Originally posted by Sour Masher
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I see this as a perfect opportunity to hire and train, from the ground up, a new force with a new perspective, new training, and new guidelines to follow. What a great experiment this could be.
As for the video, I think it is a great example of the systemic problems of tactics and training. They were all geared up for a battle. They are clearly following a military mindset--to keep the peace means to bust some heads, if needed. Some may have to be put down for the greater good and order. Everyone is jacked up for a fight. Adrenaline is running high. Everyone thinks they are in the right.
And then a 75 year old man walks up slowly. He gently puts forth a cell phone that touches a LEO. In response another pushes him--not so hard that I think he intended for him to fall and be seriously hurt, but that is what happened. Right after, the human instinct of guilt and concern from an officer is seen as he starts to bend down to check on the elderly man, but he was put in check by another officer who called it in. And the rest march on, with their mission in mind, as they have been trained to do.
I see all that, and I don't see a group of dozens of evil men. I see a group of officers trained to face an enemy, to keep the peace, when in fact, the enemy is their community, or at least a very large part of it, that want to be heard, and want change. When I hear that in response to the incident, which again, I don't think involve any officers willfully trying to seriously hurt an old man who did nothing that warranted such force, but did in fact seriously hurt an old man that did nothing that warranted such force, I am reminded of the mindset of us vs them that is so endemic to forces in our country. Each of them believes they are sticking up for two officers who were simply doing their jobs, who did not intend to injure that man, and did so while following their orders and using the amount of force they are trained to use.
And for that, I don't hate them, and I understand their perspective, while also seeing that perspective as part of the problem. I am hopeful for the unique opportunity their decisions could lead to. Has there every been such a perfect test case opportunity? I hope it isn't squandered.
As for the video, I think it is a great example of the systemic problems of tactics and training. They were all geared up for a battle. They are clearly following a military mindset--to keep the peace means to bust some heads, if needed. Some may have to be put down for the greater good and order. Everyone is jacked up for a fight. Adrenaline is running high. Everyone thinks they are in the right.
And then a 75 year old man walks up slowly. He gently puts forth a cell phone that touches a LEO. In response another pushes him--not so hard that I think he intended for him to fall and be seriously hurt, but that is what happened. Right after, the human instinct of guilt and concern from an officer is seen as he starts to bend down to check on the elderly man, but he was put in check by another officer who called it in. And the rest march on, with their mission in mind, as they have been trained to do.
I see all that, and I don't see a group of dozens of evil men. I see a group of officers trained to face an enemy, to keep the peace, when in fact, the enemy is their community, or at least a very large part of it, that want to be heard, and want change. When I hear that in response to the incident, which again, I don't think involve any officers willfully trying to seriously hurt an old man who did nothing that warranted such force, but did in fact seriously hurt an old man that did nothing that warranted such force, I am reminded of the mindset of us vs them that is so endemic to forces in our country. Each of them believes they are sticking up for two officers who were simply doing their jobs, who did not intend to injure that man, and did so while following their orders and using the amount of force they are trained to use.
And for that, I don't hate them, and I understand their perspective, while also seeing that perspective as part of the problem. I am hopeful for the unique opportunity their decisions could lead to. Has there every been such a perfect test case opportunity? I hope it isn't squandered.
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