This term is connected to an article written by Sam Harris (huffingtonpost) that relays information about a short film by Dutch politician Geert Wilders that would not be played by the media because of the possible repercussions from the religious group that it supposedly offends.
In response to threats from the Islamic community, the media has refused to air the video to prevent the predicted riotous behavior from the Muslim extremists. While some media outlets chose to air the video, they later retracted the video due to threats from the Islamic community to their staff members.
Threats and acts of riots, murder and other acts of violence have the “all powerful” media, and governments, cowering, trying to keep the extremists at bay and satiated they have “made their point”.
The Muslims that it supposedly offends have threatened to kill the filmmaker, so he is in hiding.
It appears that the message of the Islam religion represents peace, but if you say it isn’t, we will kill you and it will be your fault.
Locally, I recently addressed a women’s group and was sharing some “war stories” about my experience as a police officer.
During the question and answer session, a question was asked as to why police officers allow people to act and talk to them in such a disrespectful manner.
I tried to explain to them that some police departments, including LVMPD, have established policies that won’t allow officers to defend themselves from verbal and character attacks. They are to just stand there and act “professionally”.
So, if you raise your eyebrow, smile, frown, look intimidating, have a “tone”, wish someone a great day, have an exposed tattoo, etc., and the citizen has an issue with you, congratulations, you’ll have Internal Affairs calling you and investigating you for a violation of “Interaction with the public”.
To add insult to injury, the investigating IAB “detective” is usually someone who has seen very little street time and hasn’t had much citizen interaction of their own. And, the inexperienced detective usually has pressure from his supervisor to “convict” the subject officer since a complaint was filed. I’m sure you’d be hard-pressed to find a statue of “Lady Justice” in any office in IAB.
So, officers knowing this do their best not to upset any of their contacts with the public, especially with the well-connected citizens (because the upper administration gets involved) and endure the assaults.
Some departments across the country have adopted a policy that doesn’t allow officers to wish citizens “Have a nice day”, because some citizens have deemed it sarcastic.
Years ago, the public outcry was that a certain breed of police dogs was too “intimidating”. So, departments changed breeds to appease the public.
Again locally, you have noticed a group of well-dressed, African-American men standing in the road at major intersections. No safety equipment, very little respect to traffic laws, impeding traffic while soliciting drivers and berating occupants of vehicles if they don’t contribute to their “cause”.
When police receive complaints about these incidents and officers observe the violations, many times the officers are called on their personal cell phones and told to disregard the violations or to void the ticket they are writing. Many times, the violator will tell the officer “Go ahead and write the ticket, it’ll get dismissed”.
Any other group has to get a solicitors permit, wear safety equipment and probably get a quick lesson on how to work the intersection.
Because of this group’s religious affiliation and connections to the department, they get “carte blanche” to work any intersection at any time, free of any restrictions.
But yet, the police officers working the streets are encouraged to address the homeless that frequent major intersections to solicit funds of their own.
Officers working the predominantly Hispanic and African-American sections of town have been warned, by the administration, of “profiling” their stops, due to embassies and related groups stepping forward and claiming discrimination.
When the area is 80% Hispanic or African-American, what is the percentage of contacts made by police in that area?
And when the police stop someone of other ethnicity in that area, it also becomes a “profiling” issue. It’s a no-win situation.
The department’s stand on these issues is very shaky, at best, and they will avoid any conflict with the embassies or special interest groups, if possible. It is easier for them to chastise the officers working the streets.
Remember the recent video aired on HLN showing an entire football team, including the coaches, assaulting the referee? Not once was it mentioned that the team consisted entirely of African-American males and the referee was white. Had the roles been reversed, I’m sure every type of African-American reverend and civil rights activist would have come crawling out from whatever office, church or rock to protest the racial bias displayed by the team. (story)
Anyone know where we can have a governmental spine transplant? Maybe some testicles?
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