I imagine there are better avenues for that photographic evidence than twitter.
I don't know. What do you think? Proof of mistreatment is grounds for valid legal action, although that's expensive -- but I'm sure there are also plenty of activist groups that take abuse-of-power cases pro bono. Contacting the DA's office might be a step. Writing to representatives, etc. Tenuously, contacting higher-ups within the PD in question. This can backfire, I am fully aware. Of this I'm positive: Twitter will do absolutely nothing except further the stupid, dangerous divide between citizens of this country and their police officers. It's a huge problem, caused by both sides, has got to be fixed. So if you get the opportunity, fix it in real ways instead of hiding behind a username.
With the current expansion of police/military power within the country, and the utter lack of respect for public opinion at the very highest levels of government, I think that this is a good thing. I don't disagree that it's happening. Many of these people won't get justice for police brutality. In fact I'm confident saying most won't. Police are protected, more so than citizens from the consequences of their actions. In-system solutions only work when the system works, which it clearly doesn't.Twitter will do absolutely nothing except further the stupid, dangerous divide between citizens of this country and their police officers.
So if you get the opportunity, fix it in real ways instead of hiding behind a username
You didn't actually answer anything I said. Do these people who you confidently say won't get justice go to the press? Do they call the DA's office, get out and advocate and protest, talk to their reps, etc? Or do they tweet about it? The stock answer is that a lot of them are poor minorities who won't get help no matter what. But that's what organizations like the ACLU et al. exist for. Get them evidence and let them fight. Police are protected from the consequences of their own actions to an extent, and for obvious practical reasons. The necessary evil of responsibility coming with power is something we humans haven't solved in ten thousand years of trying. What exactly do you think is a good thing? That no one in this country respects our police force? That the police are increasingly isolated from public opinion (like, as you say, our politicians)? That there's a huge disconnect between what people want from the police and what they get? How could that ever be a good thing?With the current expansion of police/military power within the country, and the utter lack of respect for public opinion at the very highest levels of government, I think that this is a good thing. I don't disagree that it's happening.
I think that it has to get worse before it gets better. I want to be sunny and optimistic and believe that thoughtful, peaceful, democratic reforms will happen and that people will get what they want from their defenders. But I don't see it happening. I see small-town police forces with armored personnel carriers, bored SWAT teams being called in because someone needs to use their existing budget to justify a bigger one next year/election cycle. I would bet SOME do, and I bet their DA will pander to get them off the phone, ignore complaints and drop all charges against police officers or leave it to Internal Affairs to deal with, so that a cop gets a few months of paid leave, and when no satisfactory (To the department) answer/punishment can be decided, said officer will be back on the streets, maybe in a different part of his jurisdiction, maybe not. Who watches the guardians? Who ensures the guardians commit no sins?Do these people who you confidently say won't get justice go to the press? Do they call the DA's office, get out and advocate and protest, talk to their reps, etc? Or do they tweet about it?
So we need to slip into a pseudo-police state (to call the US an actual police state mocks the situations of millions of people worldwide) in order to get a sort of wake up call? Or are you saying we're already at that point? I think your view is unduly pessimistic, influenced by a selection bias of what the media will show us and what they don't bother to. I think this about most people who hate the police or view all politicians/elected officials/cops/"guardians" as automatically evil. But it's not entirely false. Obviously the situation you describe above happens fairly often. And I don't know what to do about it. Asimov introduced a perfect slave populace and four unbreakable laws -- maybe we could try that.I think that it has to get worse before it gets better. I want to be sunny and optimistic and believe that thoughtful, peaceful, democratic reforms will happen and that people will get what they want from their defenders. But I don't see it happening. I see small-town police forces with armored personnel carriers, bored SWAT teams being called in because someone needs to use their existing budget to justify a bigger one next year/election cycle.
I would bet SOME do, and I bet their DA will pander to get them off the phone, ignore complaints and drop all charges against police officers or leave it to Internal Affairs to deal with, so that a cop gets a few months of paid leave, and when no satisfactory (To the department) answer/punishment can be decided, said officer will be back on the streets, maybe in a different part of his jurisdiction, maybe not.