The whole explanation about how cops are misrepresented by the press
rings true because there is certainly a degree of truth to it. On the
other hand, there is Fox News and a host of other media organizations
and individuals who love to find documentable examples of a liberal
press run amok and burn the liberals with their own fire of public
exposure.

.....Shrug....

Checks and balances at work, I think.

But it strikes me that in the previous discussion, what I think was
most offensive about the Florida zealot officer, and what is
unforgivably offensive about the rotund woman reportedly brutalized on
film is a complete lack of common sense displayed by the law
enforcement officials. If a person does not know that there are other
options available besides tasering this woman and physically dragging
her out of her vehicle, and so on.... then that person does not need
to be dealing with the general public. That person's duty needs to be
restricted to dealing solely with people who are alway a real
physical risk to him. Because that is, obviously, the only way he
knows how to respond.

It is just not critical that that woman get out of her car at that
particular instant.

Similarly, it is just not critical to Florida's boat registration
statutes that an officer use that as a lever to press himself on any
and every vessel registered elsewhere than Florida.

In the case of the Florida officer, perhaps he can be taught to be
more rational in the pursuit of his duty. Perhaps the letter writing,
or filming suggestions will bear fruit. I hope so. Thankfully, I did
not read any reports of him becoming physically abusive.

In the case of police officers who think their training of how to
subdue violent criminals caught in the act of violent crimes is to be
applied to middle aged rotund women who are reluctant to cooperate
just exactly and as quickly as the officer would have them do, then I
think that person is a grave danger to society. Perhaps he would be
of use in a maximum security facility. More likely, he is
psychologically unsuited to the police profession.

In a word, I don't care if the Florida zealot is right and a boat
should be registered. I don't care if he catches a boater in flagrant
violation of that statute. Smile. Be polite. Explain the
transgression. Write up the citation. And then, he should be on his
way. With a nice wave and an admonition to get the paperwork sorted
out.

Similarly, I don't care if the woman stopped for a traffic violation
said, no I'm not getting out of my car. I don't care if she said that
if the cop tried to drag her out of her car she would hit him. The
cop should have the skill to realize the woman is afraid. She is
likely not herself. Screaming at her is only going to make everything
worse! The cop escalated the encounter! The cop can call a female
officer who may be able to relate to the fearful woman holed up in her
van. The cop can call for more people. If worse comes to worst, two
or three guys can reach in and as gently as possible pry her out of
her car. She can be arrested. She can be punished by the judge.
With fines. With license revocation. With jail time. That's the
judge's job. The judge decides how much she has to pay for the amount
of trouble she causes. When the cops decide they're going to be
physically overbearing and bring her to heel in a physical way, they
have in effect imposed a judgement and a penalty on her. That is not
their job.

These law enforcement officers (either on the water or on the street)
can not be allowed to create their own personal fiefdoms. If the
taser is a tool of the cop, the cop is a tool of the legal system.
Force is his to use as it is necessary, and not one bit farther than
that. It is not for him to decide that for the sake of his time, he
is going to bring a situation to a head. Right now!

It was said that the cops dealing with the woman were following
procedure. I bet the Florida warden says the same thing. He's
following procedure. That can not be a shield for intimidating (or
worse, physically brutalizing) members of the public, be they boaters
or drivers. The mentality that this type of behavior is appropriate
when dealing with anyone other than a person who is a clear and
present danger must not be allowed to prevail!

All the examples about how police are misunderstood and misrepresented
was pretty convincing. Until I thought it through.

On Feb 22, 6:17 pm, Rick Morel wrote:

No, but it's almost as much fun as dragging a little old 80 year old
lady out of a car, throwing her onto the dirty concrete, popping her a
few times with the baton, spray her with OC pepper spray, then
Tasering her, all the while the unit cam is running so we can play it
back at the station over and over.

OF COURSE I'M KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!!

Rick