avatarBrian Lamacraft

Summary

The web content discusses the complexities surrounding aggressive police actions and riots in America, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to policing and protesting.

Abstract

The article reflects on the recent aggressive police actions in the context of protests and riots, particularly in light of the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent unrest. The author acknowledges the importance of peaceful protest as a means of expression for the unheard but also the need to halt protests temporarily to de-escalate current tensions. The piece criticizes the current state of policing, comparing it to an "Imperial Stormtrooper" mentality rather than community-oriented policing. It also addresses the legal implications of unlawful assembly and the importance of respecting the law, even while protesting. The author calls for accountability on both sides, suggesting that aggressive police officers and rioters should be charged for breaking the law. The article concludes by advocating for constructive dialogue and solutions to address the systemic issues leading to violent protests and excessive police responses.

Opinions

  • The author believes that the current aggressive police tactics are excessive and reminiscent of authoritarian enforcers rather than community police officers.
  • There is a distinction made between peaceful protesters and rioters, with the author arguing that police should focus on the latter.
  • The author suggests that the volatility on the streets is reaching a point where protests should be paused to prevent further violence and unfortunate incidents.
  • The piece expresses concern over the increasing number of laws that seem to restrict freedom, indicating a societal decline.
  • It is emphasized that when police declare an unlawful assembly, protesters should disperse to avoid arrest, regardless of their individual actions.
  • The author advocates for equal legal consequences for both rioters and aggressive police officers who break the law.
  • The article calls for a reevaluation of policing methods and a peaceful resolution to the current societal issues, rejecting the notion of a police state as a solution.
  • There is a fear that authorities may not address these complex issues in a constructive manner, potentially leading to further violence and oppression.

Aggressive Police Action Must End, But It’s Complicated — It Shouldn’t Be

Photo by ev on Unsplash Cops or Enforcers?

I’m a free thinker. I just ask questions about our society today.

Whatever happened to the days when the police officer was a smiling and caring person in their community? Sure, this still exists, but far too often I see brutality and not policing. What I witnessed on the streets of America in the past days has been nothing short of horrific. I’m not excusing the rioting and looting. The police need to be forceful and to remove these individuals from the streets. We must remember that “riots” are a symptom that something is wrong. When citizens in countries “riot” it’s the “language of the unheard” as MLK said.

The problem that I am seeing is that they are forceful against peaceful protesters just as much as they are on the rioters and looters. It would make more sense to me to focus all of their time and energy into policing the actual rioting and not those that are trying to express their feelings over the murder of George Floyd. At the same time, I can’t excuse the actions of these rioters who murdered David Dorn a retired black police officer trying to serve his community.

I believe that the police departments are starting to get frustrated with all of this chaos, and they are not able to exercise their better judgment. They are being pelted with bottles, bricks, and a lot of other projectiles. Emotions run high, but it’s often the mentality of the police. I’m not seeing the policing aspect a lot of the time. In a lot of cases, I see Imperial Stormtroopers. Can we just have regular policing? This goes way back to even when I was a kid in the 80s. Today, it’s worse.

“Humankind seems to have an enormous capacity for savagery, for brutality, for lack of empathy, for lack of compassion.” Annie Lennox

Protests Should Pause for Now

I think the protesters should stop what they’re doing for at least a couple of days until the authorities can calm down the streets. There is far too much volatility, and it is just leading to a lot of unfortunate incidents that could otherwise be avoided. It is difficult to exercise your first amendment rights in the middle of rioting and looting. It just doesn’t work that well.

Another problem that is occurring with protests is there far too many bad actors that are getting involved with these protests t It is difficult for the police departments to determine who is a bad actor and who isn’t. The streets in the states have been in chaos for several days. This is putting everyone at increased risk. It is why you see an increased police presence, and it’s why they’re getting more aggressive. I’m not condoning the aggression of these police officers, but you have to understand where they are coming from.

Current Laws — Unlawful Assembly

I’m not fond of current police laws, but they are there. Do you notice that there are more and more “laws” and less “freedom?” This indicates a collapsing society. I feel our current system isn’t sustainable on a worldwide basis. Riots are occurring worldwide as many countries face internal strife.

When the police indicate to you as a protester that you in an unlawful assembly, it means to get off the streets. If you’re not listening to what they say, then things are going to go bad for you. This is no different than any other time in modern policing. When the police call a protest an unlawful assembly, you have to leave and go home. Your protest is no longer lawful. Just remember it’s higher authorities that make these decisions, not regular police.

You are free to come back and protest again, but you have to leave when they call this. If I was in any sort of protest and the police called it an unlawful assembly, I would be getting the hell out of there. The severe riots of the 1960s and the 1990s Rodney Ring riots are one of the reasons why police today are more aggressive. It’s a symptom of a system that is dying. What's with the military hardware? if we need all these police what does it say about the society we have created?

Crazy, but that’s how it goes Millions of people living as foes Maybe it’s not too late To learn how to love and forget how to hate Mental wounds not healing Life’s a bitter shame I’m going off the rails on a crazy train

Ozzy Osbourne — Crazy Train

This means protest your grievances but still respect that the law is the law. If you are injured as a peaceful protester by aggressive cop actions, see a lawyer, don’t go and burn things down. You are then breaking multiple laws, and you will be arrested. If you resist that arrest, then that is your own fault. If you resist, then the police are justified in taking actions they take to arrest you. If you don’t like it, I suggest you become a lawyer or politician. This might be a good idea as it will help CHANGE CURRENT LAWS!

If your TOTALLY peaceful, but the cops call an unlawful assembly, and even if you’re not doing ANYTHING wrong, you WILL STILL BE arrested. The cops call the shots during an unlawful assembly, and you don’t. They are given orders by superiors. Their job is to get you off the street. What you scream at them is irrelevant. Unless you have broken the law, you will be released from jail. The goal is to clear the streets, so leave. You can then start up your protest the next day. This is just common sense.

They enforce the laws of the politicians. Your main beef should be with them. How about taking your protest to a mayors office?

I was once involved in a very large house and street party. There are hundreds of people at this party, and we were not behaving ourselves. The police were called in, and they broke up this party. We were picked up and thrown in the back of police paddy wagons. At that time, I kicked and screamed and hollered at the police, but now I know as I am older than the police were just doing their job. Some of us threw beer bottles at them, bad mistake.

Everyone Should be Charged

I believe in equal punishment when someone has done something wrong. I believe that the rioters and looters should be charged for breaking the law, and punished accordingly. I also believe that aggressive police officers who broke laws should also be punished. Most people are fed up with this rioting and looting. Almost no one has a problem with peaceful protest. At this time, these protests are getting caught up in this violence, and this is compounding the problem. Everyone is equally to blame for what has happened on the streets. Police are to blame for their aggression, and the rioters and looters are to blame for their blatant lack of respect for the current law. The peaceful protestors are the ones caught in the middle of this “sandwich.”

Policing Needs to be Addressed, and Rioting Must Stop

So there are my two viewpoints. I don’t agree with the aggressive police action, and I certainly don’t agree with the rioting and looting. Many police departments have problems! What is happening on the streets is complex. Perhaps we need to look at the ways that we deal with violent protesting and how police respond to it. Far too often, peaceful protests are hijacked, and we get violence and not actual lawful protesting.

“Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

We can’t allow bad actors to disrupt the process of being able to express your opinions. It doesn’t matter whether this is on the side of a protester or it is a bad actor in the police department. We need to come up with solutions to solve these issues. Rioting and looting will solve nothing. At the same time, police aggression will solve nothing. Both sides are wrong. We need to allow people to express their opinions, and at the same time, we have to keep the peace. This is the whole idea behind the peaceful protest. The problem right now is that that process is not being allowed to occur.

“The most complicated word in our language is peace. It’s also the most simple.” Brian L.

A WORLDWIDE police state is not the answer to problems, For far too it has been been the DEFAULT CHOICE. You cannot keep free people down.

My greatest fear is that these issues won't be addressed in a constructive manner. Our ”Authorities” choice in no matter what country we live in is often violence.

Police Brutality
Cops
Crime
Riots
2020 Riots
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