Why are people so down on the police?

See how easy it is to attack my thoughts? Of course they fuck up, they just don't fuck up all the time and when they do get it right they get little to no support certainly from the majority.

Lee_Wood you should UTFS but I'll be nice and give you some examples:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2010/jun/30/police-thefts-bait-bikes

http://www.lfgss.com/post1500436-1138.html

http://www.lfgss.com/thread43202.html

Is that OK for you?

? Do you tip someone else's waiter for giving them adequate service? Say thanks to a bin-man for taking out your neighbours bins? Or are you saying that every time I see a cop doing his job and pulling folk over I should suck his cock/lick her minge in a frenzy of gratitude?

I've never been arrested, pulled over for RLJing or anything because I don't do it. I have been stopped and searched on the most bullshit premises ever, and dealt with rude, arrogant po-po too. Some of my friends have had positively harrowing experiences with police where they have been racially insulted or threatened. I don't think that is reflective of all cops however, and am fully aware it must be a difficult, harrowing job, even if it is one they choose to do.

If I ever require their services and feel they have been helpful, of course I'd thank them, just as I would thank a waiter or a doctor or any other human being. What Van Uden is suggesting from the lofty heights of his soap-box is that we are all mindless cretins who daily scoff at the police because we want to be cool, and that we ignore positive reports of them. Not so. I've read plenty of folk acknowledge good cops on here. Just so happens some people possess the capacity for reason...

As someone else made a waiter comparison before me...

This is basically you saying if we went to a restaurant where waiters often drop plates and fuck up orders we should applaud them whenever they manage to put the correct meal on the table without dropping it.

Doing bad job deserves criticism, doing good job deserves praise. Doing an average job doesn't deserve anything, as that is what is expected. I think you can find in the examples that you provided that in the cases when the police do a good job, praise is given.

Also, anyone who's ever been on Critical Mass (or any other mass gathering or demonstration) knows what utter dicks they can be about that sort of thing. The excellent Bruce Schneier would probably lump this in with the "War On The Unusual" he's been arguing against in a security context ever since the 9/11 knees started jerking.

VanUden, I feel your thoughts have been justifiably SHOT DOWN. Nice thread start though, people are making a lot of sense

PS I think your post was pretty spot on, Gregorio.

Van Uden, like me, is a well spoken middle aged white male. Maybe your general opinions of police benevolence are a little less rosy...

In defence of Van Uden's OP, it doesn't hurt to make a noise when they do get things right, I applaud that sentiment, however hard I find that to admit. I have always mistrusted the Police. And I will continue to do so.

Of the three examples you gave from the forum - one can't be easily viewed by many, one is in a thread for inconsequential EPIC WINS and the third had a whole page of positive commentary PLUS the followup thread to that one was nearly two pages long full of positive commentary. Consequently, I disagree that posts about police doing a good job get largely ignored on this forum. The difference is that they don't spark up a debate that rages on for 4 pages

21 posts, and it was started yesterday - but that is nitpicking

But surely that is to be expected? After all, police, who's duty is the protection of our civil liberties and rights, should not fuck up - their fuck ups results in more than just someone suffering a little injustice or an unfair beating but in the undermining of a system which is meant to keep both our rights and ourselves safe.

I disagree that stating dissatisfaction at police fuck ups (which in my opinion happen way too often) is childish or counter-productive in the slightest - the ways in which we can genuinely complain against police who do a poor job are few and far between, therefore we take advantage of any means available including ranting on the internet.

I agree that when police do a good job - an above average job - they deserve commendation. It just so happens that the standards of what constitutes a good job in public perception are set quite high; or better yet, they have not fallen together with the falling standards of what an 'average job' is.

Finally, it is hardly a surprise that good performance is often (and sometimes only) applauded by those who benefit them - especially when most people are still affected by poor service. When your waiter fucks up your service but the table across from you gets the best waiter in the world you don't stand up and write a review about how great the waiters were in Restaurant Chez Pig.

I realy shoudn't get dragged in to this...

Can you highight where I have concentrated on the negative on the subject matter. I don't think I have.

I have concentrated on the negatives of your approach though and to be honest accusing me of trading personal insults is a litte rich. 1 because well I haven't, 2 because, your opening posts suggests that people hold opinions based on nothing more than a desire to be cool and that they are therefore immature is hardly the most respectful of opening shots and makes you complaining about insults just a touch hypocritical in my opinon, 3 because your reply when I asked you too back up your viewpoint was undeniably condescending and franky why should I research evidence to back up your viewpoint, and 4 because based on this thread and the fact that your whole argument seems to be "I'm right, you're wrong" I don;t think that sugggesting that you aren't one of lifes great thinkers is entirely unreasonable.

But you are making ad hominem statements, masked as fact.

You dismiss criticism of the police as simply "trying to be cool". This attacks the person, not the argument.

Insults are just insults, and don't get in the way of debate, they just add colour.

Not at all, the examples I gave all demonstrate my point and there are plenty of others on the forum should you care to look for them. And I'm not the only person on this thread who believes this to be the case. Of course there was an element of provocation to my opening post but that's plain to see. As for being sanctimonious - so what? You're behaving no differently. Besides, you've got 'troll' written all over you, have only just gotten over your fit of potty-mouth, and haven't added anything of real relevance to the subject.

Resent the troll accusation. Pointing out the gaping flaws in your argument isn't being a troll- I contributed to the argument as many others have, and have been recognised by others as such. Your 3 threads 'proving' your point out of how many thousand on here have been addressed by other posters, you didn't respond. As for me being sanctimonious-look the meaning up. I'm not self righteously decrying the unknown masses on this forum apparently beying for police blood but supporting the fact that most people on here are reasonable individuals who aren't grandstanding like you are. Now, try re-reading the posts and actually getting to grips with the concept that making massive generalisations under the now adopted pretext of 'provocation' doesn't constitute much of an argument.

And potty mouth? STFU, pizzle starved twunt.