Is it really "us-vs-them?"

[fireblade]

great am getting stopped by the police...... sir .......how many bags of popcorn have you had tonight......

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

The us vs. them attitude goes both ways. Unfortunately for me and my fellow LEOs on INGO that attitude is displayed more by the non-LEOs than it is by the LEOs. I don't partake in it on LEO-related forums and I don't partake in it here, but I'm still made out to be the bad guy only because of the career I chose. I can honestly say that being a member of INGO has caused me to change my attitude toward gun owners to a more positive one, but every broad generalization about me based on something another LEO did erodes that positive attitude a little bit each time. I try to give law-abiding gun owners the benefit of the doubt and I do my best to treat them well, all I ask is for the same consideration.

 

[HCRMPD1]

Well, as a LEO myself, I only have this to offer:

Dear Mr. Citizen,

Well, Mr. Citizen, it seems you've figured me out. I seem to fit neatly into the category where you've placed me. I'm stereotyped, standardized, characterized, classified, grouped, and always typical. Unfortunately, the reverse is true..I can never figure you out.

From birth you teach your children that I'm the bogeyman, then you're shocked when they identify with my traditional enemy..the criminal! You accuse me of coddling criminals......until I catch your kids doing wrong.

You may take an hour for lunch and several coffee breaks each day, but point me out as a loafer for having one cup. You pride yourself on your manners, but think nothing of disrupting my meals with your troubles. You even expect me to solve the problems you took years to create in a matter of minutes.

You raise hell with the guy who cuts you off in traffic, but let me catch you doing the same thing and I'm picking on you. You know all the traffic laws...but you've never gotten a single ticket you deserve. You shout "foul" if you observe me driving fast to a call, but raise the roof if I take more than ten seconds to respond to your complaint.

You call it part of my job if someone strikes me, but call it police brutality if I strike back.

You wouldn't think of telling your dentist how to pull a tooth or your doctor how to take out an appendix, yet your always willing to give me pointers on the law.

You talk to me in a manner that would get you a bloody nose from anyone else, but expect me to take it without batting an eye.

You yell something's got to be done to fight crime, but you can't be bothered to get involved or want to remain anonymous.

You have no use for me at all, but of course it's OK if I change a flat for your wife, deliver your child in the back of the patrol car, or perhaps save your son's life with mouth to mouth breathing, or work many hours overtime looking for your lost daughter.

So, Mr. Citizen, you can stand there on your soapbox and rant and rave about the way I do my work, calling me every name in the book, but never stop to think that your property, family, or maybe even your life depends on me or one of my friends in blue, brown or green.

Yes, Mr. Citizen, it's me...the lousy cop!

So, since you believe that it is US VS YOU, the next time someone has stolen something from your car and you need an insurance report, you have a car accident that wasn't your fault and you need an insurance report, your house gets broken into while you're not home and you want your property recovered, or someone murders someone you care about - maybe you'll sit back and think that maybe....just maybe...these men and women are not that bad after all.

If not, pin on a badge and come out and show the bad officers how to do it right!!!!

 

[Loco179]

 

[phylodog]

I've decided I don't give a **** anymore.

You want to accuse me of being untrustworthy? I don't give a ****.

You want to accuse me of covering up for other police officers? I don't give a ****.

You want to hold me responsible for the actions of a state trooper in Idaho? I don't give a ****.

I sleep well at night. That's not typical of someone who lives a less than honorable life. I've busted my ass to get where I am and I would have made a far better criminal than cop but I decided long ago that I didn't want to live that life. You want to strip all of that away from me because of **** you read on the internet or an experience you had with someone else? I don't give a ****.

I'm going to continue doing what I do. 14 years without a complaint. 14 years without being sued. 14 years without being arrested, indicted or suspended. I'm fine. I don't give a **** what anybody else thinks anymore.

****ing awesome thread by the way. Threads like this are great at ensuring the "Us vs them" mentality never dies. Like Kirk mentioned in another thread, if it's "us" (cops) versus "them" (non cops) and someone wants to start a list of all the ****ed up **** the two groups do, have at it. I'll be more than happy to be in the "us" group once the lists are complete.

 

[rambone]

 

[NYFelon]

I understand the point OP is making. But how long a list would it be if we listed the same time period for almost any other occupation? The same? Longer?

There's not much media interest in "Custodian arrested in child porn ring", or "Engineers suspected of being student stand ins at math tests".

Again, custodians and the like don't have power over other's lives to the extent police do, but I think you'd find the list of other professions arrested/charged/convicted in the same time period to be longer.

 

[scatwater]

Rep added for this I actually laughed out loud.

 

[griffin]

On the whole, I'll take a cop I don't know watching my 6 rather than you.

Cops aren't paid to watch your 6. Neither am I. I hope you are providing for your own protection.

 

[TravisJ]

I don't trust anyone I don't know personally, cops included. Cops are people the same as anyone else except they have more power, in my experience the more power someone has the more likely they are to abuse that power. I don't just dislike all cops, but if you are a cop don't expect me to trust you just because you have a badge. And when I run into a cop that treats me like a criminal with no reason, it's only human nature to think the next one might be like that too.

 

[Manatee]

Why would a police officer "watch your six"? In what situation are you referring to?

In almost any situation. If someone carries a badge, there is an expectation of integrity. I don't have that same expectation of almost anyone else.

When I was in the military, I had the same expectation of any other guy in uniform. That didn't extend to civilians.

As I said: Dumb thread.

 

[griffin]

Both sides also have folks who take crap way too personally

You made good points, until this. I disagree with you on this. Most people don't take things personally enough. If they did, neither the police nor the government would behave the way they do.

 

[Bunnykid68]

Times have certainly changed, growing up I had Officer Friendly(Jerry Helms). We were taught we could always trust police and almost any grownups if we were in trouble. Now all we ever see in the media is officers and grownups doing bad things which makes it hard to trust officers and grownups both.

My biggest problem with officers is that they are the force behind the law, even the stupid laws.

Let me ask this to the officers here that I respect because they are willing to have these conversations with me and others. My tail light or license plate light is burned out, you pull me over, do you just let me know that my light is out or do you ask for my papers as well?

 

[griffin]

I try to give law-abiding gun owners the benefit of the doubt

If we're law-abiding, why do we need the benefit of the doubt in the first place? You aren't "giving" us anything.

 

[phylodog]

If we're law-abiding, why do we need the benefit of the doubt in the first place? You aren't "giving" us anything.

Sure he is. He's giving the exact thing you're not giving in return.

 

[RockofStrength]

You made good points, until this. I disagree with you on this. Most people don't take things personally enough. If they did, neither the police nor the government would behave the way they do.

But an internet discussion with people you neither know nor can see is not the place for your passion. Yelling at cops or civilians on INGO because of a comment someone else made is pointless. Making hypothetical little anecdotes to prove your point purely to spite someone else is pointless. Getting Butthurt because someone on INGO doesn't trust cops period or because someone calls for more understanding in a bad cop situation is pointless.

In short, calm the heck down folks. It's a friggin internet forum.

 

[lucky4034]

ftw

 

[griffin]

calm the heck down folks. It's a friggin internet forum.

These internet forums are where we disseminate information on new laws, post letters and replies from the state legislature, and encourage others to call and write their representatives.

These internet forums are where we share experiences, ask questions that we don't know where else to ask, give advice, and help each other out.

These internet forums allow us to meet--online and maybe even in person--people we may have never had the opportunity to meet otherwise, are often the genesis and catalyst for lasting friendships, and can cause someone to drive 500 miles to attend a funeral for someone they may have never even met in person.

But yeah, it's just a friggin internet forum.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

If we're law-abiding, why do we need the benefit of the doubt in the first place? You aren't "giving" us anything.

Because you get pissed off when I just assume you are a criminal until you prove otherwise. Which is how I am regularly treated so why not treat others the same way? I'm sure you would be happier if all LEOs had the "**** you" attitude.

 

[Bunnykid68]

I am not naming names but I remember someone making bunny slippers out of someones relative