You already stated in an earlier post you agreed black people were disproportionately targeted. No, I’m not going to go find it.
According to Gallup polling from this year, police still hold the confidence of 51% of the American public, better than their (our) confidence in the medical system, the presidency, organized labor, big business, newspapers, and Congress. Now, jokes aside about the people who choose to work in some of those professions, if police officers are truly leaving en masse because white liberals and black people don’t like the job they’re doing, why do you think that says something about white liberals and black people, rather than police officers themselves?
The “dregs of society” you claim are now filling the ranks haven’t been around long enough to make a difference in the statistics. Maybe five years from now, if black people continue being shot and killed at a 3-to-1 ratio, we can start blaming the dregs that 51% of Americans currently have confidence are doing their jobs.
Only 44% of Americans trust the job I’m doing, and some of us are leaving en masse, but it has nothing to do with what the general public thinks: it’s the constraints of the job, like burnout from lack of staff, etc. I’m sure if the general public found out I was beating the living daylights out of my patients for calling me a “stupid motherfucker”, and I enjoyed that part of the job, maybe then I’d leave once a light was shined on that abhorrent behavior. Could be that the police officers leaving en masse enjoyed the seedier, darker sides of the job, and the body cams and cell phones of bystanders are revealing that.
Edit: I have friends who are police officers too. The risk manager at my hospital is a former police officer. One of the nicest guys I know. You sound like the guy who is racist and says “My best friend is black.”
You really think statistics and facts are gonna help you in this argument? We are the problem don't you get it? It can't be that the cops are bad...because cops bust criminals so cops have to be good since criminals are bad! Its like a Western if the bad guy is wearing a Black Hat then the the guy in the White Hat has to be a good guy!
If Black People just stopped being Black and doing Black Things then cops wouldn't fear them and have to arrest them/assault them/kill them! Plus I mean there are thousands of cop interactions a year so if only a few hundred go really really bad statistically that is fine. And I mean White People are killed by cops too so cops can't be racist...and since the cops killed the person they obviously did something wrong because as we already learned, cops bust criminals cause cops are good!
SJHovey reminds me of a few people I know who just don't even seem to get the circular reasoning they use to back up their worldview. These are legit conversations I had recently with a person who has multiple degrees, a high IQ and is usually quite well informed. (and is not a RWNJ they have moved from Left to Center and have lots of experience working in the criminal justice system including bad run ins with cops over the years)
Person: so you think cops are corrupt and the police need to be defunded?
Me: Well I think the funding should go to more than just policing and make the cops jobs better and there should definitely be higher levels of accountability...
Person: I mean they have a tough job!
Me: Sure...and I would like to make their job easier because there is no reason the cops should show up at say a mental health issue with weapons.
Person: See that is very dangerous!!!
Me: Yes...but it is dangerous for both because the cop isn't trained to deal with someone having say a schizophrenic break they just see a crazy person with a weapon and shoot.
Person: Well that person shouldn't have a weapon and threaten the officer!
Me: The person doesn't realize what is going on and the cop does the cop should be trained to...
Person: THE COP WAS THREATENED WHAT WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO DO!?!?!?
Me: I mean basic self defense will most likely protect them plus proper training will de-escalate the situation.
Person: HE HAD A GUN AND THREATENED THEM AND THEY HAD NO CLUE HE WAS CRAZY!!
Me: The person who called the cops said the person had mental issues...
Person: cops aren't trained to deal with that!
Me: which is why we should stop having them show up, especially with weapons, and should be putting resources into finding other means to deal with these types of situations!
Person: DEFUNDING THE POLICE IS BAD!!! STOP PERSECUTING COPS THEIR JOB IS DANGEROUS!
Person: I am really getting sick of hearing how the cops and the system are racist!
Me: Ok...
Person: Plenty of White People deal with the system and aren't treated fairly!
Me: So you would prefer to say the system is just corrupt then?
Person: No...they are criminals!
Me: So you are saying that minorities aren't treated harsher?
Person: No I think everyone is treated equally badly by the officers in question.
[at this point I tell them about the Black Kid who was hog tied and assaulted by 10 Maryland officers for vaping on the boardwalk while people watched and filmed]
Person: That didn't happen...
Me: It did, there are videos of the whole incident.
Person: Well it was illegal.
Me: Do you honestly think a White Kid would have been surrounded by a mob of cops, tazed, beaten and hogtied for an offense that warrants a ticket?
Person: That is just one incident!
[here is where I talk about the servicemen who was maced by cops in his car, the Black kid who was killed by Aurora Cops for walking while Black, the difference in how the 1/6 rioters were dealt with compared to the Floyd rioters and a dozen other stories we have discussed here]
Me: Can you truly say with a straight face that White People and Black People are treated the same within the system? You worked in the system, you were an advocate for minority rights almost all of your life!
Person: Maybe not but that doesn't mean that Blacks aren't committing crimes.
Me: I never said they didn't...
Person: See!
Me: Let me know the next time a White Kid gets killed for walking at night or "non-compliance" or is dragged out of their car by their hair during a traffic stop or maced in their uniform because they didn't pull over fast enough.
