In This Economy??

You may be wondering how I got into this situation. That's good. Keep wondering. If you pay close attention to the rest of this movie and employ your critical thinking skills, you may find that the answer unfolds as it goes along. Sometimes it's good not to know yet, and to wonder. Sometimes that's the entire point.

I work in a non-restraint facility for special needs kids (21 and under) with extreme behavioral issues. I’m talking real violent stuff. Sixteen and twenty-one year old boys who can (and do) home-run swing desks at your head.

As a non-restraint facility, we are trained to respond to these outbursts in the most non-threatening, non-confrontational way possible, while still protecting both the bystanders and the person currently attacking us.

We are monitored every second of our shift to make sure the safety and dignity of our clients is maintained, especially–and just let me emphasize this–the safety and dignity of the person attempting to hurt us. Their right to be treated fairly and with empathy is not forfeit just because their brain chemistry fucked them up today.

We have to be calm, regardless.

We have to be gentle, regardless.

We can never respond with any kind of force, ever.

Those rules apply to all the staff, all the time, no matter what.

So when I hear bullshit about how somebody “reached for their waistband” or they were “resisting,” when I hear yet another police officer got off because the situation was “scary” or he “feared for his safety” or whatever the fuck, I lose my shit.

You wanna talk about how you were frightened for your safety, walking up to someone in the middle of a psychotic episode? Yeah, well, I’ve been there. Pretty regular–probably twice a week, at least–no gun, no taser, with guidelines that state I cannot even use my fucking thumb because that’s considered “grabbing” and therefore a “restraint.”

And you know what? I’ve walked away from every one of those. I haven’t died. I’ve never even been seriously injured. We defused the situation in ways that didn’t involving riddling the other participant with bullets and at the end of the day, everyone went home. Go fucking figure.

And yet–and fucking yet–I keep hearing “not all cops.”

“Not all cops” are bad. “Not all cops” shoot innocent people .3 seconds after rolling up on the scene. “Not all cops” are racist fuckbags, misusing power for a personal joyride. “Not all cops” rape people at gunpoint (and get off scott-fucking-free).

Yet, at my place of employment, somehow everyone is calm in a crisis. Somehow everyone responds to violence with non-violence. Somehow everyone is always able to act like a goddamn compassionate human-being in the middle of the worst kind of street fight–

but you’re telling me that cops, people paid to protect, can’t all do what I do?

You’re telling me that cops, trained to respond to crises, can’t all respond to the same crises, with the same skill, that I do?

And you’re telling me that cops have to stick together in the face of these “potentially false” accusations. That cops have to support each other, no matter what, because their job is dangerous or whatever. That yeah, some cops, but ~actually, sweetie, not all cops~

Fuck that noise. My job is dangerous, too. But you better believe that if anyone sees a member of our staff breaking regulation, their ass gets reported immediately. That person loses their clearances; they can no longer be hired in the field, anywhere. There’s no moving to another district. There’s no finding another location. We make it stop.

So until every cop is cleaning house, until every cop stops this strategically blind bullshit, until every cop refuses to stand by and watch the rampant abuse and corruption inherent in this system, until all the bad cops are weeded out and unemployable–

1. Is this post intended to galvanize through hyperbole?

Yes.

2. Does that make the situation it describes less true?

No.

3. “But you work in a controlled environment! Cops don’t know what they’re walking into!”

This is true. I agree, I was comparing apples to oranges, but at the end of the day, apples and oranges are both still fruit.

“Innocent until proven guilty” is a thing. Cops do not get to be firing squads because it’s easier/they’re frightened/the other person was probably guilty anyway/maybe the person was secretly asking for it.

Guns are a last resort. Meaning, you actually have to work your way through the other options first. “Gun” cannot be the solution to every problem. Here, I’ll even make you a cheat sheet.

Things “GUN” is a solution for:

Life-threatening danger to self or others

Defense of personal property

Things “GUN” is NOT a solution for:

Selling untaxed cigarettes

Cooking outside

Playing in the park

Running away, unarmed.

There’s like 500 more but you’re smart, you get the idea.

4a. “Hope those unarmed cops you want can talk down all the mass shooters!”

&

4b. “LOL because criminals aren’t going to have guns.”

It worries me that to you “maybe don’t shoot anyone within .3 seconds of rolling up on the scene” and “maybe let’s not have cops raping people at gunpoint” means “GuEsS wE CaN’T hAvE AnY GuNS ThEN!11!”

Are you honestly so irresponsible a gun owner that those are the same to you?

It is possible to carry a gun and not fire it.

It is possible to carry a gun and fire it appropriately.

It is NOT appropriate to fire a gun or threaten to fire a gun at everyone who doesn’t show you what you deem is the proper amount of respect. It is also not appropriate to walk into a random house and kill whoever you see. You know, in case maybe that was something you were confused about.

5. “But I’M a cop and I’M not bad!”

Cool. Then this will be easy for you.

Call out abusers in your work place. If your union protects abusers and continues to place them in a position of power over others, work with other “not bad” cops to dismantle your union.

Here’s the thing the “not all cops” people don’t want to admit–positions of power attract those who desire power over people.

So unfortunately, yes, your field is a favorite of bullies and abusers. Bullies and abusers find the idea of a job where they’re given absolute power and authority over others very attractive. You are going to have bad actors sneak in.

Are there also some police who truly want to do their best and protect people? Of course! But wanting to do good isn’t good enough. If you swear to protect and serve, then you don’t get to pick and choose who that applies to. You have to protect and serve everyone in your community when you’re on duty, even if the person you have to protect people from ends up being one of your coworkers.

It’s ugly. It’s hard. It sucks. Doesn’t matter. You still gotta.

You can’t look away from the misdeeds of your friends and call yourself honest.