“… the political class… uses the multiplication of criminal offenses as a form of moral exhibitionism.” [George Will, Washington Post/syndicated]
“… the political class… uses the multiplication of criminal offenses as a form of moral exhibitionism.” [George Will, Washington Post/syndicated]
3 Comments
While I agree largely with the overcriminalization point, I refuse to recognize it in the case of Garner until the NYPD produces evidence that Garner was selling cigarettes that day, or at least evidence that would have given the police probable cause to arrest him.
To date, there’s been nothing except the unspecific pointing to his 31 arrests (no mention of convictions).
I have been stopped by the police a couple of times. If I had reacted like these turkeys, Brown, Garner, et al, I could have ended up in the morgue, too. People have to learn that the police have the right, even the mandate, to arrest you. You can discus it with them, but the time to argue is in the courts, not on the street. The problem is, both these guys, and many more, knew they were guilty of a crime. Being guilty causes you to react differently than if you are innocent. So stay innocent my friends.
El Gato,
What is the difference between the reaction of a person who has committed a crime and one who has not when the police place handcuffs on them? Specifically, what do you mean?
While you may be right that the time to “argue” is in the courts, for an innocent person, to get to that point in time has meant thousands of dollars, mental anguish, and a reputation within the community that has been damaged. After all, the police have the wonderful “perp walk” of which the person will be a part of. The local news media will run mug shots of those arrested without regard to whether the person is innocent or not. Just the arrest record will be a part of the innocent person’s life from that moment on. Imagine having to call your spouse and say you have been arrested. Imagine what they will have to explain to your kids.
There is a lot on the line when a person is placed in handcuffs and taken to jail. When that person is innocent – not just “not guilty” but innocent – please explain why the innocent person should not fight for their rights? Please explain what are the consequences for the cops who arrest innocent people? Obviously there are consequences to innocent person, but what about the police?
We can say that a person should stay “innocent,” but the fact of the matter is that for an innocent person who is being arrested, the consequences are just as great, if not greater, than that of a guilty person.