Outrageous Police Action or Not?

**Del Arroyo** · 12-04-2006, 22:55

Gaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!

..

EDIT:

**Husar** · 12-05-2006, 01:04

Any response to that is just too much I agree with what most here said, he was making the police look nice and friendly, since when does that need any appology?
And why do "black community leaders" not like that? Would they prefer him to be nasty and maybe make some racial jokes humiliating them? Why do I get the impression that some people will always complain?

**Blodrast** · 12-05-2006, 03:24

Imo, a valid reason to complain about this is because it's simply not fair.
The law is one, and it should apply equally to everybody. The law says: he litters, he gets a fine. Period. It shouldn't be to the discretion of the cop to do whatever he pleases. He is supposed to apply the law, not change it or interpret(*) it.

(*) Yes, I am aware that in some instances, a certain degree of interpretation will be necessary. However, this was not one of them. Moreover, he already did decide they were guilty of the offense, otherwise there would have been no argument about a ticket (why would they get a ticket if they were innocent to begin with ?).

Was it a nice gesture ? Perhaps. But it's not fair, and it's not what the law says. That makes it wrong.

**Sasaki Kojiro** · 12-05-2006, 04:01

Originally Posted by Blodrast

Imo, a valid reason to complain about this is because it's simply not fair.
The law is one, and it should apply equally to everybody. The law says: he litters, he gets a fine. Period. It shouldn't be to the discretion of the cop to do whatever he pleases. He is supposed to apply the law, not change it or interpret(*) it.

(*) Yes, I am aware that in some instances, a certain degree of interpretation will be necessary. However, this was not one of them. Moreover, he already did decide they were guilty of the offense, otherwise there would have been no argument about a ticket (why would they get a ticket if they were innocent to begin with ?).

Was it a nice gesture ? Perhaps. But it's not fair, and it's not what the law says. That makes it wrong.

That's not the purpose of the law though. It's not about punishment. If people like and respect the police it's better for everyone.

I don't know anyone who drives and has never broken the speed limit.

**Xiahou** · 12-05-2006, 04:36

Originally Posted by Blodrast

Was it a nice gesture ? Perhaps. But it's not fair, and it's not what the law says. That makes it wrong.

That's the only possible angle I see on it. It's definitely not a big deal.

OTOH, if I ever get pulled over for littering, Im going to sue for discrimination if Im not allowed to rap my way out of it.

**doc_bean** · 12-05-2006, 13:48

eh...were they listening to rap music in their car ? If they were it probably means they like the genre and then asking them to rap has little to nothing to do with race.

Cops don't always have to give a ticket when they see an offence, often people get of with a warning, this was a funny way to warn them.

Be outraged when they burst through a door and start shooting everyone in sight, not over something like this.

**Don Corleone** · 12-05-2006, 14:31

I have to agree with Blodrast. I don't view it as racist or abusive so much as the officer assuming an authority he does not have (by design). Personally, the idea of a police officer determining what punishment he sees fit to mete out on the spot is a little spooky.... what happens next time this guy and his buddy get a call to a domestic disturbance? Phonebooks and nightsticks for the male? Only to find out the woman didn't really get hit, she was just mad?

Another detail seems to have eluded everyone. The police officer makes the prediction that the Oakland Raiders will make the Superbowl (all season, this prediciton defies the bounds of reason and by now, impossible, but I have no idea when the video was taped). He then forces the 2 men to agree with him, and then underscores the symbolic act by highlighting and getting group agreement that the reason his prediction is correct is because of his gun and his badge. This troubles me much, much more than the rap stint. He sounds like Judge Dread... "I am the law....".

**Husar** · 12-05-2006, 15:15

Originally Posted by Don Corleone

Another detail seems to have eluded everyone. The police officer makes the prediction that the Oakland Raiders will make the Superbowl (all season, this prediciton defies the bounds of reason and by now, impossible, but I have no idea when the video was taped). He then forces the 2 men to agree with him, and then underscores the symbolic act by highlighting and getting group agreement that the reason his prediction is correct is because of his gun and his badge. This troubles me much, much more than the rap stint. He sounds like Judge Dread... "I am the law....".

The article says they were joking.

About police officers following the law to the letter, what if the law is for example wrong or inhumane? What if the law says beat them to death for littering? Do you expect them to always follow that?
I personally prefer human policemen with a sense of humour instead of robots who apply the law to the last letter and read some paragraphs to me.