Re: alfa-digest V7 #853

[Pottree@domain.elided]

In a message dated 7/2/99 10:55:05 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:

<< In many parts of the world, people believe that the
 police's role is to protect the people. I seem to
 recall that the police cars in Modesto CA even stated
 that on their sides ...
 
 > they are reactionary, they punish.   
 
 The Police punish ?? No, I don't believe so. In my
 experience their role has been to gather evidence.
 Don't the courts assess guilt (or otherwise) and then
 determine punishment?
  >>

Here in Los Angeles, the black and whites say "To protect and to serve" on 
the doors.  But it's pretty clear who is being protected, who is being 
served, and who is getting the shit kicked out of them much to the glee of 
certain sadistic officers with death's heads on their caps.  You are 
protected etc. if you are a rich, white real estate tycoon close to the 
mayor, or a cronie of same; you are rousted if you are somehow classed a 
threatening, powerless minority.  This could be racial, psychosexual, based 
on age, based on choice of cars or place you drive your car, or just bad 
luck.  And the sands can be shifting: you could be protected in your Brooks 
Brothers suit at the Jonathan Club during the day, and billie clubbed into a 
coma as you come out of a gay bar later that same night.  The police here 
certainly DO think part of their role is to punish, especially people they 
deem, for whatever reason, dirtbags.  Every year, our LAPD not-that-quietly 
pays out tens of millions of dollars in judgments for false arrest, 
brutality, unlawful taking, up to and including the total demolition of some 
poor family's house with a battering ram -- while they were in it! -- when 
the cops made a little slip up and mistook it for a drug den.  They are our 
knights in black and white, and like knights of old, they protect and serve 
the kings and squash anyone else for good measure or sport.

However, in their favor, they are honest and woe unto the fool who offers a 
bribe!

BTW (Alfa content coming up): guess who gets to pay those judgments?  If I 
had a tax rebate for my share of bailing out the police, I could buy my BW 
what she's currently longing for: a 94 spider in tippy top shape.

Charlie
You-know-where

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