Learning Not To Call 911
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September 7th, 2014

Learning Not To Call 911

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Discussion (12)¬

  1. tsp says:

    Thousands of crimes, that many people witness. We be victims, bystanders, bad peeps, and some hired society baby sitters. Everybody sees things from the vantage point they was at. Many people hold a grudge. This neighborhood we live in, and view each other with suspicion. Father creates, satan destroys.

  2. GlassFull68 says:

    I think the odds are more than 50/50 of police help. Compared to the the number of calls, the fact you can actually detail the times officers abuse their power shows that statistically, it is probably more like 90/10 that they will help, or even lie 98/2. It is probable that in some areas of civilization, the odds change closer to 50/50, but that is sad, and I do not want to focus on that, because police have SAVED my life too many times to count.

  3. BigBruh'sWatchin' says:

    What about all of the instances where, just because they wore a badge, officers have fallen victim to the same people for whom they literally swore to sacrifice themselves to protect? Where are the protests and cries for justice for them and their families…drowned out by the cries for leniency on the perpetrators?? I promise you that you will find MANY more situations where law enforcement officers have been assaulted and/or killed in the same time period you cite. As long as you're hoping to make anyone think before acting, how about reminding the public of their duties to NOT break the law? THAT would benefit everybody on both sides of the badge.

    • Darrin Bell says:

      First of all, that's a good point that people should be reminded to just not break the law and to not threaten the police. Police are people too and can't be expected to take a torrent of abuse without eventually having a bad day and taking it out on someone.

      However…

      Protests and cries for justice aren't necessary when the perpetrators are arrested and punished. People in Ferguson (and in all the other cases) aren't protesting because a police officer killed someone unnecessarily, they're protesting because the cops weren't arrested and charged for it as any of us would be if WE had done it.

      Citizens who assault officers are arrested. Ciizens who kill officers go to jail. Officers who assault or kill citizens are not arrested, and almost never go to jail, even when video exists proving what they did was unnecessary. That's why I'm focusing on the police in this cartoon. They're the only ones who get to act with virtual impunity.

      I'd think you'd be even more disgusted than I am at those cops who are either so incompetent or so abusive that they'd kill or beat unarmed people when they don't need to. THEY – not the commentators and cartoonists who notice them – are the ones making the job tougher for good cops such as yourself.

      You know what they say, "with great power comes great responsibility." It might seem unfair to you, and I understand that, but I believe people with the authority to decide who lives and who dies need to be held to a higher standard than the rest of the population.

      • BigBruh'sWatchin' says:

        I couldn't agree with you more when you say that dirty/crooked officers are reviled by the rest of us…moreso than anyone outside of this occupation can appreciate. As you clearly understand, their actions only make our jobs that much more difficult. Don't get me wrong, DB, I dig your work and feel reasonably safe in assuming that you harbor no ill will towards law enforcement, but I also think you have to agree with my assertion that there is a serious double standard in play here: those of us shaded in ebony are quick to take offense to being "categorized" based on the actions of a few, yet that's exactly what common perception is for those of us who wear a badge, and yes, this particular strip does bolster that, whether intentionally or not.

        Finally, I would somewhat counter your "with great power" quote with another: "There is no higher office in this country than the office of 'citizen'." Who, then, has MORE responsibility??

  4. P Adams says:

    Wow, normally appreciate the humor but this is a bit much.. After 34 years in law enforcement and trying to help, this kind of "humor" is a little hurtful – and certainly not helpful.
    P Adams

    • Darrin Bell says:

      I understand what you're saying. But I would argue that what's hurtful and unhelpful are the police officers who've provoked such humor. in the last year (let alone the last couple decades) we've had far too many instances of police brutality to ignore. An execution of an unarmed homeless man in AZ, a beating of a grandmother on a highway in Los Angeles, a death-by-chokehold of a man in NYC, a baby burned in his crib by a flash-bang grenade a SWAT team used (with a no-knock warrant) in pursuit of a small amount of drugs, the shooting of Michael Brown (in which several independent eye witnesses agree he was standing with his arms raised when he was gunned down), an officer shooting at a minivan full of kids, and the list goes on. Most police officers don't need to be reminded that they're not an occupying force and we are not an insurgency that needs to be put down. But too many do need that reminder. If this cartoon makes even a single officer think twice about overreacting, then I believe it's helpful.

  5. BigBruh'sWatchin' says:

    Really dig the goings-on in the world of Candorville (altho, Susan could be just a little bit hotter), but could you jump OFF the bandwagon some time and not help perpetuate the stereotype that all who walk the "thin blue line" are trigger-happy, sadistic racists? This "Blue Brutha" and all my brethen would really benefit more from the public's support for the jobs we do daily, as opposed to the constant scorn heaped on us when something goes wrong. Just sayin'…

    • Darrin Bell says:

      Thanks for writing, but I've never said all (or even most) officers abuse their authority. Even Clyde says, in this cartoon, that there's an equal chance the police WON'T be trigger-happy, sadistic racists and WILL be there to help. His point is you never know what you're going to get when you encounter the police.

      • BigBruh'sWatchin' says:

        "His point is you never know what you're going to get when you encounter the police."

        Just like we never know if we're walking into an ambush until the shots ring out…

        • Darrin Bell says:

          The difference is you sign up for that, you're trained for that, you're armed, and if you kill or harrass someone you're almost always going to get off.

          I'm not saying most cops will abuse that authority, but you have to admit that's not the same situation a civilian will find himself in if he runs into one of those cops who will.