Capitol Hill Blue Forums Life and Moral Issues Crime & Punishment When police join a community, great things happen

'Ya know, I'm feeling pretty damn good right now about my hometown, Flint, Michigan, as well as my adopted hometown, Houston, Texas. In both cities, the police chief, instead of inflaming the protests, marched with the protesters, and I have seen cops marching with the protesters in both cities instead of firing gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray. In Houston, when a few troublemakers began causing trouble, the police didn't have to control it. The protesters did, and shut it all down yesterday. Makes me damn proud to be living in Houston, and am also damn proud to be able to call call Flint my hometown. Way to go!! Oakland? Los Angeles? Minneapolis? Watch and learn.

I keep waiting for all those great lessons we learned about effective (v ineffective) counterinsurgency to work their way into policing in America. So far, the crossover appears to be fairly slow and minimal

But concur with you - the best police forces are able to convince the communities that they stand together against outside opponents (in particular, criminals) who would do them harm.

Those who would do the police harm are actually a very small minority. Believing that all who protest are criminals is frankly racist as hell. And, yes, I am qualified as hell to post what I am posting. I live in the middle of Houston's Third Ward, about 3 blocks from MLK Street. My neighbors are not thugs.

I think there will be a protest in my little town. It will be small and orderly. Just like my little town. Our police chief is a tall athletic black man who is loved by everyone who ever met him. Even the people he arrested.

There might be a blurb in the local mullet wrapper about the protest, there might not. Our police department has always been a part of the community.

It takes a special kind of person to be a policeman. I sure couldn't do it.

It sounds great. However, I have been watching TV and noticed that even when the police try to join up there are those, on the other side, that are flat out determined to not make that real easy. I have seen teen-age girls literally screaming at a police chief when all he is trying to do is understand and join in. I suspect there are a number of folks who have witnessed this. It kinda reminds me of the Democratic purists.

I think there are purists on both sides. The Dems have their purists and the Republicans have their "don't give an inchers". When it all boils down they seem to all be on the same page.

So who are the Democratic purists?

The ex said there were upwards of a thousand people. Impassioned speeches on the city hall lawn, everything peaceful and orderly.

With just a little luck all this protesting and demonstrating might make the next cop who wants really bad to torture, maim, or kill a black person think twice before he pulls the trigger...

Yea. If any city has cause to riot and burn it all down, Flint does! Republicans really F****D the people of Flint, poisoned them and then made like who ME!? It will take 50, 75 years or more for all traces of that economic measure to finally go away.