You have a link to the way this went down, or is this speculation?
Speculation. But informed speculation. My job requires that I'm in schools from time to time and as I've stated plenty here, my organization works with underprivileged youth and families (as you well know). So when I make these statements, I have a lot of experience to base it on. I'm not going to school by day and playing cover songs at a local bar at night and deciding to spout off. This is real life, professional experiences talking.
50 years ago, that child would have been in a different school in Columbia SC.
I'm failing to see what difference that makes. Whatever school that kid was attending 50 years ago, the scenario would have been just as I described it. The parent would have been mortified that their kid was thumbing their nose at the free education (even more so then) and they would have been embarrassed that their child, for no good reason, challenged authority. And frankly, they probably would have been beaten like a rented mule when they got home.
You know who else didn't get up from her seat when the police told her to? Rosa Parks. And they arrested her, in a time where police violence against blacks was probably acceptable. Yet they found a way to arrest Rosa Parks without throwing her to the ground and cuffing her.
Are you equating this kid's disobedient behavior to the courageous stand Rosa Parks took? If not, then I don't see what Rosa Parks has to do with the cost of tea in China. In fact, it strengthens my argument if anything.
You know why it's hip to challenge authority? Because many of us have seen plenty of episodes of police misconduct. Hell, it's hard to have lived a more privileged life than me and I have seen cops act maliciously plenty of times. I can't imagine how much more I would have seen it if I lived in underprivileged circumstances. And all that being said, I would never challenge police in this manner. But I can also afford to pay a good lawyer if I need one.
See, that's the problem. The message that all people should be sending is that "police are good and here to help you" and then deal with outlier situations when they arise. The message should not be "the police are suspect - be very careful when dealing with them as many are shady." And again, the other - just as important message should be - "don't step out of line. Don't hang around people that step out of line. Mind your Ps and Qs, walk a straight line and more times than not, you'll have no dealings with police. In the event you do, be respectful, obey and if mistreated, deal with it on the backside through the proper channels." That applies to you, Mr. Silver Spoon and little Johnny from the projects.
Sometimes people have rage that stays down until a spark. Yes, I agree that Michael Brown was a bullshit spark, but at this point, it doesn't matter.
And sometimes people make up "rage" to make them feel better about their station in life. Playing the victim is a lot easier than pulling yourself up by the bootstraps.
Do you think that cop would have done what he did to that kid if he had realized or thought about being on tape? Nope, no way. What should have happened? I suppose that when she was asked to get up, and didn't, the principal should have been called to expel her on the spot. At that point, she could have been told she was no longer a student and was trespassing and that she would be forcibly removed from grounds and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, if necessary. At that point, you can then pick her up and cuff her if she refuses to cooperate.
I already stated that I felt the cop's action was excessive. So I'm not excusing this one incident. This discussion is centered more around the fact that people (apparently you included) are throwing fuel on the fire by excusing society's bad behavior by citing the very few incidents in which police acted inappropriately. You may be smart enough to separate cops overreacting and real true criminal threats. But most can't. And when you, strum, uncboy or other apologist/anti-police people get to ranting about how bad cops are, all it does is give the impression that people don't have to respect those that have been given the responsibility of enforcing the law.
