america

[WEB slicer]

For those of you who don't live in the US or haven't visited the US...I wouldn't let the actions of anyone in Texas speak for the rest of the country. Texans do things different, the think differently about a lot of political issues, and they don't represent the vast country.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2015/08/13/in-texas-police-stick-hand-up-womans-vagina-to-search-for-marijuana/

looks like it's not only texas.

it amazes me that some people still try to defend this country.

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[bryant.coleman]

I'd agree with this. The best of the major US cities - New York, Chicago, and San Francisco - struggle to compete with the high-end tourism that other major cities in the world have. By the way, the UAE isn't in Asia (minor but important correction.)

Hmm.... Anyway, UAE is one of the best places to work (although the climate is horrible). There is no income tax, wealth tax, or inheritance tax. If you obey the local rules, then UAE is a paradise on earth.

For those of you who don't live in the US or haven't visited the US...I wouldn't let the actions of anyone in Texas speak for the rest of the country. Texans do things different, the think differently about a lot of political issues, and they don't represent the vast country.

Police brutality has been reported from all over the United States, and not just from Texas. However, it seems that Texas is one of the worst states in this regard.

[BurtW]

Personally yes, I am 53 years old and had never been arrested until now.  
So, you are totally wrong.  Things have gotten much much worse in my lifetime.  It is not an illusion.  You are dead wrong.

I'm very sorry about the way you're being treated by the US legal system - no person should ever experience something like that. I don't have enough knowledge to be able to discuss with you, especially given the hard data you're showing. Probably I shouldn't even have spoken in the first place. The reason for that was the situation from my native country(Poland). Around here there're a lot of people saying that before the fall of Soviet Union everything was in a better shape, there was no poverty etc. The problem is that back then practically everybody was poor so that wasn't any distinction. Also what speaks through them is that these 20 years ago or so they were much younger and healthier, they were living the best moments of their lives etc

But I see clearly that what's happening in the USA isn't that case. I'm sorry if I offended you somehow by what I wrote. And by the way, why did the police start to kill so many people since the year 2009?(that would be logical if it had started in 2001).

Thank you for speaking.  Your situation is very different and I appreciate that and your post.  It is very difficult for me/us to see our country being destroyed before our very eyes.  I am angry and offended by a lot of thing - you are not one of them.

To try to answer your question:

Everything is very tied together but one of the things that has changed in the last few years is the militarization of the police.  They have purchased a lot of military equipment and it changes their mindset in subtle and not so subtle ways.  The police used to be our servants.  Now they have an "us" versus "them" attitude.  On the road many of them see themselves as "knights of the asphalt", fighting on the side of justice and good and everyone else on the road is "the enemy".  That explains their "shoot first, fill out the paperwork later" attitude toward the population in general.

They even have various award levels for these "knights of the asphalt"

Check this out:

ROYAL KNIGHT PROGRAM
The Royal Knight Program was developed to help motivate and acknowledge relentless criminal interdiction police work. Royal Knight Status can only be awarded to road officers who have met a number of requirements and have been accepted by the Desert Snow Board. Individuals selected for Royal Knight Status must show a sustained and professional effort to protect the motoring public by identifying and apprehending some of America's worst criminals.

ROYAL KNIGHT’S UPON ACCEPTANCE FROM THE BOARD WILL BE:

Presented an award at Desert Snow’s Annual National Conference if the recipient is in attendance.
Awarded a personalized Royal Knight Coin with a lifetime assigned number of acceptance.
Allowed to purchase "Royal Knight" accessories (jacket, ring, shirts, etc…).
Considered for an associate instructor position with the Desert Snow Training Program
APPLICANT QUALIFICATIONS FOR ROYAL KNIGHT STATUS:

Minimum of 5 years as a full time sworn law enforcement officer.
Minimum of 100 self-initiated (Not a tip or whisper stop) qualified Incidents / Seizures *(See below).
Must have made a large number of submittals to the Black Asphalt Electronic Networking System within 72 hours of the Incident / Seizure.
Must have attended a Desert Snow Course or Annual Conference.
Must support the Desert Snow Program and website.
Must be in good standing with their employing agency.
Must have a good overall reputation amongst the courts and law enforcement community.
Must MAIL a complete and organized binder to the Desert Snow Office with as many of the following as possible:
A letter requesting Royal Knight consideration
A breakdown of all Incidents / Seizures with their subsequent dates and case numbers
Commendable letters
Letters of recognition
Letters of recommendation
Criminal interdiction training received
Instructor qualifications
Any other information you would like considered
*QUALIFIED INCIDENTS / SEIZURES:

Each Incident / Seizure where one or more of the following were present will count as one qualifying event

Recovery of an Absconded, Missing or Kidnapped Child
Arrest of a Suspected Terrorist
Transportation of Explosives (Felony)
Transportation of Weapons (Felony)
Major Narcotics Arrest from a Passenger or Commercial Vehicle
Marijuana – More than 1 pound
Cocaine – More than 5 Ounces
Crack Cocaine – More than 5 Ounces
Methamphetamine – More than 5 Ounces
Heroin – More than 5 Ounces
Ecstasy – More than 5 Ounces
US Currency – Successful forfeiture of more than $5,000
Successful forfeiture of a vehicle with an Aftermarket Constructed Compartment
Other Narcotics Arrests will be considered on a case by case basis upon submittal of application
Other Incidents / Seizures will be considered on a case by case basis upon submittal of each application; However 90% of the Incidents / Seizures submitted must be one of the specific qualified events listed above.

Source:

https://desertsnow.com/pages/view/6

[BurtW]

Another great quote about Desert Snow and Black Asphalt Knights:

Black Asphalt also has served as a social hub for a new brand of highway interdictors, a group that one Desert Snow official has called “a brotherhood.” Among other things, the site hosts an annual competition to honor police who seize the most contraband and cash on the highways. As part of the contest, Desert Snow encouraged state and local patrol officers to post seizure data along with photos of themselves with stacks of currency and drugs. Some of the photos appear in a rousing hard-rock video that the Guthrie, Okla.-based Desert Snow uses to promote its training courses.

Annual winners receive Desert Snow’s top honorific: Royal Knight. The next Royal Knight will be named at a national conference hosted in Virginia Beach next year in collaboration with Virginia State Police.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2014/09/07/police-intelligence-targets-cash/

So stealing the cash from the vehicles of honest hard working citizens of the United States is now a game with honorific awards to the cop who can grab the most cash.  All set to a rousing video - just like a video game.

These titles are used by the cops in their resumes.

Check out Undersheriff Rudy Mora at this site:  http://www.bernalillocountysheriff.com/cmdstaff.html

He includes the following in his on line profile:

Inducted as Royal Knight #13 of the Black Asphalt (2009)

[MakingMoneyHoney]

...
So stealing the cash from the vehicles of honest hard working citizens of the United States is now a game with honorific awards to the cop who can grab the most cash.  All set to a rousing video - just like a video game.
...

You just reminded me. Here's another game they used to (maybe still do?) play:

Cop ‘Game’ Involved Sharing Nude Pictures Of Drunk Women

"A California highway patrolman says that for several years he has participated in a “game” in which he and other police officers shared explicit pictures they had taken from the cell phones of female arrestees."

[BurtW]

...
So stealing the cash from the vehicles of honest hard working citizens of the United States is now a game with honorific awards to the cop who can grab the most cash.  All set to a rousing video - just like a video game.
...

You just reminded me. Here's another game they used to (maybe still do?) play:

Cop ‘Game’ Involved Sharing Nude Pictures Of Drunk Women

"A California highway patrolman says that for several years he has participated in a “game” in which he and other police officers shared explicit pictures they had taken from the cell phones of female arrestees."

What was the award system?  Was there a quality factor or was it just based on the quantity of pictures?  I wonder how they picked the "winner" of the game.

[PaoloSerBit]

Everything is very tied together but one of the things that has changed in the last few years is the militarization of the police. 

There's a TV series called The Wire, I don't know if you've seen it. The play gives a broad view on american society in general, especially on the police and it's ideology, it's motives, the reasons why it doesn't function the way it should. Among these reasons  very significant is what you're talking about - the police officers who feel their role is to wage war against the poor neighborhoods with high crime rate, to anyone who thinks of opposing them in any way. This show has influenced greatly in my image of USA, although I realize it doesn't have so much to do with reality as one could think - the reality must be muche worse.