Comment by Zigurd
3 days ago
There's been a big and long running case of Massachusetts state police and the town of Canton police trying to frame a woman for the death of a policeman. Michael Proctor is a former state police detective who "investigated" the case.
At one point in the case, a large number of text messages between various cops was released. They won't make you optimistic about cop culture.
Cop culture is our culture, but with qualified immunity.
My point is the same either way. Thanks for the explanation.
I've really got to push back on the claim that cop culture is just part of mainstream culture. For starters, it is a self isolating subculture. It is filled with paranoia. Some cops would claim that's for good reasons and I don't disagree, though I might be thinking of different reasons.
Cops have an elevated rate of domestic violence and addiction. The self isolation and paranoia feeds into those problems. The extreme reluctance to accept oversight and accountability that every other part of government must accept is a product of that isolation and paranoia.
It's a subculture with distinctive pathologies.
Sure, now do corrections officers, who I’d classify as just another expression of our culture with a troubled twist.
Non-LEOs are not so especially enlightened and kind to know they could ever remain that way given similar powers and societal mandate.
I hold that the entire criminal/justice system is medieval.