Advertisements

Stevens Blog Contributors

Stevens Blog Contributors, continued

The BLT - News from Washington

  • The Blog of Legal Times
    Twice voted one of the top law "blawgs" in the country by the ABA Journal, The National Law Journal's popular Blog of Legal Times (better known as "The BLT") covers daily legal developments in Washington.

« Lamm's other priorities | Main | ABA president-elect ponders how to teach teens about civics »

08/04/2009

Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Gates had no reason to act that way. Maybe he needed a good Rodney King slap up side the head. Don't argue with cops, they have guns.

In Chicago, our home is for sale. Cops came alongside home and were pointing into back yard. I was at the kitchen sink looking out window at the uniformed officers outside my window. I asked through the window if there was any problem. I was brushed off like I had no right to ask them and they refused to answer me. I guess they were looking at the house for purchase. They were on MY property. I went outside and asked a third officer near front of house (coming out of MY driveway) if there was a problem. He said "no, we're just looking at the house." I said nicely, smiling, "oh, okay, well you're uniformed police" (this was because the other two outside my window acted like I had no right to ask them why they were on MY property). He looked away like as if to say "yeah no shit, we can do what we want." I got FURIOUS, I walked back to my front door and sarcastically yelled "smart!" ... "do whatever you want!" then I went inside and slammed my front door. I seriously got nervous that now they would come knocking and confront me. When they did not, I thought now I am a target of theirs. This was about a week before the Obama/Gates publicity. So, cops obviously have little respect for private property because they have a gun and badge and backup and that's why we have civil rights laws and constitutional safeguards. Civilians should get their own dashboard cams and front door and home security cams to protect from cops. Cops have a us vs. them mob mentality. I know because I am privy to all their conversations because my dad is retired cop, brother is cop, high school friends all became cops. It wasn't because Gates was black. There was a black cop present when he was led away. It's because cops act like you're a trespasser on your property and like they can do whatever they want. If this was a totalitarian state, we'd be afraid and put up with it. But it's not, so cops should get a reality check. Obama was right, the cop acted stupidly because he has no humility (humbleness). So goeth the entire society. Me Me Me Respect Me Me Me

Since when may police use excessive force against a citizen simply because the citizen used so-called "abusive" language? Isn't such language protected speech under the 1st Amendment? Or doesn't the 1st Amendment apply in Chicago?

Like Sgt. Crowley, someone should remind Mayor Daley that "abusive language," also known as "contempt of cop," is not a crime and does not justify excessive force.

The comments to this entry are closed.

About This Blog

  • The National Law Journal invited more than a dozen high court experts to weigh in with their thoughts on Justice John Paul Stevens and his legacy and the future of the Supreme Court.
Blog powered by Typepad

IceRocket/JusticeStevens