Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

8ad8andit t1_j1irrog wrote

Reply to comment by Bleedthebeat in Where history has been fought by RedTomatoSauce

Well I think it varies in different locations. Areas with deep poverty have a lot more violence than other places.

But otherwise PTSD doesn't come from drawing your gun out of its holster.

It doesn't even come necessarily from violence happening to you.

It comes from being in situations where you fear for your life.

Cops who work very poor and violent neighborhoods are experiencing that everyday.

Trust me, I've lived in neighborhoods where gunshots were a daily occurrence, and even automatic rifles could be heard occasionally. It scared me just to hear it, and I'm not even the one getting the phone call to go check it out every time it happens. That's what cops have to do.

As usual I'm going to get downvoted for daring to suggest that maybe cops could use some empathy.

Unfortunately, the only way to improve human beings is to first empathize and understand what's actually on their plate.

The idea that cops are just this special breed of bad human beings, is stupid. And as long as that is the predominant belief system, nothing will ever change. There will just be this feud that never ends and hurts all of us.

6

Bleedthebeat t1_j1j36l7 wrote

I never said or even implied that they are bad people. Sure I know that sentiment is popular on reddit but that’s not at all the point I was trying to make.

And your points above about the inner city officers. That’s because their departments have failed them by never rotating them out of that environment. Those officers need to spend time in an area with less criminal activity to avoid the problem of seeing all citizens as criminals.

All of our problems with the police could be solved internally but the problem is both sides see themselves as being attacked. In some circumstances that seems justified but we seem to have gone away from the days where officers of the law were tasked with serving the commmunity and are now in the mindset of its us against them.

3

Fishamble t1_j1izpls wrote

I am not from the US, but from the outside the population have a terrible relationship with the police. Going by reddit it appears they recieve no respect, which is nescessary for them to be an affective force.

2