smack him a good one for asking such a stupid question. What? Because I was a female driver he just made that assumption? Because I'm old? Afterwards, I started to get out of my car and he told me stay inside. I wanted to ask him if he thought that piece of hanging front bumper would fall off on 83 before I got home so I got out. He gave me a real smart-ass answer. Cops are not always in the right but the brotherhood protects them.
In the times I've been pulled over or otherwise had to deal with cops, which admittedly isn't very many times, I've learned to only give cops yes and no answers, and take it to court if I have a gripe. The instant I've ever tried to question or explain anything to any cop, they get an asshole attitude, so they aren't worth my time talking to. I'm not old or a woman either.
Last edited by The Man (7/23/2015 4:14 pm)
- Goose
- Cogito ergo sum
Offline
- Registered: 1/29/2015
- Posts: 13,427
Re: Again
The cop was looking for trouble and found it.
Several month ago my car was slammed by a kid who didn't learn the rules of yielding on the roadway. He blindsided me from the left. When the cop approached my window he asked, "What did you hit?" I wanted to smack him a good one for asking such a stupid question. What? Because I was a female driver he just made that assumption? Because I'm old? Afterwards, I started to get out of my car and he told me stay inside. I wanted to ask him if he thought that piece of hanging front bumper would fall off on 83 before I got home so I got out. He gave me a real smart-ass answer. Cops are not always in the right but the brotherhood protects them.
In the times I've been pulled over or otherwise had to deal with cops, which admittedly isn't very many times, I've learned to only give cops yes and no answers, and take it to court if I have a gripe. The instant I've ever tried to question or explain anything to any cop, they get an asshole attitude, so they aren't worth my time talking to. I'm not old or a woman either.
My experiences are similar. The cops seem to make an extreme point of demonstrating that they are in charge and you are not.
Try to reason with them, or disagree and they get very hostile.
We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists.
- •
Thread Starter- The Man
- Exchanger
Offline
- Registered: 3/07/2015
- Posts: 779
Re: Again
The cop was looking for trouble and found it.
Several month ago my car was slammed by a kid who didn't learn the rules of yielding on the roadway. He blindsided me from the left. When the cop approached my window he asked, "What did you hit?" I wanted to smack him a good one for asking such a stupid question. What? Because I was a female driver he just made that assumption? Because I'm old? Afterwards, I started to get out of my car and he told me stay inside. I wanted to ask him if he thought that piece of hanging front bumper would fall off on 83 before I got home so I got out. He gave me a real smart-ass answer. Cops are not always in the right but the brotherhood protects them.
In the times I've been pulled over or otherwise had to deal with cops, which admittedly isn't very many times, I've learned to only give cops yes and no answers, and take it to court if I have a gripe. The instant I've ever tried to question or explain anything to any cop, they get an asshole attitude, so they aren't worth my time talking to. I'm not old or a woman either.
My experiences are similar. The cops seem to make an extreme point of demonstrating that they are in charge and you are not.
Try to reason with them, or disagree and they get very hostile.
Exactly. Cops are like the high school jocks who never grew up. I say as little as possible to them when I have to deal with them. Judges tend to have more reasoning and will at least listen and let me talk.
- florentine
- Exchanger
Offline
- Registered: 1/29/2015
- Posts: 358
Re: Again
There are several issues that beg for answers. Why was she pulled over for something so minor? Why wasn't the cop able to handle this situation without it escalating into a huge drama and why did she die in jail?
- The Man
- Exchanger
Offline
- Registered: 3/07/2015
- Posts: 779
Re: Again
There are several issues that beg for answers. Why was she pulled over for something so minor? Why wasn't the cop able to handle this situation without it escalating into a huge drama and why did she die in jail?
I've been pulled over for even more minor stuff, a middle brake light out. Hell, I wish more people would be pulled over and fined for not using turn signals, like they should. Why did it escalate? Her mouth. Don't ever give a cop more than a yes or no answer. If you have questions, take it to court and tell the judge. You certainly never want to fly off the handle in a cop's face. Cops aren't very reasonable when they are questioned. Why did she die in jail? She hung herself.
Last edited by The Man (7/23/2015 5:57 pm)