This video would be considered racist today.
I was watching some Police body cam videos the other day and it was interesting. You find yourself rooting for the Police most of the time. It is interesting, but some people apparently feel they can negotiate their arrest. When the Policeman says, "you're under arrest!" they reply, "no, I'm not!"
It doesn't work that way. While watching these bodycam videos, you come away with a newfound respect and sympathy for the Police. They have a level of patience I could never achieve. Frankly, I would have beaten or shot the suspects in many of these videos, early on, as they try to fight with me or pull that "Sovereign Citizen" crap.
Police chase videos are the same way. Some jackass in a stolen car is going 140 MPH on the street and after they "PIT" maneuver him, the perp jumps out and runs away, only to be tackled by the cops. Adrenalin is running high and the temptation is to beat the shit out of the guy. Usually, they show some restraint. I would not be so kind. Good thing I'm not a cop!
I mentioned to a Police officer about body cameras and whether he felt they hindered his job. After all, if you punch a suspect on camera, you could get in trouble - and some Policemen do. But he was supportive of body cameras as he felt they protected the Police from false accusations of Police brutality and also helped show the public how hard their job actually is. It was an interesting take!
I ran into a former DC Metro officer and we were talking about the state of that once award-winning transit system. When we lived in DC, the system was immaculately clean and fairly reliable. Over time, it seemed, it just got better, with scheduled trains and lighted signage telling you when the next train was coming. But there were pretty strict rules, however. No food or drink was allowed on the Metro! As a result, there was little or no litter, discarded wrappers or cups, rats, or track fires.
I recall, a few years after we left, a brouhaha erupted on social media (boo! hiss!) because an employee was ticketed for eating a sandwich on the train. People who never lived in DC or rode the Metro weighed in with their uninformed opinions. "No one should get a ticket for eating! How do they expect us to remain hydrated if we can't drink!" And as you might expect, the once spotless Metro system is now littered with garbage and you are better off standing up that sitting in a seat with someone's dinner spilled in it.
Most of us obey the rules because we understand why they exist. Naturally, we are chagrined when we are caught breaking the rules. No one likes getting a speeding ticket - but logical people realize there is no point arguing with a cop. "Tell it to the Judge!" is a phrase as old as time. And I have gotten many a speeding ticket and been "cuffed and stuffed" so I know how it goes. It never pays off to argue with a cop - they won't let you go as a result. Sometimes, if you talk nicely to them and explain yourself, it might work. But once they say, "put your hands behind your back!" the time for talk has ended.
Recently, worldwide, there has been a shift rightward in politics as many look toward authoritarianism as a solution to perceived social problems. I say, "perceived" as actual crime rates are down. But if all you watch is Police body cam videos and Fox News, you might believe the criminals are taking over. It is an echo of the past, when the Wiemar Republic was perceived as weak and people clamored for a strong-man to set things right.
California is usually ground zero for wacky Leftist thinking, and during CoVid,, they were letting criminals go free on appearance tickets. There was talk about abolishing bail and they actually passed a law decriminalizing shoplifting for amounts under $995. That law was recently rescinded.
Similarly, a homeless "crises" erupted on the West Coast as laws about camping in public spaces were relaxed. People who played by the rules, stayed off drugs, went to work every day, and paid their taxes on time, felt that their rights were being subjugated to some drug-addicted bum. At least that's the way some folks felt.
Throw in a few riots, looting, and a takeover of several city blocks, and people get the idea that government has lost its way. And even though border crossings have decreased in recent years, some folks still feel they are being overwhelmed by refugees who often appear to have more rights than they do. Never mind whether it is actually true or not, that is the way some folks feel.
In response to all of this, the Democrats come out with... preferred pronouns - which you'd better use, buster, or you'll lose your job and career! Congratulations! You are now one of the sainted homeless!
Again, that's the perception - that while we might have real problems, the Democrats are re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. And worse yet, none of this is up for discussion. Whether it is fair or not for a transgender person to compete in sports is a question you are not allowed to ask. Whether minors should have hormone therapies or operations is also not up for discussion. And we wonder why we lost the election. Republicans paid attention to the concerns of voters while Democrats pandered to people who threatened not to vote.
Of course, all of these flames were fanned by foreign (Russian) influences. And just as many were pushed further to the Right, many others were pushed further to the Left. Republicans are clutching their peals over the murder of the United Healthcare CEO (Update on my Medicare journey- I am re-thinking using United Healthcare/AARP for supplemental insurance!). What puzzles them is how so many people, particularly young people, seem to be cheering this on.
I noted before how assassination never works - and often backfires. It seems the only result of this latest episode will be to increase security (and no doubt pay) for corporate CEOs. Whether the murder of one man changes how our healthcare system works, seems less likely. That doesn't mean there weren't real underlying issues involved. And funny how little effort is spent catching the serial murderer of hookers, while one CEO gets the entire FBI and State and City Police forces to act. (To be fair, they just caught the guy - over a decade-and-half later). Police protection, like healthcare, is rationed - and the richer you are, the better off you will be, whether perpetrator or victim.
I recounted before how my detached bicep won't be repaired under my insurance, unless it affected my ability to work. This was one of the things mentioned by "Luigi" - that medical care is only essential to your ability to be a productive citizen. That is to say, of use to corporate America. And of course, you should, as Elon Musk exhorts, have lots of children so as to feed the machine with more raw meat. Funny thing,, Hitler also exhorted Germans to have more cannon fodder kids as well!
I noted also, that the Mayo clinic wanted a $5000 deposit before they would see me about my stroke. Once I am on Medicare, this limitation is dropped - provided, of course, that President Musk hasn't abolished Medicare by March of next year. Let's face it - our profit-driven medical system is broken. Sure, I know a few smug people who have good jobs where they have great insurance coverage. They live in fear of losing their jobs and becoming "one of us." Corporate health insurance is one way to chain people to their desks, to be sure.
A lot of young people, particularly those who were snookered by worthless college degrees and onerous student loans, feel the system is stacked against them. Again, this is how they feel, again amplified by outside forces. You might think they just made shitty financial choices. Maybe the latter is true, but then again, when I was in my 20's, no one ever offered my ruinous credit offers. And I did buy my first house at age 22 - with government help. Yes, we did have a lot of things easier back then and we should recognize that.
But regardless of what you believe, it isn't hard to see why some (mostly older) are moving rightward and some others (mostly younger) are moving left. The divide also neatly falls along financial lines. I know "younger" people born into wealth who are convinced they deserved all of it and moreover not only should they pay less taxes, but none at all. Should any of us win the billion-dollar lottery, I am sure we would feel the same way. Mine! Gimmie! It is human nature. Where's my damn Social Security check?
I am not sure what the point of all of this is, other than it isn't as hard as one might think to understand why we seem so divided as a country. You just have to put yourself in the other guy's shoes for a moment, and suddenly it makes "sense" - from their perspective, at least.
