Subj : Re: It is what it is
To   : Nick Andre
From : Alan Ianson
Date : Mon Aug 31 2020 08:20 pm

>> I don't think so. The BLM movement and the issue of police behaviour is not
>> political. It is something that needs to be solved in the departments where
>> these problems exist.

> You really make it seem like police departments across North America are
> routinely targeting and killing black people and that "cops are bad" and
> BLM is such a noble cause...

I never said "cops are bad" or "BLM is a noble cause".

> that just isn't true by a long shot. Please provide me factual evidence to
> show me wrong. I already showed evidence to the contrary in a previous
> message.

You have your own evidence and I am not going to try to back up something I never said.

> There are such things as bad cops, but its such a small percentage

A cop putting his knee on someones neck for 8 minutes until they are dead or shooting someone in the back 7 times in front of his kids is indefensible.

We see these things time and again, this is a continuing problem.

> I seriously doubt you are related to or friends with anyone in law
> enforcement for if you were you would not make such ongoing ignorant blanket
> statements.

What do my friends and relatives have to do with any of this?

> Have you actually sat down and talked to a cop about what it is they deal
> with?

Not recently but I have in the past, yes.

> Our tax dollars rightfully go towards their trust that they will deal
> with crime and enforce laws that we often take for granted. What a cop goes
> through on a daily shift is no joke; its a seriously emotionally-taxing job
> to do. Could you be a cop for a day? I couldn't and doubt you could either.

There is no doubt in my mind that cops have a hard job to do and it's not a job for just anyone. Their job in simple terms is to serve and protect, not to kill and maim.

> Sometimes a cop uses excessive force and thats bad, but not every cop is bad
> just like not every postal worker is going to shoot up their coworkers.

I believe that most cops are good people who try their best to always do the right thing.

When a cop does something wrong they should be reprimanded for that and retrained when that is possible or let go. A permanent record should also be kept so that other jurisdictions don't unknowingly hire a bad cop.

When a cop does something illegal, like killing someone unjustifiably they should be charged and have their day in court. That doesn't always happen.

> Now in a large city (which I seriously doubt you live in), there exists areas
> which are of high crime, so naturally there is a high police presence. The
> BLM movement specifically calls for the defunding and/or abolishing of the
> police, so who will patrol and deal with crime in those neighborhoods? Don't
> believe me? Look at the BLM website.

I was born in Vancouver and spent most of my life there. Today I live in a small town. I like it here but Vancouver is still home to me.

I have not, and will not speak of defunding or abolishing police.

> I have lived in downtown Toronto since 2007. Show me factual evidence of all
> of these problems you claim exist. Show me where Toronto cops routinely
> target and *KILL black people*.

I have also not spoken of, and will not speak of whatever is happening in Toronto. If I had questions I would ask you since you live there.

> What part of "If you don't want to be arrested, don't commit a crime" seems
> to go over your head?

Again, I never said that.

> Did you know that the vast majority of Toronto crime is gang-related? What
> should cops do, ask them politely to stop?

Vancouver also has a lot of gang related crime. Gang related crime is a different topic I have not talked about.

Cops are the good guys right? Cops should do the right thing, serve and protect, even when others don't.

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-4
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757.2)