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OUTRAGEOUS 8Click here for an index of all OUTRAGEOUS Segments Sharon's Outrageous Crooked and Straight Cops A Policeman’s job can be a thankless job, and police discouragement
is not limited to any one city. As James D. Steffens, a police
lieutenant in Clearwater, Fla., points out, "I've attended
the autopsies of a newborn, a 1-month-old infant and a 7-month-old
baby -- all during a two-week period while going home each night
to my own expectant wife. I've gone through countless doorways
and searched untold darkened areas for felons who would do anything
-- including killing me and others -- so as not to go back to prison.
I've made countless death notifications and arrested way too many
mothers and fathers in front of their children. And I know all
too well what it's like to try to save a man from harming himself
or others and then having him turn on me, doing his best to hurt
me." Sure there are some Crooked Cops…and how despicable they are! However, one rotten apple doesn’t mean the whole basket has gone bad. There are those, however, who would have us believe that the majority of cops are crooked, untrustworthy, insensitive and unable to control themselves. Is this true? I don’t think so. Even of greater concern than the accusations are the unwise restraints put on police officers, such as not being able to arrest illegal immigrants because of fear of racial profiling. We can consensus-build and sensitivity-train our police right out of the protection we need and the purpose for which we have law enforcement in the first place…to enforce the law and catch the criminals so that law-abiding citizens are safe. I have found that the policemen I have met are humble guys. A couple of years ago when an organization I belonged to decided to honor our firemen and policemen because of 911, just like our military, when they were acknowledged their response was a display of humility…and you sensed it is duty that counts to them, not recognition…they’re just doing their job. So, the next time you see a policeman, give them a smile, acknowledge them, and if possible thank them for laying their lives on the line for your protection…The Straight Cops deserve all the thanks we can give them.
The Perfect Cop (Author unknown) To a Police Chief, the perfect cop is someone who looks sharp,
works hard and doesn't expect overtime pay, makes good arrests
without offending anyone, writes detailed reports and keeps a neat,
readable activity log. He is also always available when extra help
is needed, accepts work assignments willingly and comes up with
fast, favorable To a Prosecuting Attorney, a perfect cop is a meticulous investigator
who gathers and documents evidence, obtains confessions to all
crimes and outlines each case in order to make the prosecutor's
job easy. He doesn't object when a case is plea bargained so the
attorneys can go golfing on Friday afternoon, and doesn't mind
if an offender gets To a Defense Attorney, a perfect cop is a bungling idiot who makes
mistakes and someone the defense attorney can manipulate and make
angry in court, making the attorney look good in front of his client.
A perfect cop is someone who will agree to any and all plea bargaining
proposed, and whom the defense attorney can call when he needs To the City Council, a perfect cop is someone who does his job well without making waves, who is grateful for a job that he willingly works nights, weekends and holidays. He never asks for more than the city is willing to pay, does an exemplary job without adequate equipment and tools. Best of all, he never writes tickets on any council member or their kid. To the People of the Community, a perfect cop is polite, a friendly person who walks the beat and checks out strange noises and watches for strange people. He teaches kids right from wrong, talks to them about the evils of drug use-but doesn't mention Mom and Dad using alcohol. He will arrest drug dealers, but overlooks kids with a "little" pot. To his Wife, a perfect cop never lets his job effect his emotions. He can spend hours dealing with drunks, domestics, drug users, injured or dead people, and then come home and be a loving, well-adjusted husband and father. I have been a cop for over 20 years, and have never met a perfect cop. Only a few have even come close, being totally honest and truly caring about people and doing the best job they can. But all the cops I have ever known are human. They love, laugh, cry, hurt, and sometimes die too young. They try to make it to retirement, although many do not. Divorce is common. Some become alcoholics and some suffer from "police stress", seen in a variety of emotional disorders or heart attacks. Our job is often described as 98% boredom and 2% sheer terror. Why do we do it? We don't really know. I hope it's because we simply care about right and wrong.
California Economy (Senator Tom McClintock) We have everything in the world going for us, or nearly so. We have the most equitable climate in the entire hemisphere; we have the most bountiful resources on the entire continent; we are poised on the Pacific Rim in a position to dominate trade in the next century - we have every blessing that God could possibly bestow upon a land. In fact, the only thing we lack is good public policy. And we can see the effect of that lack every day. When Fidelity National, one of two Fortune 500 companies left in Santa Barbara County last year announced they were moving to Jacksonville, Florida, their CEO was interviewed on local television. He said, "this was not a complicated decision to make. In Florida, there is no income tax, the sales tax is six percent and it costs 40-bucks to register your car. Why is anybody surprised that we're leaving? … while spending more and delivering less than at any time in our history, we suffer an unprecedented budget deficit. Common sense should tell us that there are three ways to cure
a deficit. We can borrow in a state that is already up to its eyeballs
in debt - and already suffers the worst credit rating in the nation.
We can raise taxes in a state that already bears one of the heaviest
tax burdens in the nation. Or we can cut spending in a state that
is spending at near record levels. I would think the choice would
be self-evident. Why did the Founders place that provision in the law? They were very clear. Let me share the words of the State Supreme Court in two decisions in the 1850's: "The framers of the Constitution knew that if they permitted the Legislature to borrow money to defray the ordinary expenses of the government, it would not be long before the State must be brought practically to rely upon the yearly revenue…Besides this, the Convention doubtless thought it unjust to throw the burden of paying the present expense of the government upon posterity, who would be compelled, in addition, to pay their own expenses, or resort to the same method of postponement." These are the warnings of a generation of giants who built our state. They have been heeded by every generation that has followed until this one. If we succumb to the Siren song of borrowing, I fear that this will not be the end of it. Permission is granted to print or copy the OUTRAGEOUS Segment only if used in its entirety and credit is given to the author, listing Changing Worldviews' name, address, email and website. |
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