Prior to the recent uproar about the death of Eric Garner, I didn’t have any bad feelings about the NYPD at all. It’s true that I didn’t approve of their policy of stopping and frisking people constantly, but I saw that as coming down from on high, and Mayor De Blasio had promised to make some changes. My overall impression of the NYPD was that they were an impressively professional force that did a much better job than they did in the 1990’s or earlier in my life.
But, now, I am beginning to really resent their spokespeople and harbor some genuinely ill feelings towards them.
This is just offensively stupid and arrogant:
“It is our opinion that Mayor de Blasio’s dangerous and irresponsible comments about his and his wife’s concern for their son’s safety at the hands of the NYPD fueled the flames that led to civil unrest, and potentially to the deaths of PO Wenjian Liu and PO Rafael Ramos, as well as the continued threats against NYPD personnel. The Mayor shows us no respect, and encourages the public to follow his lead.”
You have to be submental not to understand that a police force that has made it its business to stop and frisk black people just because they are black is going to alarm the parents of a young black man. And that doesn’t even get into the history of using violence against black men and asking questions later.
A parent would be irresponsible not to tell their black teenage son to be wary of the NYPD.
I’m tired of the wrong people being maligned.
