Pete Rock Discusses Police Brutality at Album Release Party


I have never been a fan of the police. However, my negative view of the police has softened as I have grown older. Likely, my view of the police has soften because I have gained a greater understanding of how many irresponsible assholes live in this world. As a result, I've developed some appreciation for the difficulty of a police officer's job. With that said, much of my youthful rage against the police has resurfaced in reaction to the video that has surfaced of the police action taken at the Monumental release party. On that note, can anybody (preferably someone who is in law enforcement) explain to me why you'll be hard pressed to find a cop these days policing the street without their terminator sunglasses on? This bothers me to no end. LET ME SEE YOUR GODDAMN EYES! In my view, hiding your eyes is some cowardly ish that criminals do. Eyes reveal emotion and our humanity. If nobody can see your eyes, how can you build any type of relationship with the community you are trying to protect.

6 comments:

dfabix said...

Few things to touch on Prof Pipo.

1) I too as I've grown older started to soften my view on police for they have a tough job to do.
However, in my journey through life, still a majority of the people who become police have a certain 'quality' (pun intended) to them that qualifies them to become one.
Even those who start out genuine and want to help, quickly become hardened to turn into what we see on a everyday basis. It's the nature of the job they are in.

2) The sunglasses. I believe it's taught in the academy to have a certain appearance (stoic & commanding) when you are a police officer.
They do not train them to be friendly, helpful & understanding.
They are trained to assess the situation (mostly through filtered eye lenses) and take action to "protect" (mostly themselves). They are told to "take control of a situation" upon arrival on the scene. There is no compassion in their training, only aggression (and brute aggression at that) and quick resolutions.

3) I have 2 neighbors who are police officers (one a gang unit, the other motorcycle)...let me tell you that I was pulled over by my neighbor for "cell phone use" (when I was not on the phone, merely setting the phone in my dash) and despite being neighbors, he ticketed me. Told me it was a $25 ticket, but when I got the bail amount it was $160. Now if your own neighbor who you see everyday and talk to regularly cannot have some compassion and willingness to actually listen to what happened before he tickets you, still tickets you? what makes anyone think a random police officer is gonna show any type of caring nature to anyone else on the street?

It's sad, but my little cousin tried to go through the Police Academy...He is a stringent Christian with extremely hardcore discipline in the religion. He really believes in equality, righteousness & fairness. He was canned from the Academy for "being too honest". This is not a joke, I'm serious. He explained to the Academy that he'd never taken any drugs before in his life, not 1 toke of marijuana or a drink of beer. They "assumed" he was lying, despite passing the lie detector.

The polic Academy only "accepts" a certain moldable person to their ranks. They want you to be the asshole we see on the street. They want you to be the rude, insensitive "enforcer" they need. And the Academy breeds these things into the new recruits. The things they teach and the way they teach them is very counterintuitve for what a normal person would believe a police is there for.

It's sad, but the sunglasses, the standoffish nature, the refusal to resort to any form of logic or sensibility is something that is trained....and told to be reenacted on a daily basis.

Anyhoot, sorry for my long ass rant...
but I only have 1 police officer I've ever met that I actually had a "decent" conversation with...and he works for Downey PD (notoriously nasty cops down there, with zero tolerance)...but he is the most understanding cop I've met...and he will say the same things that I've said plus more...haha.

Fuck the Police...coming straight from the underground...still resonated loud today.

pipomixes said...

Thank you for your thoughtful and insightful comment

Eric Nord said...

Great discussion.

I police are an inevitable evil. And on the whole, I think we are better with police (than without them).

But it should also be pointed out that they operate like a gang: they control turf, they tax, they control the flow of contraband, they punish enemies, and abuse/corruption is inevitable.

Anyone familiar with places where police don't always control the streets (Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, etc.) sees the overlapping roles of police and gangs. In many respects, gangs ARE police. And vice versa... in many respects police ARE a gang. And it is in areas where the two compete for control that tension is often greatest.

pipomixes said...

"Anyone familiar with places where police don't always control the streets (Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, etc.) sees the overlapping roles of police and gangs. In many respects, gangs ARE police. And vice versa... in many respects police ARE a gang. And it is in areas where the two compete for control that tension is often greatest."

^^^^^^
Well said

Anonymous said...

I think Pete Rock's comment about sun glasses is ignorant, along with some of the comments here. They are protective eye wear. The same standard as used by builders, groundsmen, tradesmen, golfers, taxi drivers and motor vehicle drivers, airline pilots etc worldwide. Not all cops wear them.

Your optometrist will recommend you wear good quality sunglasses to protect your eye sight whenever you are outside in the sun for extended periods. Less strain on the eyes. Constant exposure to sun light can damage your eyes over time.

Celebrities wear them all the time indoor and out. He needs to ask them why.

KEEP THE MIXES COMING PIPO!

Ace in the Hole said...

Mirrored lenses, having a metallic, partially reflective coating on the outer surface, combined with a tinted glass lens, are an alternative to polarization for UV protection, improving contrast when depth perception is important such as seeing moguls and ice while skiing or snowboarding.

The mirrored lens reflects glare to protect the eyes, but improves the ability to see contrasts, and mirrored lenses of different colors can expand the range of fashion styles.

Their popularity with police officers in the United States has earned them the nickname "cop shades".

Common sense 101.