dagblog - Comments for "Homes and Castles"

I think you should have

Erica — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:49:23 +0000

I think you should have called the cops. It's an expression of concern. Granted, you don't know what the situation was, but that's what the police are supposed to figure out when they get there. In some cases you can even ask for a call back or info about how the situation resolved.

The level of violence

Elusive Trope — Tue, 22 May 2012 19:00:44 +0000

In reply to It's tough, as I know anyone

The level of violence (verbal, emotional and physical) that some people find to be normal (ie just the way things are) sometimes is rather jaw dropping. Those who are caught up in abusive relationships can act in "strange" ways.

I once lived next to a couple who were constantly fighting. It was one of those relationships where half the time she did more damage to him (including throwing him through a window once). One night, she had locked him out, and he, stumbling around outside drunk, was screaming over and over "Open the door b-----! I'm going to f---ing kill you!" So we called the cops, as did the people who lived in the unit below them.

When he saw the police car rolling up to the sidewalk, he ran to the front door and banged on it, shouting "open the door, it's the cops". She did and he ran upstairs to their unit. The cops saw this and pounded on the now locked front door for her to open it up. She wouldn't so they kicked down the door (of which I'm sure NCD would disapprove), went upstairs, and dragged him from his hiding place in a closet (we were able to watch from one of our roommates' rooms which had a view into their place). They cuffed him and took him off to jail. Moments later, a cab pulled up and she jumped in to go bail him out of jail.

If I was on a website like

Elusive Trope — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:01:01 +0000

In reply to All of the police actions I

If I was on a website like RedState I would probably be called out for always attacking the police. I tend to point out the perspective from law enforcement because the other perspective is being presented at this site. It isn't that I believe all police or police departments are innocent, nor do I believe those who have committed actual crimes should be allowed to skip free simply because they are law enforcement officers. I applaud the DOJ investigations or any other investigations into allegations of misconduct.

I do believe individual law enforcement officers should be given the same consideration of innocent before proven guilty. Your rants tend to come across as someone who believes 98% of police officers wake up in the morning rubbing their hands in glee over the fact that they will have the opportunity to crack some skulls. There are definitely sadists who find their way onto the force, and they need to be weeded out, and dealt with appropriately.

There are definitely police departments which have developed and facilitated an organizational culture, not to mention in some cases protocols, which are unethical, immoral racist, sexist, etc not to mention illegal. Again, this has to be approached from the innocent until proven guilty. Moreover, it is unlikely that for an entire law enforcement agency to be guilty. It may be 75% bad apples. We need to try to avoid painting the good 25% as bad in the process.

Maybe folks like NCD believe that if we just got rid of the police, there wouldn't be any crime. The reality, of course, as folks like NCD know deep down, we do need have law enforcement agencies from the local to the federal level, we need to have ones who are effective. Maybe folks like NCD believe Sicily can't happen here, but it can and has.

Law enforcement agencies and the people who walk their hallways reflect our society - the good and the bad and the mediocre. Like all institutions it can be improved. Approaching it from some overthetop ideological frenzy isn't going to help do that.

Most accounts say there were

Donal — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:25:00 +0000

In reply to Kitty Genovese has been

Most accounts say there were six witnesses, but only four were called in the trial. One man saw her get stabbed in the first attack, and shouted out the window, another man saw her get stabbed when the serial murderer returned.

Honestly, the potential for

Michael Maiello — Tue, 22 May 2012 02:22:13 +0000

In reply to All of the police actions I

Honestly, the potential for police over-reaction was a factor in my not calling them.

It's tough, as I know anyone

PP — Tue, 22 May 2012 02:21:15 +0000

In reply to Homes and Castles

It's tough, as I know anyone who hears yelling from our house could wonder what the hell is going on half the time. (Yeah, I wish things were calmer, but ....)

I remember a young couple upstairs when I was in school, 2 medical interns, and they would have the damndest fights, the girl coming out and shrieking and kicking the railings and such.

And often these situations work themselves out without any real danger.

Then again, I have broken up violence on the street, using my car as a convenient weapon/protection.

And called the cops on people beating each other in front of a bar, only to see them make up and go in arms around shoulders as I was talking to the dispatcher.

Kitty Genovese has been

PP — Tue, 22 May 2012 02:14:38 +0000

In reply to The Kitty Genovese

Kitty Genovese has been disproven - only about 1 person that night had any idea something serious was going on (they lived above a rowdy bar) and a couple did call the police.

"We called for help and they

Resistance — Tue, 22 May 2012 01:30:00 +0000

In reply to All of the police actions I

"We called for help and they killed him."
http://www.raven1.net/mcf/news/plea-turns-deadly.htm.

All of the police actions I

NCD — Tue, 22 May 2012 01:19:00 +0000

In reply to This really seems like you're

All of the police actions I mentioned have been done by cops, in Oakland, Seattle or NYC. Cops in NYC, Seattle and Oakland are under court order and/or DOJ investigations due to excessive use of force and/or other violations of federal law. Trope has defended the cops in almost every instance, with excuses like the ones above. One could take mentioning that in the form of a question, as an insult, or as sarcasm. It was meant as the latter.

Anyone calling the cops might want to consider if the cops in their city, or town, are going to calm a situation, or make it worse.

"Hey over there, knock it

Resistance — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:51:46 +0000

In reply to When I was about 21 or 22, I

"Hey over there, knock it off!" "If you don't knock it off we're calling the cops!"

Wouldn't it be nice; in todays abbreviated world of texting, maybe you could just yell “Cops

Maybe the term would cause one, to consider their next move.

Or people could carry a big loud whistle and blow it, arousing the perpetrators to consider; stop doing and take notice.

The two arguing. wouldn't know if you were calling your dog or calling for help.

Besides everyone should carry a whistle for emergencies. it beats screaming because it takes less breath. Especially in Earthquake or disaster prone areas.