Riots in Chicago? (Montgomery, Detroit: skateboarding, mall, wealthy)

[Runuova]

Originally Posted by nealirc

agreed.

4 times in a year police have gone through my camera, and twice this year they went through my camera, which was just in my pocket. This is from their "frisk." i haven't upgraded out of a flip phone.

The sad thing is so many hispanic and black people have cocaine/drugs and sometimes guns in their pockets.

what???

[probablyimnotsure]

Originally Posted by rzzzz

Most Chicago cops couldn't hit a barn door with a shotgun.

Yet you would call them in an instant if somebody mugged you, burglarized your home, or threatened your life. At least have some gratitude for the people who have to do a dangerous job so you can live comfortably. These cops protect you and your money.

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by jwuk45

I was literally just sitting in the park. They asked me why I was sitting in the park, where I lived, where I worked, what I was doing after being in the park. I'm sorry but having two strangers march right up to you and ask you what you're doing is offensive, I don't care if they're cops or not. I'm sure they were just trying to fill their "quota" for the month, or were just bored or felt like pushing someone around. I don't know, there are many reasons people in positions of power hassle people. Often it's just to make themselves feel better/superior.

If you're used to the police doing this kind of thing, maybe you don't think it's so bad, but where I'm from people are outraged by how aggressive and obnoxious some of the police/security/immigration officers, etc are in the US. Unfortunately, people in America bow down to it. No, you do not have to show ID to a police officer just because he asks for it, yes you can go up to a cop and tell them you disapprove of their behaviour, and report them if need be. The police serve us, not the other way round.

ok, so lets say you are correct, and these officers decided to harass you.

the best way to beat them is to be super polite and not have an attitude. and add in a yes sir/yes maam. I guarantee that it wont accelerate whatever is in that ALLEGED cop attitude.

actually that's what you do whenever someone is belligerent with you.. A soft attitude turns away wrath. but if you get angry in return, you only fuel the fire..

its not a matter of whose right or whose wrong, its getting thru a situation without fueling the fire making it worse.

[rzzzz]

Originally Posted by probablyimnotsure

Yet you would call them in an instant if somebody mugged you, burglarized your home, or threatened your life. At least have some gratitude for the people who have to do a dangerous job so you can live comfortably. These cops protect you and your money.

Eh. Chicago cops are fine, they just can't shoot. There is nothing cops can do if you get burglarized or mugged (as I have in Atlanta and SF). Reporting such crimes just adds a blip to the crime stats in the area. I already pay the cops through my taxes, that should be gratitude enough.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by Runuova

what???

I was in the Taste of Chicago July 2013 and took a photo of a large group, and non-uniformed FBI saw that, frisked me, went through my camera, blah blah blah.

Later that month at Taste of Chicago I was handing out pamphlets, which is against the rules, a security guard dispatched, and a Cook County Police saw me holding them, detained me. Now, you can't detain someone from breaking the rule, only for breaking the law, so he went on to say I was taking pictures of children and therefore Chicago police went through my camera.

And another time again that August from handing the fliers.

And then come summer 2014, twice in my current neighborhood.

[Army_Guy]

Originally Posted by rzzzz

Why would I have gone to jail? I was a rich white kid. Now I am a rich white man. We can get away with anything.

It's that type of mentality that keeps hatred and bigotry alive, you just do it in a different way that jesse and al.

[jwuk45]

Originally Posted by ChicagoMeO

ok, so lets say you are correct, and these officers decided to harass you.

the best way to beat them is to be super polite and not have an attitude. and add in a yes sir/yes maam. I guarantee that it wont accelerate whatever is in that ALLEGED cop attitude.

actually that's what you do whenever someone is belligerent with you.. A soft attitude turns away wrath. but if you get angry in return, you only fuel the fire..

its not a matter of whose right or whose wrong, its getting thru a situation without fueling the fire making it worse.

I'm always polite with people and I was polite with the cops, even the second time it happened. I was still not being obnoxious, even though I was more annoyed the second time.

But still, we shouldn't have to deal with things like that. I should be able to sit in a park without being hassled by people for no reason. I was doing absolutely nothing suspicious. My point is that if two random strangers (who weren't cops) came up and asked you all kinds of questions when you were minding your own business, you would get annoyed. I'm sure these cops wouldn't like it if it happened to them either (say if they were on holiday in a foreign country). It makes you feel like there's something wrong with you, particularly if you're singled out whereas other people are left alone. And I'm a regular looking white man. I imagine it being worse for other demographics.

Also, I don't use the terms "sir" or "ma'am" with anyone. I don't think you need to use those terms to be polite. That some people only use those terms with police is very worrying to me.

[probablyimnotsure]

Originally Posted by rzzzz

Eh. Chicago cops are fine, they just can't shoot. There is nothing cops can do if you get burglarized or mugged (as I have in Atlanta and SF). Reporting such crimes just adds a blip to the crime stats in the area. I already pay the cops through my taxes, that should be gratitude enough.

You're just ungrateful is all I was saying.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by probablyimnotsure

You're just ungrateful is all I was saying.

Cops are supposed to be public servants. If they are failing to serve us, there is no reason to feel grateful. And the argument is essentially that they are failing to serve us.

Why are you more concerned with the public's attitude towards public servants and less concerned with public servants' treatment of the public?

[probablyimnotsure]

Originally Posted by urza216

Cops are supposed to be public servants. If they are failing to serve us, there is no reason to feel grateful. And the argument is essentially that they are failing to serve us.

Why are you more concerned with the public's attitude towards public servants and less concerned with public servants' treatment of the public?

Because I have common sense urza. Cops are like any other person who has a job. There are crappy ones and there are good ones. You treat them with respect and don't participate in any illegal activity, you won't have a problem. Are there improvements to be made? Sure, they could use more training. The Mike Brown incident in no way shows that the police are failing to serve us. He was a criminal who threatened a police officer. If anything the police officer was on his way to serve the liquor store owner who was a victim of a strong-arm robbery. I'm what people would consider low income and cops aren't failing to serve me. You know why? Because I have nothing to hide, I don't behave suspiciously, and I don't participate in illegal activity. Like the Chris Rock skit says, "Just use common sense."