Another reason why I despise cops. That is just pathetic.

Also there have been some protests throughout Oakland over the past couple days, a couple turned into some gay pseudo-rioting that destroyed civilian property instead of targeting those responsible. Californians don't know how to protest for shit.

I've been having something of a pseudo-debate with the guys over at HXCBoards about this. I think we should all be outraged by this incident (as well as others like it), but it seems the immediate gut response to this senseless brutality is to create more of it. I've seen comments from one person, for example, condoning the action of battering and killing hundreds of cops to make a point to the authorities.

I, of course, disagree wholeheartedly. I think we need to make our outrage plain to the authorities when instances like this happen, but I also feel the most effective thing we could do is not to add more violence into the perpetuating cycle, but rather strive to use our imaginations in carving a new culture-within-culture where we can proactively demonstrate to the police that not only are we opposed to their methods, but we ourselves will choose to live outside of them inasmuch as it is possible to do so.

Cops are human. Just like us. And they'll all make just as many mistakes as we make. Even the "good cops."

Edit: Not to dismiss the incident at all. Its horrible and evil. But I feel like if you are to hate cops in general then you might as well just hate the human race in general. If we were all in that position of power, I'm sure we would fuck up to. Maybe not in the form of murder, but we'd certainly fuck up.

I agree with Yvonne entirely.

I was going to say more but I really don't need to.

Also, the only stories you ever hear emphasized by the media are the ones about police brutality and such.

Interesting note, this happened about ten miles away from where I live.

I can understand not joining the ranks of a police force, but not supporting them at all? That seems pretty ridiculous. Obviously you wouldn't support them if they were involved in something you found immoral, but what if they were looking for a dangerous criminal?

What if you saw something potentially dangerous? Would you just try to handle it yourself or ignore it and not tell anyone? Endangering others seems pretty non-Christian to me....

And when cops are doing "good" things out there, they need our moral support as well. They are risking their lives to stop a dangerous person/gang/situation/whatever.

Perhaps I was a little simplistic when I wrote that last sentence. It does seem that, in extreme circumstances, cooperation with police forces would lend itself to the greater good and the most effective means of keeping order. With that said, I would probably suggest that we minimise our dependence on them in as much as its possible. It's very challenging and in come cases impossible to live separately from the way the world has set up its systems, so in the event that certain individuals do become uncontrollably harmful to others, the "law enforcement" process is a necessary (and inescapable) evil.

What I'd personally propose is gathering together in our own communities and striving to create an alternative culture which functions on nonviolent direct action and social cohesion as a primary means to tackle crime issues, which would then serve as a living protest to the violence inherent in the law enforcement process. While it's sometime inevitable to have to rely on such systems, that doesn't automatically infer we should then resign ourselves to futility that nothing morally preferable could be carved out as an alternative.

I've considered becoming a police officer for most of my life, but I don't think I ever will.

My views are pretty different from most people here when it comes to that stuff though.

i'd rather be an outlaw

if such were possible in this day and age, hell yes.

Oh wait I'm sure it is in 3rd world countries.

Life Plan K established, should A through J fail.