Quote Originally Posted by ApatheticNoMore View Post
Wow. Just Wow. "All the messed up Americans who are crazy enough to stay here" was paraphrasing an argument Rob makes (often). And I was just saying that they may have personal reasons for doing so like him. If I expected an argument with anyone it would be WITH ROB, because I WAS AFTERALL gently (I hope) criticizing his repeated argument on everyone not leaving as they should (everyone on this board has heard the argument). And it's often not a philosophical political commitment at all, living somewhere is occupying (no not Occupying , my gawd if people want to read that in too then this board grows dumber by the second, just fricken living one exists and it's usually in some country is what I'm saying) space. Not many people look at their lives and say "where should I live, lets see which country most aligns with my philosophical beliefs now ... I think I'll move to Norway ..." Is some people do, good for them I guess!

I can't believe this thread either. So people talk to police and they conclude not all police are bad. Fair enough. Do they also talk to communities that feel they are being abused by police? I suspect they might see things differently if they did and really took it in. Because the issue is not how police treat rich white or even middle class white people afterall (not to deny that they may have some cases of legitimate police brutality sometimes as well).
APN, I am not offended by your post and to me, your post was completely in line. And I agree with your sentiments towards this thread - I have a hard time believing it myself. I am amazed that so many posters here seem to have basic faith in the police and the courts - that was permanently taken from me years ago. I don't see how I could ever get this back. Period.

But I also know something else. I could take a bus going north a few miles to Camelback Road and be surrounded by a much higher social class and very different thinking, and in that neighborhood, yeah, people are going to tend to have faith in the police and the courts. Sometimes I take the bus up to Camelback Road to do mystery shops up at an upscale mall there and I wonder why I don't need a passport to come visit - the changes are that noticeable to me that it seems like a different country. The language is the same but then again it really isn't. It chills me sometimes to be up there as I feel if that kind of thinking continues ( in this case having basic faith in the police and the courts) how is any change realistically going to happen? When I speak of having lost faith in America, some of what I mean is this - this not questioning or being willing to even acknowledge that such rot exists. When I get on the bus to go home, I usually feel relieved as I could never live in the midst of such thinking - I just don't fit in there at all. At least where I live I don't feel this to that level, and here, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone with any basic faith in police or the courts. People are just struggling to get through life and keep current with their bills where I live and hoping to avoid trouble. A very different America than from the one a few miles north for sure. Rob