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[drew johnston <drew AT mmteach.com>]

> <snip> Working at a gas station is a thankless job, too, but nobody 
> ever praises our brave gas station clerks whose statistical risk of 
> getting murdered on the job is far higher than any police officer's.  
> We just take gas station clerks for granted and we don't even have to 
> pay taxes for them!  Because police are "good people" I am not 
> comforted, given that every goofball idiot I went to high school with 
> wanted to be a cop because they thought it would be exciting and got 
> off on having unquestionable authority because nobody payed any 
> attention to them otherwise.  </snip>
Again, I would say you're talking about a minority of officers who 
manage to come from the group to which your are referring.  In 
addition, most folks with that mentality change as they grow up.

Also, a gas station attendant does not spend his days in general making 
this a safer country for you and I to live in.  I don't believe the 
previous post was trying to say that we should forgive everything 
because these particular offenders were cops, but rather that our anger 
and angst at them should be specifically targeted at them and their 
transgressions rather than police officers in general.  We as a society 
tend to remember the 5% bad rather than the 95% good that's done.

> <snip>The police are far too under-scrutinized.  Most of the time, the 
> media is on their side no matter how egregiously they screw up and 
> even when they do get taken to task, it is a slap on the wrist. <snip>
I hate it when people say things like "the media is on so and so's 
side".  Bullshit.  The press isn't on anyone's side.  You have to 
remember, however, that police in general are more trustworthy than 
those whom they arrest, and that typically a reporter will be able to 
get an answer from the cops, but not the suspect, because the suspect 
is trying to keep his mouth shut till his lawyer gets there.  Also, a 
reporter doesn't have the ability to draw conclusions and report them.  
They can only give the facts as they find them, and report what others 
have said.  It is up to us to draw our own conclusions.   Try being a 
reporter for a day and see how well you do.

> <snip>I think Chapel Hill needs a citizen review board to review their 
> conduct and their policies, not only in this case, but also in general 
> matters such as the installation of those wretched stop-light camera 
> money grabbing machines.  But a review board will only work if it is 
> made up of skeptics and not cheerleaders who just rubber-stamp 
> whatever they do.</snip>
And who's to keep the citizen review board from being corrupt?  You're 
in the middle of the good 'ol boy network down here, dude.  
Unfortunately, it seems that the type of people who we would need on 
these boards don't have the time to get on them.  In general, they want 
some other unfortunate to do it, while they sit at home and discuss 
these types of issues with their friends over a beer.  The type of 
folks we don't need typically are the ones who 1. find the time and 2. 
get the support for the position.

Who needs a citizen review board?  The budgeting and money expenditures 
of our local and state governments are a matter of public record.  If 
you're concerned, and you have the inclination, get a copy, point out 
indecent things to places like this list serve and submit it to the 
press...if you make enough noise someone will listen.

I don't agree that task forces are a waste of money.  I believe that, 
like most expenditures in our government they are hopelessly mired in 
restrictions and rules that make no sense, while being unhampered by 
restrictions that would make sense (this is from my experience as a 
state employee).  However, specialization of purposes should allow for 
more effective work.

What we really need, of course, is a population more willing to 
actually do something about problems like this rather than complain 
about it among a very small and secular group.  You think something 
should be done? Do it.  You want a citizen review board?  Get up from 
your computer, and drum up the funding and support for one.  More power 
to ya.

Me?  My ass barely gets off the sofa to mow the lawn, so I'm going to 
go on voting and hope that our established systems will right 
themselves, as I think they normally do.

My 2 cents...

D