Quote:
|
Originally Posted by MLeake
Uncle Buck, that's a false dichotomy.
I think most of us probably fall into a different category. This category thinks that most cops are good guys, and that LE is an honorable profession. However, there are some jerks out there - some due to attitude, some due to poor training, and some due to overall departmental atmosphere. These are not the majority, nor even a large minority, but pretending they do not exist is just plain stupid.
I interact with officers in a friendly and respectful manner. Of those I've dealt with over the years, I'd say the jerk category probably included 10-15%, but the really good guy category was probably more like 30-40%, and the remainder were professionally aloof.
I don't think those percentages differ too much from those in EMS, military, or other higher-risk professions.
But your either/or grouping is naive and counter-productive, Uncle Buck. I normally would not associate either term with you.
|
I agree that the offered dichotomy isn't fair to the conversation, and would add that almost all groups tend to follow a normal bell curve, but parts of the bell curve may be more easy to observe in some groups. I think that has a lot to do with negative perceptions of attorneys. Couple that with part of police involving confrontational transactions and you have a formula for lots of unpleasant interactions on which you can be judged.
This morning on the way down to the courthouse around which someone is shooting a film, I had a kid with a badge and poor manners stop me by standing in front of me. "Where you goin'?"
I didn't say "Who wants to know?" or "None of your business" or "You've no PC to ask me that!". Life is too short and if we got wrapped around every minute chance to uphold a principle, we'd get very little done. I just pointed to the building.
He didn't share my philosophy, and chose to say "Kay, go 'head!", stand in my way and repeat it. I walked forward moving him out of my way, but that was because I don't condone that sort of rudeness, even in a public employee.