T Shirts and Police State subtexts
I have my own project looking at Tshirt texts that explore deeper subtexts . Would have loved to add the police Tshirts to my collection . The subtext literally screams of Police State attitudes.
GOOD ol DAD " Sydney
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It's worth noting that policing is a high-stress job, and one that often puts officers in contact with some pretty awful things, and in some dangerous situations. Like other high-stress professions, and professions that encounter difficult subject matter -- defense attorneys, medical examiners, emergency room doctors and nurses -- cops often develop a morbid sense of humor. It's a coping mechanism. But it's one thing to crack jokes inside the department, or at the bar after work. It's quite another to openly advertise and promote a culture of abuse. As with most police abuse issues, the real failure here is on the part of the elected officials. They're the ones who can't resist the urge to incessantly declare "war" on things, who are responsible for setting the policies that have given rise to this culture, and who have done little to nothing to rein it in.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/21/what-cop-tshirts-tell-us-_n_3479017.html
What Cop T-Shirts Tell Us About Police Culture
Posted: 06/21/2013 3:00 pm EDT | Updated: 06/22/2013 10:55 pm EDT
Earlier this week, an anonymous public defender sent Gothamist this photo of an NYPD warrant squad officer wearing a t-shirt with a pretty disturbing quote from Ernest Hemingway:
The Village Voice reports that the quote was also printed on t-shirts worn by NYPD's infamous Street Crimes Unit, which was disbanded after shooting unarmed immigrant Amadou Diallo 41 times in 1999 as Diallo reached for his wallet. The Voice also reports that at least two NYPD police commissioners have used the phrase "hunter of men" to describe police work -- Bernard Kerik and Howard Safir.
There have been a number of other incidents over the years in which cops have donned t-shirts that reflect a mentality somewhat less lofty than "protect and serve." Most recently, a Northern California union for school police officers came under fire for printing up and selling these shirts as a fundraiser:
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This comment thread at the online police forum PoliceLink has more examples of t-shirts the law enforcement commenters found amusing. Among the comments:
-- "In God we trust, all others get searched,"
-- "A picture of an electric chair with the caption: JUSTICE: Regular or Crispy"
-- "B.D.R.T Baby Daddy Removal Team on the back and the initials on front with handcuffs. You should see peoples faces when I wear it....HAHAHAHA"
-- "Human trash collector. ( above a pair of handcuffs )"
-- "Take No Guff, Cut No Slack, Hook'em, Book'em and Don't Look Back!"
-- "'Boys on the Hood' Pic had two gangbangers jacked up on the hood of a patrol car with two officers."
-- "SWAT T-shirt: 'Happiness is getting the green light!'"
-- "I have one that sates "SWAT SNIPER" on the front and on back it has a picure of a "terrorist" with a shell ripping through his skull and the "pink mist" spraying from the back of his head. Below the picture it reads, "Guerillas in the mist".
-- "Save the police time, beat yourself up"
-- "An ounce of prevention is fine and dandy........ But we prefer 168 grains of cure."
-- "Be good or you might get a visit from the bullet fairy."
-- "Sniper - When you only have 1 shot at an opportunity......We'll make it count"
-- "Law Enforcement......Helping perps slip down stairs since 1766"
-- "Math for Cops.........2 to the chest + 1 to the head = problem solved"
-- "I had a couple of 'em a loooong time ago....1 showed a cop leaning on his rather long nightstick, saying "Police Brutality....the fun part of policework."......obviously not very PC....another was a picture of a LEO with smoke coming from the muzzle of his pistol, with a badguy falling backwards (lookin' like swiss cheese) with the caption.....The best action is OVERREACTION....also not very PC...."
-- "Cops make good roommates...they're used to taking out the trash."
-- "There was also one I saw where there was a big burly looking Sarge behind his desk and the cation read 'It doesn't say kindness and sympathy on the badge.'"
-- "happiness is a confirmed kill"
-- "Park Ranger T-shirt: One of funniest I ever saw: Picture of Smokey the Bear with Riot Gear and he's just poked a protester in the chest with a riot baton. The Caption Reads: "Smokey Don't Play That". Funny!"
-- "My Daddy can Taser your Daddy"
-- "School Patrol - You fail em, we jail em"
-- "Got one that says, "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted and used against you."
It's worth noting that policing is a high-stress job, and one that often puts officers in contact with some pretty awful things, and in some dangerous situations. Like other high-stress professions, and professions that encounter difficult subject matter -- defense attorneys, medical examiners, emergency room doctors and nurses -- cops often develop a morbid sense of humor. It's a coping mechanism. But it's one thing to crack jokes inside the department, or at the bar after work. It's quite another to openly advertise and promote a culture of abuse. As with most police abuse issues, the real failure here is on the part of the elected officials. They're the ones who can't resist the urge to incessantly declare "war" on things, who are responsible for setting the policies that have given rise to this culture, and who have done little to nothing to rein it in.
Radley Balko is author of the forthcoming book, Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/21/what-cop-tshirts-tell-us-_n_3479017.html
posted by Satish Sharma at
12:06
