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In reply to the discussion: Undercover cop begs autistic kid to break the law, then arrests him [View all]Savannahmann
(3,891 posts)I don't have a link, so you'll have to believe me. A cub scout woke late the morning after one of their meetings. He put the same pants on, boys will do that as you know. In the pocket was his cub scout knife. He went to school, and discovered the knife. He knew we wasn't supposed to have it. This boy took the knife to his teacher, and told her the truth. The teacher had to follow the rules, and sent the boy to the Principal. The Principal had to follow the rules, and called the police. The police had to follow the rules, and arrested the boy for bringing a weapon to school. It was a Friday, and by the time he was processed in, he spent the long holiday weekend in Juvenile Hall waiting to be arraigned. Three days, four nights in jail for telling the truth, and admitting a mistake.
The judge was outraged. He ordered all charges dropped against the boy, and commended the boy for doing the right thing. You see, the boy knew when he was in trouble, he was supposed to find an adult to tell the truth to. By the time the weekend was over, not only did that boy learn a different lesson, but every child in the school learned the lesson too. If you make a mistake, don't dare tell anyone, because they won't be understanding, they won't be helpful, they will throw you in jail. It was stupidity layered on top of more stupidity.
When we have a stupid situation, like this autistic boy and the undercover cop. The lesson that that kid, and all those around him learn, is never trust the police. Because the police will betray that trust you've put into them. That autistic boy probably believed that the police were there to help him, protect him. Instead that Deputy Sheriff abused the trust that the citizens had placed in him. Later, the Police will want to know why no witnesses came forward to help them find a cop killer. Why should they? Because everyone in that school learned that the police abuse the trust, and target the most vulnerable members of our society, members that we should protect and admire because they tend to be far more loving than we are.
I have long held the police in absolute disdain. Having learned that police lie regularly, my faith in them was shattered decades ago. Yet, it still troubles me that things like this happen. Because I wish the Police would live up to the image they put forth. The idea that they are the thin blue line between us and the barbarians. All too often, the barbarians are wearing blue. All too often the bullies are protected by the badge and gun society of silence. I would have grudgingly admitted that the Police were doing good work if they had been targeting students in the school who were cognizant of the ideas of right and wrong, and able to understand the difference. Instead, they entrapped a mentally handicapped child by using the most egregious betrayals of trust imaginable.
These actions are inexcusable, and do nothing to bridge the gap of understanding between the police and the population. They merely push more people into the camp where I reside. The camp of people who distrust and disdain the police is getting mighty large.