SNIP If it really was that bad it would be in the news and not in your heads.:idea:
I reject your premise about the nonexistence of matters not reported in the news. Local matters are not much reported in the national news by ABC, CNN, CBS, etc.
Traditional news outlets are losing ground to the internet, and have been for several years.
The bad-policing information got
into my head by looking for it and being alert for new sources.
Google
Will Grigg, a blogger who tracks, highlights, and offers critical analysis of bad cops.
Also, google
Injustice Everywhere, a blog that keeps track of local news reports of bad policing.
And, google
OverKill: the Rise of Paramilitary Police in America. Google, too, its author, Radley Balko, another chronicler of bad policing.
Also, "it" got into my head by way of (gasp!) critical thinking. At one level, a person can view cell-phone videos and watch news reports. At another level, one can look for things beyond what is presented, and ask questions. All it takes is a little bit of thinking beyond the actual information in the video or news report. I'll give a few examples to highlight.
Last year a homeless person in the west was mortally beaten by police, the victim dying shortly after in the hospital. The hospital bed photo was widely circulated on the internet. A witness or two uploaded their cell phone video. There is no doubt the homeless man was already subdued and the beting was gratuitous. There were 4-6 six beater cops.
The previous year, a college student in Maryland was beaten by police after a game. The college security camera video disappeared, eventually to be "found" by the security office. The cops were on that street corner as crowd control. Three or four cops were involved in the brutality, and a number of others were within feet and yards.
So, here is the example of thinking beyond what is merely presented. The example is in the form of a question: What are the odds that the
only six bad cops in the homeless man's city just happened to be at that scene at that time?
Same for the college student. What are the odds that the only three bad cops in the whole city just happened to be on that street corner at that time? And, what are the odds that the only cops who would turn a blind eye or lie or not report the incident to the investigation (until the video tape resurfaced) were exactly the few cops nearby? Also noteworthy is that official video tapes that would support claims of police abuse seem to have a high incidence of "technical problems" of some sort. So much so, that a couple years ago a justice in a state appellate court in the south (Mississipi, Lousiana, Alabama?) took official notice of it in his dissent.
Here is another highlight. A few years ago (2-3), the public started videoing cops more and more. And, cops started seizing cell phones, threatening arrest, and in some cases manhandling the video-ers. Since then a number of courts have come down saying videoing cops is protected by the First Amendment, and the police reaction has become a lot less. So, today it is less of an issue than it was just two years ago. But, I paid some attention as it unfolded.
Now, it is totally a no-brainer that recording a public official executing his duties in public would be protected by the First Amendment. And, the police justifications for the seizures and threats were facially specious. And, we all have the right to be free from all restraint and interference unless by clear and unquestionable authority of law.
(Union Pacific Rail Co. vs Botsford, quoted and revalidated in
Terry v Ohio)
There are the obvious abuses against cell video-ers. But, there are two other points. Across this great land, while this issue was more live, I found
exactly and
only one cop who advocated the rights of the video-ers in writing to the rest of the police world. The public silence of police was deafening. And, what kind of man just up and seizes another human being's property without clear and unquestionable authority of law? There were no crimes being committed, there was no probable cause even as a warrant exception for those seizures, and certainly no justification for the threats of arrest. What kind of man threatens to kidnap another human being for being a good citizen?
And, what kind of men keep silent about it?
There are "good" cops out there. They need to speak up and get rid of the bad ones, of which there are far more than might be supposed if one only counts those who take bribes, sell drugs, etc.
