MESSAGE
DATE | 2008-01-29 |
FROM | From: "Ronny Abraham"
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SUBJECT | Re: [NYLXS - HANGOUT] Republican Endorsements and the facts
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"especially since I gave up being perfect"
HAH! I wish I would grow up and take that attitude!
-ron
On Jan 28, 2008 11:32 PM, Michael L. Richardson wrote: > My apologies, I thought you were Ruben. Most of what you say is > real. I am not talking about policing the police. It is the culture > that needs to change. Real ongoing dialog needs to be opened. Your > a,b,c points while a good start do not take into account peer pressure. > I am aware that there are other classification's of people who are > mistreated by the police . I can not speak for them I can only speak > for myself and how I see things. I know I have been wrong and made > misjudgments in the past and most likely will do so in the future > (especially since I gave up being perfect). > > > Ronny Abraham wrote: > > Firstly, I'm not Ruben, I'm Ron. :) > > > > Secondly, "access" to psychological counseling is not remotely the > > same thing as being given complete and total support with regard to > > counseling. Which the police do not get. This isn't about giving > > the police a perk, this is about making sure that a man whose job is > > to carry around a firearm in unstable situations doesn't murder an > > innocent human being because he makes a bad judgment call due to > > emotional problems. I would think that someone who openly expresses > > his fear of the police would agree with me on this. > > > > Third, I am not talking about a citizen review board. You are talking > > about how we must "police" the police. This is the same tired > > argument regarding crime in general; punish the criminals, or deal > > with the causes of crime. Both are important. Community support of > > the police as well as involvement in making their work and lives > > easier does not take the place of a civilian oversight board. By the > > same token, a civilian oversight board does not take the place of > > community support. Both are essential. > > > > Fourth, If, heaven forbid, you ever get in trouble with the law, I > > would be very happy to know that the officers involved with your case > > were > > > > a) intelligent > > b) emotionally stable > > c) professional with regards to their duties. > > > > Currently, you will be unable, with certainty, to count on any of the > > above three things I mentioned. African Americans are not the only > > ones who get treated like utter crap by unprofessional officers. My > > experiences with the police have fortunately been all positive and > > professional. But I know enough people (yes, white), who were > > ex-Giuliani supporters thanks to their experiences. My post was > > dedicated to addressing precisely those issues. It is very important > > to be aware of problems. But griping about problems without an honest > > assessment of what needs to correct the situation is simply > > ridiculous. There is no vaccine which will magically solve these > > issues. There are a number of factors that need to be addressed and > > some of those factors require effort on behalf of the community as > > well. I'm sorry to tell you this, but that happens to be true of most > > of the problems in the public sphere. > > > > Finally, as far as newspapers go, I was addressing Ruben on that one, > > not yourself. I appreciate his being upset with the Times, but I > > think it's important to stress that all newspapers have traditionally > > had a dedicated segment of professional fantasists (read "Roughing It" > > by Mark Twain where he describes how his first newspaper assignment > > was to make up a story of an Indian massacre that never happened). > > > > But I still read the papers for > > > > a) entertainment > > b) when it comes to a general overview of a situation. Even they > > cannot screw up everything. > > > > -ron > > > > On Jan 28, 2008 1:59 PM, Michael L. Richardson.com > > wrote: > > > >> Ruben the police do have access to psychological counseling. > >> people did complain and they gave us the citizen review board. (whose > >> unstated mission to dissmiss compaints). > >> If I ever get into trouble with the law I want the same consideration the > >> police get (not equal justice). > >> as for greater cooperation with the police I find that one to one they are > >> normal peploe but put two or more together and you are asking for trouble > >> from them. > >> The police are a necessary evil. > >> I stopped reading newspapers years ago. > >> > >> > >> ___ > >> Sent with SnapperMail > >> www.snappermail.com > >> > >> ...... Original Message ....... > >> On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:25:56 -0500 "Ronny Abraham" > >> > >> wrote: > >> > >>> One more thing. Ruben, it wasn't 2000 murders a month. It was > >>> (about) 2000 a year. Furthermore the rates were going up long before > >>> Dinkins got into office, and started going down three years before he > >>> left it. > >>> > >>> Not that I liked the man, thought he was a horrible mayor. Although > >>> to be fair, he wasn't the worst. Jimmy Walker easily takes that > >>> prize. There are also quite a number of other rejects ahead of him in > >>> that regard too. > >>> > >>> As for the Times, anyone who believes everything a newspaper (ANY > >>> newspaper) says, is kidding themselves. > >>> Newspapers don't exist to tell the truth, they exist to sell papers. > >>> Period. That's the way it is now, and that's the way it's been, > >>> literally, since the beginning of the country. > >>> > >>> I can introduce you to a fellow who worked in the Koch administration > >>> who told me how they were constantly incredulous at the way the > >>> newspapers would print "facts" that had absolutely nothing to do with > >>> reality. I myself saw how an article in the Jerusalem post regarding > >>> a local incident (it was a heroic fairy tale) was at complete odds > >>> with the utter cowardice that the "hero" admitted (in my presence) to > >>> having shown. > >>> > >>> -ron > >>> > >>> On Jan 28, 2008 10:38 AM, Ronny Abraham wrote: > >>> > >>>> What you fear or do not fear is of course your own business. But here > >>>> are the facts. > >>>> > >>>> http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/nycrime.htm > >>>> > >>>> If you really have problems with the police, than I suggest you get > >>>> involved in police advocacy organizations to change the system from > >>>> the inside as opposed to simply complaining about it. > >>>> > >>>> Here are some suggestions: > >>>> > >>>> 1. Demand that psychological counseling be made available to all > >>>> officers to whatever degree required. This is common sense. If I > >>>> have an armed man walking around and enforcing the law, I obviously > >>>> want him to be sane. > >>>> > >>>> 2. Demand greater involvement on the part of the community with the > >>>> police. The classic example is Kitty Genovese, > >>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese The community has this > >>>> childlike mentality that the police is either a "good daddy" or a "bad > >>>> daddy". They are not "daddy". They are simply armed men who enforce > >>>> the law. If people don't work with them, then their job is > >>>> impossible, frustrating, and they will consequently view everyone in > >>>> the community as at best, an obstacle. Which will lead to corruption > >>>> as well as a willingness to work with the criminal element$$ of the > >>>> community to simply get through the day. Why should they care if we > >>>> don't? Again, common sense tells us that a police officer is a great > >>>> deal more likely to treat members of a community with respect if those > >>>> community members treat his work with respect. Note, I refer to his > >>>> work, not to him in particular. > >>>> > >>>> 3. Demand that they get better pay. You get what you pay for. Think > >>>> > >> about it. > >> > >>>> 4. Demand that the entry requirements are a lot tougher. Do I want a > >>>> moron or an intelligent person walking around with a gun, making > >>>> decisions that could either keep me alive or G-d forbid, land me in > >>>> jail? See #3 and #1 > >>>> > >>>> 5. Demand that the city take a realistic view with regards to gangs as > >>>> well as schooling. Since both feed a great deal off the other. I > >>>> won't bother getting into it, just suffice to say that our treatment > >>>> of both is a pathetic joke. > >>>> > >>>> 6. The one intelligent thing Dinkins did was to start a program > >>>> calling for more police to walk the beat. Same thing is working now > >>>> in Iraq. Visibility makes a difference. Hiding in the > >>>> Precinct/barracks and only coming out to arrest "bad guys" is an > >>>> exercise in futility. > >>>> > >>>> Think about it, if a community (any community) would regularly stage > >>>> demonstrations in front of city hall arguing that their police > >>>> officers should have tougher entrance exams, better pay, more > >>>> community involvement (including watchdog groups), and free > >>>> psychological counseling for however much they felt they needed it; > >>>> do you honestly think they wouldn't treat that community with respect > >>>> and consideration? > >>>> > >>>> As for Giuliani, well, most of the bitching and complaints about him > >>>> I've found were either fairly accurate or had basis. I call it > >>>> "bitching" because usually these complaints lack the perspective that > >>>> he had real accomplishments and helped out the city tremendously. The > >>>> man was far from a saint, but it takes a real genius to argue that > >>>> we're not better off because of him. > >>>> > >>>> As for your assertion that the best thing he did was to leave office, > >>>> I agree with you, believe it or not. I feel he was the right man at > >>>> the right time for the job, but he did what was needed and the > >>>> situation called for someone else. > >>>> > >>>> -ron > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> On Jan 27, 2008 6:07 PM, Michael L. Richardson > >>>> > >>>> wrote: > >>>> > >>>>> Not to make light of or minimize what happened, and what your and yours > >>>>> experienced. The first two still happen they only moved to new > >>>>> locations. The third one wait for summer. I still fear the police. > >>>>> > >>>>> (snip) > >>>>> > >>>>>> I remember my wife being dragged into the Flatbush Avenue train > >>>>>> > >> station > >> > >>>>>> by a band of HS kids and the owners of the comicbook store running > >>>>>> > >> down the > >> > >>>>>> stairs to resue them to result in a bloody standoff in which Ellen > >>>>>> > >> finaly > >> > >>>>>> escaped.. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> I remember Howard Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue patrolled up and down > >>>>>> by drug dealer and 3 infants in a week being shot down in their rooms > >>>>>> by random gun fire. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> I remember a lot of things. I also remember standing on Troy Avenue > >>>>>> and Eastern Parkway running into a crowd of rioters on the day of the > >>>>>> riots trying to prevent them from torching a mini-van. > >>>>>> yeah - I do remmeber. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Ruben > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>> (snip) > >>>>> > >>>>> > >> > > > > > >
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