Got to respectfully disagree with the Chef.
True everyone makes mistakes but...
Just like a sweet librarian?..."Good for him. It's about time that somebody told these teenagers off."??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GgWrV8TcUc
The only thing that officer did that was wrong was grabbing that kid and getting physical with him as he took his skateboard. Other than that, what did he do that would warrant a firing?
All he did was get loud and intimidating. Umm...
all police officers do that,
especially with younger teens. I don't see a problem with that at all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FedlpshJb4c&feature=related
Fired? - nope - (suspended with pay - and this only because it was on video/youtube)
First of all, they didn't show the whole tape. They just showed a very, very short clip of the situation. From what was shown, all he did was kick that guy's RC car. Sure, he shouldn't have done that, but should that warrant a firing? No. He's a loud police officer...so what? I haven't met a police officer who
isn't loud and stern.
From what is shown in that clip, those officers
immediately started punching and kicking those suspects. From what is shown in that clip, that is wrong and they should be fired for doing so.
But, what happened
before that clip started playing? Why were there so many officers? Was there a dangerous, high speed chase? Did they kill somebody? Did they kill a
police officer? :dunno:
From the way it looks, the police officers were kicking them for no reason. But, maybe there
was a reason. Who knows?
If there was
no reason, then all of the officers who were unnecessarily physical with the suspects should've been fired.
Police officers should be held to a higher standard.
Restaurant managers are not bestowed with the public trust to uphold the law and given the power and authority to potentially take a citizen's life.
If the restaurant manager forces you around, you are allowed to defend yourself. This is not so with a police officer - not because they are above the law - but because of the public trust with which they have been bestowed.
Bus drivers have been bestowed with public trust too. I mean, they drive around in huge buses that weigh thousands of pounds through busy streets and neighborhoods, carrying the potential to kill not only the passengers they carry, but pedestrians as well. So, if a bus driver breaks the law by stealing a DVD, should they be fired? I mean, they have public trust and could potentially take the life of a citizen, so they should have higher standards too, right?
No. Like I said before, being a police officer is their job. They shouldn't be held to some sort of theoretical and societally enforced higher standard just because they put on a badge. Complaining about the police is something that people do
just to do it.
Do we want DUI officers handing out tickets for DUI?
Do we want vegetarians serving us a Big Mac? Do we want fat people helping us lose weight? Do we want gay men telling us how to pick up women?
If they're good at their job and they're helping people, what does it matter if they seem hypocritical?
Also, the best people to get help from are the people who have made the same mistakes that you have. People who want to quit drinking don't talk to somebody who has
never had a sip of alcohol. They get help from somebody who has made the same mistakes that they have.
:2 cents:
If a police officer commits serious criminal acts they are breaking the law and betraying the public trust as well as their oath. This public trust can and should be taken from them.
There's a
huge difference between a
serious criminal act and
forcefully grabbing a teenager's skateboard and yelling at him. Just because a police officer puts on a badge, why should those two things all of a sudden become equals?
:dunno:
This guy didn't make a mistake. Its not like he was gambling with his buddies in his garage. He shot and killed a guy that was lying facedown and unarmed. That is not a mistake.
Obviously there are instances where a police officer
deserves to be fired. Just like there are instances where a computer technician, HR manager or mechanic deserve to be fired.
A cop that drives around drunk should be fired. That isn't a mistake either.
I worked in sales when I got my DUI. Should the sales company that I worked for have fired me? :dunno:
It's a double standard to hold police officers to higher standards than others. They are regular citizens,
just like everybody else. They get up and go to work,
just like everybody else. They will make mistakes,
just like everybody else. Yet, everybody else expects them to be
perfect human beings, 24/7, which is an
unrealistic expectation.
You can't break the laws you are supposed to be upholding. If you do than you shouldn't be allowed to be a cop.
Well, you can't break laws
period. It has nothing to do with being a police officer; you just can't break the law. But, just because you break the law, it doesn't mean that you should be fired for it.
If a police officer gets a speeding ticket, should they be fired?
If a police officer doesn't pay their taxes, should they be fired?
If a police officer beats his wife, should they be fired?
etc...
:dunno:
