Disrespect for Police is growing in schools

[fpde279]

Hello, i am a police explorer from Fairfield Connecticut. I have lots of friends and am an average guy. Anyways, i was wearing an NYPD hat, and a memorial Sept. 11 Shirt. Some kid in the halls of my High School, said, What are you a pig?? Knowing the kid was a drug user, i wasent going to tell him anything. So instead i told him i knew an NYPD officer. To this he replied, "Hey is he drity". This is not the first time i have hear bad things about cops. Personally ive been called a "narc" "pig" and so many other names its not funny. Its so interesting that doing something right dosent even phase 14 year olds anymore. Just something to think about. Stay Safe.
Explorer Sergent Patrick Clancy

[DMS 525]

**** on them! All they are showing is their lack of intelligence, common sense, and their immaturity.

Be true to your own beliefs, and don't let the thoughts of those half wits sway you.

[n567]

Eh, don't worry about it. Idiots tend to be more vocal than the rest of the population. I'm really vocal, so I should know.

[Don]

Pat,

I responded to your post in the Explorer's section. Just a little tip here. Once you post a topic in one section, it is not necessary (actually it is frowned upon by staff) to post the same thing (or virtually the same thing) in another section.

It's no big deal really and I'm not chewing you out, just letting you know. It's just a waste of band width.

[Mike Tx]

I think the schools are a growing source of ignorance about reality today. The schools are little better than government indoctrination camps where you have to do as you are told, or face the master.

[goodgirl]

"Disrespect for Police is growing in schools"

Your topic title isn't supported by your post. The fact that one punk kid made an assinine comment to show off to his friends does not necessarily mean that "disrespect for police is growing in schools."

There has always been a disrespect for the law and police amongst certain groups of teenagers and probably always will be.

Teenage years are all about trying to find your independence and this often results in rebelling against authority. The majority of these kids will probably never go beyond referring to cops as "pigs" or sneaking a cigarette behind the school.

Just setting a good example, not giving in to the pressure of being "cool" and perhaps setting them straight when confronted with their attitude is all you can do. Making dire predictions about the decline of today's youth based on a few punks with an inferiority complex is a bit extreme though in my opinion.

[McCloud]

I generally agree with Goodgirl--one incident does not mean that the practice is widespread.

But it is interesting that one theme that runs through your observation is that of drugs--referring to the cops as "narcs."

If there is a growing disrespect for the law and its enforcers, part of that stems from some of the lousy laws they must enforce, and the most notable among such laws are the drug laws, which are fundamentally illegitimate. If your contention is true, then it's too bad that well-intentioned but counterproductive legislation would sully the image and reputation of the police.

[Mike Tx]

McCloud, I'm glad you posted that. I agree that much of this nonsense is brounght about by bad laws. I only wonder what the final results will be,meaning if police will continue to enforce bad laws, or not.

The bad thing about things like this is that if good police decide not to enforce laws that are bad, and they quit LE, what will the powers that be replace you with? It's scary. Seems like you can always find someone for some job, no matter what it is.

[ 05-12-2002: Message edited by: MikeTx ]

[Joseph]

FPDE278 you can;t judge the whole basket by one bad apple. Hopefully this was the opinion of just one person and not the majority of the school.

[McCloud]

Mike

Not being in LE, it's probably easier for me to criticize, but I think I understand your point that some individuals might have to make a decision about whether to continue a career or change fields. It's a tough decision, for sure.

My opinion is that most individuals with LE are decent and honorable. However, they are put into a tough position if they disagree with some of the laws they are bound to enforce. For some laws that don't cause big problems I suppose it's fairly insignificant, but in the specific case of the drug laws as they exist today, it's a pretty big ethical dilemma.

In my book the blame lies with the people who make stupid and improper laws, not with the average cop who must enforce them.

[Mike Tx]

I have to agree with you. I thought you were in LE. My mistake.

[207]

fpde279's statement does have some merit. Just 35 miles north of where he's located we have a University with many disrespectful students. Granted the majority of them are OK but there are some who just don't give a damn about authority of any kind and are disrepectful to not only people but property. Within a half a semester we had over $85,000.00 dollars in damages in just one dorm.

Their disrespectfulness no doubt stems from their upbringing and the lack of parental supervision. And in meeting with some of these parents it shows!!

[Bravo8]

Originally posted by DMS 525:
**** on them!

Ok...

http://216.40.249.192/mysmilies/cwm/cwm/****2.gif

[ 05-12-2002: Message edited by: Bravo8 ]

[ 05-14-2002: Message edited by: Niteshift ]

[FLLawdog]

If there is a growing disrespect for the law and its enforcers, part of that stems from some of the lousy laws they must enforce, and the most notable among such laws are the drug laws, which are fundamentally illegitimate.

iF this is a reason, I'd have to believe it is a small percentage. Any person's reasons for dislike, disdain, disrespect or just plain hatred for LEO's is personal. It may come from a bad experience, it may come from being a frequent flier, it may even come from peer pressure.

The trend I'm seeing with youth today (in my little corner of the universe), is they really have no reason to disrespect us, they just do because of the rebellious teen years. These feelings seem to come from any number of reasons, but usually from parents' attitudes and/comments, friends' attitudes/comments and even music, movies and TV.

If a person is willing to disrespect me because of 1/16th of an inch of a 3 inch book (Florida's drug laws), I'd have to say that person is pretty narrow minded, especially since we aren't responsible for them being in the books in the first place.

For some laws that don't cause big problems I suppose it's fairly insignificant, but in the specific case of the drug laws as they exist today, it's a pretty big ethical dilemma.

I won't be too quick to agree with that. An LEO can face an ethical dillema with nearly any he or she enforces. How about an officer charged with DUI, domestic battery, and even burglary in his past? Do you think he would face an ethical dillema with those, too?

You've been here long enough, McLoud, so you know you're opening up a can of worms. If it stays on drug laws, the can's gonna be shut.

[McCloud]

Somehow I'm not surprised that you would consider the number of pages in the lawbook, rather than the law itself and its ramifications, as the relevant factor in such a discussion.

But you know me, Lawdog, I'll be losing sleep tonight thinking about topics that are not discussed at Officer.com

Color me 10-7