I've always thought cops should be required to get a 4 year degree. And not in criminal justice. In sociology, psychology, something like that. Something that will actually inform them about the causes of crime and why criminal behavior exists in the first place.

Just by requiring a solid education of any sort, many bad apples will fall away, and "police culture" will change significantly. (That's my hypothesis, anyway.) But another benefit to doing things this way is that cops would become social workers in some respects. Instead of just taking people to one place "jail" (or sometimes a mental institution), they would be actively involved in getting addicts set up for help, protecting prostitutes from abusive circumstances, etc.

This is an idea I began working around 8 years ago, before police reform became the front-and-center notion is is now. I know others have thought of similar things, probably before I did. But the idea is such a no-brainer that I discovered it independently.

(September 30, 2021 at 6:41 pm)vulcanlogician Wrote: I've always thought cops should be required to get a 4 year degree. And not in criminal justice. In sociology, psychology, something like that. Something that will actually inform them about the causes of crime and why criminal behavior exists in the first place.

Just by requiring a solid education of any sort, many bad apples will fall away, and "police culture" will change significantly. (That's my hypothesis, anyway.) But another benefit to doing things this way is that cops would become social workers in some respects. Instead of just taking people to one place "jail" (or sometimes a mental institution), they would be actively involved in getting addicts set up for help, protecting prostitutes from abusive circumstances, etc.

This is an idea I began working around 8 years ago, before police reform became the front-and-center notion is is now. I know others have thought of similar things, probably before I did. But the idea is such a no-brainer that I discovered it independently.

That would be helpful, but I think the bigger long term picture is not arming police or the public to the degree we do. If whites or blacks are afraid of police abuse, and we don't want them armed like a military, then why are they? If we all agree police should be able to end their shift without fearing having their brains blown out over a a traffic ticket, then why does America have a flooded gun market?

It would seem to me that Daffy Duck, the firearm industry, is selling booby traps (fear) to both the beagle and Foghorn playing each other off of the other.

(September 30, 2021 at 7:01 pm)Brian37 Wrote:

(September 30, 2021 at 6:41 pm)vulcanlogician Wrote: I've always thought cops should be required to get a 4 year degree. And not in criminal justice. In sociology, psychology, something like that. Something that will actually inform them about the causes of crime and why criminal behavior exists in the first place.

Just by requiring a solid education of any sort, many bad apples will fall away, and "police culture" will change significantly. (That's my hypothesis, anyway.) But another benefit to doing things this way is that cops would become social workers in some respects. Instead of just taking people to one place "jail" (or sometimes a mental institution), they would be actively involved in getting addicts set up for help, protecting prostitutes from abusive circumstances, etc.

This is an idea I began working around 8 years ago, before police reform became the front-and-center notion is is now. I know others have thought of similar things, probably before I did. But the idea is such a no-brainer that I discovered it independently.

That would be helpful, but I think the bigger long term picture is not arming police or the public to the degree we do. If whites or blacks are afraid of police abuse, and we don't want them armed like a military, then why are they? If we all agree police should be able to end their shift without fearing having their brains blown out over a a traffic ticket, then why does America have a flooded gun market?

It would seem to me that Daffy Duck, the firearm industry, is selling booby traps (fear) to both the beagle and Foghorn playing each other off of the other.

My daily dose of WTF.

Wabbit season, duck season, wabbit season, duck season....

(September 30, 2021 at 7:32 pm)arewethereyet Wrote:

(September 30, 2021 at 7:01 pm)Brian37 Wrote: That would be helpful, but I think the bigger long term picture is not arming police or the public to the degree we do. If whites or blacks are afraid of police abuse, and we don't want them armed like a military, then why are they? If we all agree police should be able to end their shift without fearing having their brains blown out over a a traffic ticket, then why does America have a flooded gun market?

It would seem to me that Daffy Duck, the firearm industry, is selling booby traps (fear) to both the beagle and Foghorn playing each other off of the other.

My daily dose of WTF.

What "WTF"?

The right is bent on pumping out guns like grains of sand on the beach which rival the  number of galaxies in the universe. I don't see how that is good for police or society. I do see how it it is good for firearm company's profits though. 

Firearm companies love the conflict between society and police. If everyone is afraid of everyone else, the firearm companies get to sell more to both police and society. Just like Daffy Duck loved selling his booby traps to the beagle and Foghorn.

(September 30, 2021 at 7:39 pm)Brian37 Wrote:

(September 30, 2021 at 7:32 pm)arewethereyet Wrote: My daily dose of WTF.

What "WTF"?

The right is bent on pumping out guns like grains of sand on the beach which rival the  number of galaxies in the universe. I don't see how that is good for police or society. I do see how it it is good for firearm company's profits though. 

Firearm companies love the conflict between society and police. If everyone is afraid of everyone else, the firearm companies get to sell more to both police and society. Just like Daffy Duck loved selling his booby traps to the beagle and Foghorn.

Get help.

Yeah, I'm calling poe.

Okay, that reference took me a while to figure out what the fuck cartoon you were even talking about. And even after watching it on DailyMotion, I still barely remembered seeing it as a kid. You could have made the metaphor a Hell of a lot clearer, like "You remember that one Looney Tunes short where Daffy's selling pranks to Foghorn Leghorn and the beagle (whose name is actually Barnyard Dawg, but I don't blame you for not knowing since I had to look it up) for their prank war? That's basically what the right and the NRA are doing to white people and minorities (at least, I think that's who I think Foghorn and Barnyard Dawg were supposed to be in this allegory.)"

---

(September 30, 2021 at 6:14 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: Right off the back of being wrong about everything in your own thread, you have advice.

Fair bet it will be bad advice, because you're a nut.

Admittedly, that kinda is what he does: make whatever argument he can trying to own the libs and still acting smug even if his arguments are shown to be obvious bullshit. Or even if his arguments blatantly contradict arguments he made previously.





Well, that and throwing a hissy fit when someone dares to try and put a label on the shit he says.

(September 30, 2021 at 6:41 pm)vulcanlogician Wrote:  many bad apples will fall away

It's not a bad apple problem.  Generously, we can assume that kids who dream about being cops are good apples, and even so, these are the results.

this is the best that good people can do in our system

(September 30, 2021 at 9:17 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote:

(September 30, 2021 at 6:41 pm)vulcanlogician Wrote:  many bad apples will fall away

It's not a bad apple problem.  Generously, we can assume that kids who dream about being cops are good apples, and even so, these are the results.

this is the best that good people can do in our system

The bad apple thing was an aside. Even if it's not a bad apple problem, less bad apples is a good thing. But I think bad apples (or more generally) "police culture" contributes significantly to the problem. 

A 4 year education requirement alongside a quasi-repurposing of police could achieve much. Bad apple or no, I think that's worth trying.