WaitingforRuffcorn wrote:
Nas wrote:
FavreFan wrote:
I hear you
That's a good sign that he's breathing.
Are poor people predisposed to commit crimes and use drugs? Has science identified that gene? These things are allowed to happen because the people who do have a voice remain silent because these abuses of power don't happen in their communities.
The power you give to government and people in power the more they'll take. Eventually these things will find their way in all communities. We're seeing how irate MANY are with 10 weeks of government putting their thumbs on the scale in all communities.
There are more murders and gun violence in poorer communities. And there are more police as a result. When you say things like this are allowed to happen- I don't think they are anymore. Hence the media coverage. It's a chicken or the egg type of argument. I believe police run-ins are a roll of the dice. You are going to eventually meet a bad one or one having a bad day. Your actions during the encounter are going to affect how you are treated. If you start a physical confrontation with a cop there is a good chance it's going to end up poorly.
Frank suggested that he did not care how much it cost during the shooting in Dallas. Ok. How much more in taxes would you pay to attract the best possible police and more training?
Are you certain that even if you paid say $10k a year more that the outcomes would be all that different?
As Jorr has suggested the only sure way to end policing errors is to do away with the police. Would that make communities safer?
The stats show that the overwhelming majority of police interactions in poorer communities are for minor traffic offenses and minor drug offenses. We both know that drug use is similar regardless of race or class, but the police spend their time "cleaning up" drugs in poorer communities. It's legal harassment of lower class citizens. That's why prisons are filled with them.
I don't envy the job a police officer has. In a lot of ways it is a thankless job. That being said, respect for ALL citizens, equal enforcement of laws, proper training and accountability would go a long way. What would that cost? I don't know. I believe that it would reduce the abuses of power and restore trust. Maybe even policing the community that you live in would help.