Yesterday, I watched with grave concern as a convoy of riot-gear-clad cops were shown moving into a section of Denver where protesters were blocking downtown streets. You may have been politically concerned, too. We know that Faux News is salivating over the possibility of showing violent events directed at the Democrats in Denver.
But I am concerned personally, too. Deep in the heart of Denver, at ground zero for the Democratic National Convention, stands one cop--a cop who is a member of my family, a cop that I love very much. That police officer is there to protect the rights and safety of you as delegates and attendees to the Convention, and to protect the rights and safety of those who are protesting.
Like most of you, DKos has been my lifeline to sanity since Bush's second "election" in 2004. I have been awed by the expertise and insight, have doubled over at the blazing wit that crops up constantly and have been touched by the empathy and compassion shown by so many of you. I have come to value and trust the majority of the members of this community. That's why the current propensity of some posters here to characterize the cops as "not us" is distressing to me.
I am not naive. I am a child of the '60s. I grew up seeing the images of cops bashing civil rights activists, of Kent State, of tear-gassed kids running from the police. But do we really believe nothing has changed in 40 years?
One of the most profound changes in police attitudes has come with the concept of community policing. Community policing reinforces the perspective that the police are involved members of the community who have a stake in improving that community, that the police are us.
Many of the police officers I know see Clinton's police grants as having had a major impact on police attitudes. A Democratic president showing appreciation for police work and backing it up with money was a revelation for many. Those grants had a ripple effect. More money meant more police, of higher quality, trained better and supplied with necessary equipment to do their jobs well and with pride.
62 agencies are coordinating to provide security for the DNC. None of them wants to be the one shown perpetrating violence on a national stage. However, they have to be aware of the potential for groups with nefarious aims to perpetrate violence because these groups do want the attention a national stage will bring to their agenda.
Think of every type of violence that lends itself to large groups of people amassed in one city--that's what the police have to be prepared for. I know that if provoked, the police will have to respond but their commitment to non-violence was in evidence yesterday as they negotiated tense moments in the anti-war demonstration. Even the leader of Recreate68 grudgingly acknowledged the police professionalism in his dealings with them. The police have already moved Nancy Pelosi and arrested a man entering her hotel with a rifle, among other incidents. (I am having trouble with links. These stories can be found at the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News and Denver Channel websites.)
My well-educated, professional, compassionate cop with a Jon Stewart sense of humor, is putting his life on the line in the middle of all this for 8 hours a day, wearing 70 pounds of gear in the heat, in order to protect you and our community. Every cop in Denver is someone's husband, wife, son or daughter, father or mother (and many are Democrats!) Could you please show a little appreciation? And while you're at it, could you please do whatever you can to keep keep him safe?