("First" indeed implies more are to come!)
Welcome to "Back In My Day", an article I will use to vent my frustrations with the current state of the world from the point of view of an old man. Sure, I was born in the late 70s and suckled on the teets of Transformers, Hall and Oats, and ring pops, but that doesn't mean that time can't beat my mind and body into a leathery pulp! What do you know, anyway? You're just a kid!
Back in my day, we used to trust cops. I remember fondly my D.A.R.E. program in 5th grade. D.A.R.E., for those of you who associate CGI with the "original" Transformers Movie and think that the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage has always been at Disneyland, stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. This was circa 1986 when "Just Say No" was at its peak, when drug use was purely recreational and no one had glaucoma or arthritis to alleviate.
Yes, I suppose you could say it was a sort of utopia.
D.A.R.E. programs were usually taught by policemen (this was the unisex term we used before the coining of "cops"). My policaman's name was Officer Peña. As you can guess by the name, he was latino, most likely mexican, spoke english well, and was respected. The ability to speak english and having the respect of others are mutually exclusive...in this instance, that is.
During my D.A.R.E. stint, I learned that drugs are things other than food that you take into your body that messes with your head. I learned what can happen when drugs are introduced into your body. I also learned effective methods in combating peer pressure.
...in related news, I've tried marijuana several times since and have been in a drunken stupor more than I can remember and have enjoyed these experiences immensely every time.
The point of all this is that Officer Peña was a nice man, fun, and trusted by all! At no point did I feel that I was going to be body checked while riding my bike [story]. At no point did I feel that I would get my head bashed in for spilling water [story]. I'm sure police brutality isn't a new invention but it does seem to have escalated and spiraled out of control recently.
This isn't all surprising when you think about who it is we're "trusting" here. I'm inherently not trusting at all. It takes quite some time for me to trust anyone and, once earned, that trust has to be maintained. Last I checked cops are people too and using the simple "if A = B and B = C" method I learned back in my day, I am not to trust cops - they have to earn it. We've appointed...no, others have appointed these people to put on uniforms, carry guns and batons, and protect us. I don't recall getting this run by me. What if this dude really doesn't like asians, is really having a bad day, and finds me bumping Coltrane in my bad ass Camry? I'm effed, straight and simple.
Here's an interesting video series that's entitled simply "Don't Talk to Cops". This may be second nature to many of you, but this is something I've had to unlearn since my days of D.A.R.E.
Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not encouraging cop-bashing. I'm not saying I hate cops. I'm not saying "eff the police". I am saying that cops are people too. Do with that as you will.
My Thundercats DVD just came in the mail - I will chegg you later.
nv@ag
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