Comments on: Dog Days of Summer http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2007/08/07/dog-days-of-summer/ A dissident twist of reality... Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:10:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Xman http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2007/08/07/dog-days-of-summer/#comment-10473 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 18:20:40 +0000 http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2007/08/07/dog-days-of-summer/#comment-10473 I agree with you guys. They have a very challenging job and it is all but impossible to remain objective and professional in it....especially, when the "parents" of our country (bushies) provide such a rotten example themselves...and seem to send the message that the end justifies the means. I agree, the more stressed out war vets we get in tough situations, the more trouble we will see. I think the guard members are a little more even handed due to maturity, age, etc. than the young guys who are pretty much "shaped" in the image of one dimensional killing machines...and don't have the tools to know any better. And I don't believe the BS that most cops don't want to pull their guns. It is the ultimate reality game and shooting "cruds" is protected behavior. I agree with you guys. They have a very challenging job and it is all but impossible to remain objective and professional in it….especially, when the “parents” of our country (bushies) provide such a rotten example themselves…and seem to send the message that the end justifies the means.
I agree, the more stressed out war vets we get in tough situations, the more trouble we will see. I think the guard members are a little more even handed due to maturity, age, etc. than the young guys who are pretty much “shaped” in the image of one dimensional killing machines…and don’t have the tools to know any better.
And I don’t believe the BS that most cops don’t want to pull their guns. It is the ultimate reality game and shooting “cruds” is protected behavior.

]]> by: Indigobusiness http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2007/08/07/dog-days-of-summer/#comment-10471 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 18:01:17 +0000 http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2007/08/07/dog-days-of-summer/#comment-10471 Not "Iraqi war vets", but veterans of the war in Iraq. I should be more careful. I just saw a prison documentary, it's no wonder officers get so over-amped when dealing with hard cases. But I miss the days when I could encounter a policeman without feeling like a simple misunderstanding could make my life miserable. Seems like everyone has a hair-trigger these days. Not “Iraqi war vets”, but veterans of the war in Iraq.
I should be more careful.

I just saw a prison documentary, it’s no wonder officers get so over-amped when dealing with hard cases. But I miss the days when I could encounter a policeman without feeling like a simple misunderstanding could make my life miserable. Seems like everyone has a hair-trigger these days.

]]> by: Indigobusiness http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2007/08/07/dog-days-of-summer/#comment-10419 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 23:29:26 +0000 http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2007/08/07/dog-days-of-summer/#comment-10419 I feel much the same, and y'all said it better than I could've, but it is a frightening contemporary dilemma -the need for law and order, and a dependence on predominantly out-of-control lawmen. Wait 'til the police ranks are filled with Iraqi war vets. I feel much the same, and y’all said it better than I could’ve, but it is a frightening contemporary dilemma -the need for law and order, and a dependence on predominantly out-of-control lawmen.

Wait ’til the police ranks are filled with Iraqi war vets.

]]> by: JoeC http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2007/08/07/dog-days-of-summer/#comment-10392 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 15:20:28 +0000 http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2007/08/07/dog-days-of-summer/#comment-10392 I'm not fond of the term pig either, for cops, messy eaters, or anybody. It's been overused and, even if you want to put down somebody, it's just not creative anymore. Besides, my neighbor is a policeman, and a really nice guy, and even though it's a low-crime nice neighborhood, it's still makes me feel a little bit safer when I see his cruiser parked in the driveway across the street. Naturally, a job description that involves wearing a weapon and having authority over other people will attract a certain ammount of undesirable folks to the occupation, and that's bad. But, on the other hand, the police departments should (and probably do...) take this as an opportunity to train those undesirables and win them over from the dark side and turn those people into a force for good. Naturally, they can't be 100% effective doing this. But like you said, there ARE a lot of corrupt law enforcement folks out there. And, on the other hand, on the way to work this morning, I saw two cruisers in a parking lot and at first worried if I was over the speed limit or not...until I noticed the cops were busy getting a shirtless skinhead to lie on his stomach and stretch out his hands so they could approach and handcuff him...those guys must be under a LOT of stress. I’m not fond of the term pig either, for cops, messy eaters, or anybody. It’s been overused and, even if you want to put down somebody, it’s just not creative anymore. Besides, my neighbor is a policeman, and a really nice guy, and even though it’s a low-crime nice neighborhood, it’s still makes me feel a little bit safer when I see his cruiser parked in the driveway across the street.

Naturally, a job description that involves wearing a weapon and having authority over other people will attract a certain ammount of undesirable folks to the occupation, and that’s bad. But, on the other hand, the police departments should (and probably do…) take this as an opportunity to train those undesirables and win them over from the dark side and turn those people into a force for good. Naturally, they can’t be 100% effective doing this.

But like you said, there ARE a lot of corrupt law enforcement folks out there. And, on the other hand, on the way to work this morning, I saw two cruisers in a parking lot and at first worried if I was over the speed limit or not…until I noticed the cops were busy getting a shirtless skinhead to lie on his stomach and stretch out his hands so they could approach and handcuff him…those guys must be under a LOT of stress.

]]> by: Xman http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2007/08/07/dog-days-of-summer/#comment-10391 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:50:59 +0000 http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2007/08/07/dog-days-of-summer/#comment-10391 I've never been able to bring myself to use the term "pig" in reference to cops. It just seems so harsh to paint them all with that brush. I've got a number of childhood friends and relatives who are cops too and know they don't fit the Pig stereotype. I just know better. However, there are quite a lot of bad cops out there and the way the system works, allows bad cops to stay employed. Police unions are rather one dimensional. They just fight for their guys, right or wrong. Some departments lower entry some standards in order to increase recruitment. Unfortunately, loosening psychological testing standards lets a few unstable characters in which can infect others. Bullies bully fellow (and less agressive) cops into silence and submission as well as they do the public. Police training focuses in large part on good community relation development, but a large part also assumes a very adversarial stance with certain segments. When I grew up, cops walked a beat or they were easily approachable. We had normal conversations. I knew they were like us. I loved seeing them in action when they just used those good strong, firm (but somehow, still friendly and human) words to get someone in line. Now, whole squads of storm trooper looking guys show up and shoot to death some crazy, waving a paring knife when turning on the garden hose might have done the trick..or just tackling them...or just plain talking to them. Unfortunately, some idiot cop school professor decided on abusive submission language as the most effective method for all situations. I could go on, but the point is, even someone like me who knows lots of cops, now knows they are potentially dangerous to anyone, not just real bad guys. I don't trust them anymore. I even find that my friends and relatives stay off the subject. Such polarization is not healthy for anyones health or safety. But I still can't bring myself to use the word Pig. I’ve never been able to bring myself to use the term “pig” in reference to cops. It just seems so harsh to paint them all with that brush. I’ve got a number of childhood friends and relatives who are cops too and know they don’t fit the Pig stereotype. I just know better.
However, there are quite a lot of bad cops out there and the way the system works, allows bad cops to stay employed. Police unions are rather one dimensional. They just fight for their guys, right or wrong. Some departments lower entry some standards in order to increase recruitment. Unfortunately, loosening psychological testing standards lets a few unstable characters in which can infect others. Bullies bully fellow (and less agressive) cops into silence and submission as well as they do the public. Police training focuses in large part on good community relation development, but a large part also assumes a very adversarial stance with certain segments. When I grew up, cops walked a beat or they were easily approachable. We had normal conversations. I knew they were like us. I loved seeing them in action when they just used those good strong, firm (but somehow, still friendly and human) words to get someone in line. Now, whole squads of storm trooper looking guys show up and shoot to death some crazy, waving a paring knife when turning on the garden hose might have done the trick..or just tackling them…or just plain talking to them. Unfortunately, some idiot cop school professor decided on abusive submission language as the most effective method for all situations.
I could go on, but the point is, even someone like me who knows lots of cops, now knows they are potentially dangerous to anyone, not just real bad guys. I don’t trust them anymore. I even find that my friends and relatives stay off the subject. Such polarization is not healthy for anyones health or safety. But I still can’t bring myself to use the word Pig.

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