The following piece was an article written by me, in response to an artpiece which said F--k the Police...and the "artist" was holding it up as a social commentary to supposedly show how one community rightfully, held the police in contempt. She feels that a certain community is being unfairly targeted by the police and that this graffiti is a rightous response of the community toward police.....
The police are not a religious group…You can not go to hell for critical statements aimed at this group….They are men and women doing a
job. You could leave it there…they do a
dangerous job for which they receive a paycheck.
Or you can look a bit further….they are ordinary men and women who choose to do a dangerous job,
putting their lives on the line every day for which they receive a paycheck.
Ordinary men and women….placed day in and day out in situations where they must keep the majority of law abiding citizens safe from those who would do harm to them or their property.
Each call that a police officer responds to, is a potential death call for them. It is a potential loss of parent, spouse, child, sibling for the family of these officers. And the alertness, and caution that a police officer exhibits may make the difference as to whether they, or indeed,
any other innocent person involved lives or dies.
When anyone adds to the stress of that situation by being beligerent, demanding, hysterical, or disobedient, it heightens the chances that the officers get distracted and things can and do go very wrong…..When a officer enters unknown situations, it can be unclear as to where the danger lies…..being able to quickly decern that danger and neutralize it, can make the difference in having a positive outcome…
There
are corrupt officers…even, I would venture to say...
entire departments. I remember in earlier years in my town, investigations into gambling, payoffs, and infiltration by the KKK of our local sheriff’s department….it was horrifying to our community and we were very ashamed, as a community, that corrupt officers had managed to control our town....They were dismissed from the department and prosecuted…..Another incident, from a neighboring community, was a group of officers who were running a car theft ring…..they were routed out and prosecuted…I’m sure there are corrupt officers on our force today…We depend on people being aware of what is going on in our community and helping to identify and prosecute anyone who abuses this trust and power….so
watchfulness, and
reporting any allegations is
very responsible and important.
Where a very important line can be crossed, is
irresponsible and
blanket, vilification. Watchfulness of a group entrusted with our safety is healthy…..However, encouraging criminals or young people, easily influenced, to disrespect and hate the entire group entrusted with our safety, is unconscionable. To belittle, denigrate, derogate, only causes more hate, more misunderstandings, and more violence in the end.
To educate the public on their civil rights is important and right. To cause one group to think their civil rights are more important than another’s, is irresponsible. No one group of us is more important than another, no one is entitled to more or less than any other.
It is better to try to light a candle than to curse the darkChinese Proverb
Change does not have to happen by vilifying…..be a light for change…people will follow a bright flame. Be what you want the world to be.
The following are some of the comments that were written about this article:
Jaybe
So very well said Ginger and I agree totally. Having worked with teens for the last 10 years, I always tried to create a harmonious relationship with the local police and we achieved it. The young people even made a DVD and the police took part. We can’t endorse ‘anti-police’ behaviour – they’re just doing a job with limited resources and really don’t get paid enough for what they have to put up with. Saying that, neither do the Armed Forces and many other uniformed service people…but don’t get me started! xx
Ginger Barritt replied
Jaybe, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you….not just for commenting…but for working with teens for a positive all around result…I can’t tell you how fantastic I think you are…
Sally
Ginger, An intelligent writing filled with wisdom and knowledge..Thank you…and letus please remember our brave policemen, firemen and transit police who died on9/11 and those that were injured and those who went to clean up in the aftermathof the terrorist attack….Bless you!!!! Sally xxxxxooooo
Ginger Barritt replied
Sally, I will never forget 911 and the heroism of our policemen & women, our firemen, paramedics and citizens and visitors…..never ...Thank you Sally….You are one of the lights I’m refering to…
DWarren
Police have their hands full when it comes to fighting crime whether it is an ordinary domestic disturbance or a full scale drug sting. Such a dangerous profession and unfortunately, ideological extremists have added to these dangers.
Over the years, a number of movements and groups espousing extreme ideologies and radical social change have used violence as a viable tactic directed at law enforcement. These individuals have a hatred for authority in general.
It is my firm belief that the majority of these extremists would not be so paranoid in viewing the police as the enemy if they would lay off the hooch, weed, ice, crack, nose candy, smack, sugar cubes, hash, crank, meth, et al…..☺☺☺
Of course, subjecting them all to frontal lobotomies wouldn’t hurt either!.
Christopher Bi...
ginger this is a great call to take stock and look at what we want in society …we can agressively butt heads or work together intelligently and vigilantly to improve relationships between police and communities…..
we have to have boundaries for society to function well. i cant see any way around the fact that educating our police needs constant maintainence to ensure our police are on task and learning about society, how it is changing and how they need to change to be able to carry out their jobs the best way they can.
as an ex social worker (15 years in disability) ,like jb i have also worked along side police, for my role it was to educate them on how to treat people with disabilities. it was very rewarding to see changes in the way they responded to people and the issues. people with mild intellectual disability are way over represented in our prison system here. that cant change unless the service systems all work together.
there are good and bad in every circle, of course, i think what you have expressed here fits with my experience in australia. peace and love to you my friend…..cxx lol hope this rambling makes sense ;))
we need to expose ourselves to the issues to be able to find solutions
Ginger Barritt replied
I had no idea what you use to do!!! As someone who has worked closely with social workers for a long time I have so much respect for your profession ( ex ) I know you’ve seen many areas for improvement in their departments and I’m sure with your wonderful heart, you’ve impacted things in your community for the better…Thank you for that input!!!!
Ginger Barritt
HUMMMMM…Shades of a wonderful author I can think of???? LOL…Thank you Dyle and I’m in agreement!!!
Paul
Well said Ginger.
Ginger Barritt replied
Thank you very much!
sooz
Ginger – this was well written and thoughtfully expressed.
We as a society set the expectations of our Police force. If we expect them to be corrupt and highlight that aspect or our contempt for their work …. then we will get what we wish for.
If we value our police force and hold them in high esteem .. do we not also set the bar a little higher .. create a sense of pride and satisfaction in a job well done ?
It is so easy to criticise and to pull things apart. It is a much harder to find the good and reach for the stars.
You Ginger – make a difference every day and in everything you do. :-)
Ginger Barritt replied
Sooz, I just say what I think…but you, you said everything I wanted to say and much more succinct!!!
Danielle
well said Ginger! Thank you for being so thoughtful and expressive… it is you who will make the difference where difference is needed. You bring attention to important issues and do it with love in your heart. I want to thank you for saying what you think and doing it with finesse!A sad day of remembrance coming up… 5 days to be exact. Its a double whammy for me, but I will tell you why in private.hugs!
Ginger Barritt replied
Thank you, Danielle, You are so full of heart and passion, I’m proud of you…
kev
It goes without saying that we need to be vigilant in regards to all those who are in the corridors of power, no matter how small those corridors, but….........
Within every culture there are sub-cultures, and the police force is no different. Take the UK police force as an example…........there’s the sub-culture of males, females, sergeants, officers, and Fremasons and even sub-cultures within those sub-cultures.
Now you may not like the sexism of the male sub-culture, or the racism, and you may not like the secrecy surrounding the Freemasons, and you may consider the females to be a load of whingeing bitches always crying foul when they miss out on promotion, but what one should consider is the “whole”. Is it a force for good or evil?
When one sees a denigrating comment aimed at “Police”, as opposed to A* policeman, (named or not), would it not be fair to assume that the comment is aimed at the police as a whole and not an individual or individuals? How can one justify writing that comment when the intent appears to be to denigrate the *whole. Indeed, wouldn’t one only be justified if one had a genuine grievance against all police and couldn’t that grievance only be justified if one could prove that all police had treated one unfairly? It seems clear to me that the statement is aimed at all” police, although there are no doubt that there are those who will excuse it’s “generalising” by way of lack of education and excuse it by way of saying that the intent was not to aim it at the whole. I think the majority of us would drawn on our own personal life experiences and this type of graffitti would tell us differently, that those who write in this manner, do indeed aim it at the Police as a whole and they do so not because they have a genuine grievance but because they see the police as limiting to their activities.
Likewise, what good is served by spreading that aggrieved person’s message if it is clearly unfounded. Does not the message itself just reek of prejudice, even if it *is founded on a genuine grievance against an individual or individuals? Is it not akin to racism? If I wrote “fuck blacks” because I had been mugged by a couple of black guys, even on several occasions, is that not racism?................defining the whole by the acts of individuals?
If I chose to highlight a person who illustrated their grievance in a similar fashion, what purpose would that serve? The victim’s or my own? Certainly not the victim’s because he has clearly indicated his prejudice by attacking the whole as opposed to the individual. Could I not therefore, rightly be accused of similar prejudices?
One needs to ask oneself, when one defends this type of “freedom of expression” whether one could stand in a thin blue line, get spat on (HIV) verbally vilified, kicked, punched, and otherwise abused in a hundred different ways whilst simply going about one’s duty in attempting to uphold the law. I speak now of simple public disorder scenarios, not of the daily grind of going in fear of one’s life. How many amongst us would crack under the pressure, even for a split second, and lash out? Would our lives be ruined if we did?................likely not….................would a police officer’s…..........likely so, although I agree some get off the hook. They are humans subjected to inhuman abuses daily. If they are imperfect, that to my mind is understandable. To those who don’t understand, then you are lacking somewhere in the “human spirit”. Understanding is not condoning. It’s simply recognising that we are all capable of getting it wrong sometimes, but we need to take that a step further. We need to recognise that those who live in fear daily, who are “hyped up” most of the time are heroes when they don’t “lose it,” and simply human beings when they do. Their daily hero status mainly goes unrecognised unless posthumously but their human frailties are the first to be attacked.
Shame on those who tar the whole with the same brush, and shame on those who shout, “civil liberty’ to further their own agendas at the expense of majority wishes.
kev
Ginger Barritt replied
Kevin, as usual you cut to the heart of the matter and say what you see with wisdom and heart…Thank you, I can add no more….
Lori
Fantastic journal, Ginger. We all know that in any group there will be that 1% who abuse power. However, who wouldn’t call 911 if someone broke into their house or were victimized in some way. Your journal came at the perfect time The police officers who risk their lives everyday for our safety deserve some credit and appreciation.
Ginger Barritt replied
That date and all that it wrought…..are very hard to forget, not that I would try….I will never forget waking up and seeing the 2nd plane hit the towers and being so confused…and then after…the body count….the bravery of the firemen, paramedics, and of course the policemen…I will always honor them….and when someone tarnishes his badge and brings dishonor upon these men…I hope they are humiliated and prosecuted!!! Thank you, Lori!!!!
Lori
I have a work in progress for the victims of 9/ll. i , too, remember turning on the TV at 6:00 am and standing there in horor as I watched the events unfold. What I hate most is that some of these “confused” people blame us for the attack. I think some of these people need to get a life.
Ginger Barritt replied
Lori, it is a dangerous time, I hate that the danger comes from within as well as without…
Alison
This piece was written not long after 9/11 – Author Unknown.
As the soot and dirt and ash rained down,We became one color.
As we carried each other down the stairs of the burning building,We became one class.
As we lit candles of waiting and hope,We became one generation.
As the firefighters and police officersFought their way into the inferno,We became one gender.
As we fell to our knees in prayerFor strength,We became one faith.
As we whispered or shoutedWords of encouragement,We spoke one language.
As we gave our blood in lines a mile long,We became one body.
As we mourned together the great loss,We became one family.
As we cried tears of grief and loss,We became one soul.
As we retell with pride of the sacrifice of heroes,We become one people.
We are…......One colorOne classOne generationOne genderOne faithOne languageOne bodyOne familyOne soulOne people
We are The Power of One.We are United.
Alison
But, onto the topic of thread :-)
Of course there a a few corrupt police, there are corrupt people in all occupations.
I wouldn’t do what the police officers do in a pink fit. Imagine what those people have seen in their lifetimes – Child abuse, rape, domestic violence, murder, car accidents, drug overdoses, riots ….... geez :-(
Ginger Barritt replied
Thank you, Alison…I pray the violence ends in our world in our lifetime, but until it does, I pray for the continued support and vigilence and safety of the brave good men and women of our police forces… and any corruption, I pray is found and routed out and punished.
kev
And you’ve summed it up above, Alison.
How many can see what they have to see and deal with each day and yet remain of human spirit. Is it any wonder that some become dehumanised, if only for an instant…..........that instant that will tarnish them for life, and discolour and obliterate all that went before. They will be remembered for that one instant when they succumbed to their human weakness and yet be called out as inhuman.
If I had but half of their patience and self-restraint, I would consider myself honoured. Likewise, if their detractors had half of their tolerance, patience, bravery, and understanding, then perhaps they would be supporters, and not detractors.
kev
Ginger Barritt replied
Kev, you and Alison are so right..I think you can follow me on this one very well….....Can you imagine being a father of a say 4 year old daughter…..and get a call to a home where a step father or even father has beaten his baby girl and she’s bleeding and broken…..do you think I would blame him if his humanity slipped and he forgot he was a cop or a human…only saw an animal in front of him who had done that to a child….trust me, when you see that…you see your own child…..you see every child….Can you really blame him…..
Lori
Me, too.
No I can’t Ginger, but he still has to be held accountable if he snaps.
PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder), in most cases, but the goody two shoers would put it down to RCS (Rotten Cop Syndrome).
As for seeing your own child, imagine if a cop in that situation had himself been abused as a child, he would see himself every time he confronted something like that…........as you say…..trust me.
If those so-called “activists” who spent their time at meetings, demonstrations, and picket lines, spent half of that time at Child Protection Agencies, or Emergency Departments, I’m willing to bet their ‘activism” would change direction overnight…..........that’s if they ever shift the chip off their shoulder, and thought about others’ pain once in a while…...............don’t get me going you bugger…...........I’ve said too much :-)
Ginger Barritt replied
I don’t mean to stir up bad memories for you, Kevin…as someone who spent 12 years seeing what comes into an ER, I can understand part of it…I agree with you completely and my mind changed very quickly from being so easily taken in by lies…to being more informed and being alot more careful….I had a guy come out and tell me one time with a smile on his face, that he really like me, I was “spunky” but “make no mistake, I’d still jack you if you turn my corner in the dark” He meant it.
Nah! don’t reproach yourself Ginger, they aren’t bad memories. They used to be, but aren’t memories made up of experience, and isn’t it experience that helps us grow?
To be honest, I’m thankful for journals such as this. ..............they get you to thinking and if you didn’t think, you’d stagnate.
kev
Hello!!!
ices, maybe it will touch a chord in you. Maybe, through my mistakes, and my triumphs, I can help you too. I'd love to hear from you.
ices, maybe it will touch a chord in you. Maybe, through my mistakes, and my triumphs, I can help you too. I'd love to hear from you.
