Heartland

lazarus corporation wrote:
although this government's response to anything is "don't think - legislate", it doesn't mean that the legislation in question will actually right any of the perceived wrongs.

In other words, despite the legislation, I still think that blacks and gays are discriminated against. I don't believe that racism and homophobia have been eradicated from the criminal justice system.

Being realistic, they won't be unless they are eradicated from the rest of society. People, whether we like it or not, are racist. It's almost inherent: we are a tribal bunch and we tend to divide our societies into 'people like us' and 'everyone else'. A lot of these divisions come along grounds of race, religion and sexuality because these things are part of how a lot of people will define themselves.

Once you get different groups co-inciding a certain amount of conflict is inevitable as even a cursory glance at human history should confirm.

Of course, if a police force is supposed to be truly representative of the society it serves, and if a section of that society is going to be racist (or homophobic, or anything else), does it not follow that part of the police force should be racist as well? And naturally, some of them should be criminals. It's a nice little logical cul-de-sac to while away the hours.

It shouldn't follow.

They were racists before they were policemen
=> They shouldn't have become policemen.

Surely the point is more that everybody has some inherent prejudice within them. It's not just going to go away.

Some people are better at controlling inherent prejudice than others. Those who can't separate their personal opinion from the role of upholding the law shouldn't be in any part of the justice system. Period.

And how do you find this out during the recruitment process?

With a big shiny tick-box saying "Are you a Nazi?"

Duh.

Let them know full well that any racism or homophobia or bigotry will not go unpunished, and if they think this might be a problem, then they can leave immediately.
No excuses.

Does that include Timophobia?

It seems to have become almost institutionalised in these parts

Dark wrote:Let them know full well that any racism or homophobia or bigotry will not go unpunished, and if they think this might be a problem, then they can leave immediately.
No excuses.

I've not really looked into police recruitment (because I don't want to be a copper, apart from anything else) but I'd imagine reponsible community policing is a fairly major plank of the training process.

Therefore you'll agree that the problem has already been solved, won't you?

Motz wrote:Does that include Timophobia?

It seems to have become almost institutionalised in these parts

No no no, some of my best mates are big gay northerners!

After reading this post ...here follows a story about true life and coming from me not s**t. I am a South African woman living in Holland for a decade now. After having our two children are now renting a big house even for Dutch standards and in a new sub-urban area in Almere.

My neighbours to my right (me looking out my kitchen window) are from Morocco and the man of the house works in the prision of Almere. He has a young wife with two smaller children. Being at home by choice I feel I should add, I see what my neighbours are doing and neighbours are weary the first 2 years in a new neighbourhood.

After a few months the family leaves and the younger brother of the family moves in and along with him, another one and then the next thing you know....a truck starts arriving on a weekly basis and the dude in the truck as dutch as you can get. The brother is away most of the time as he claims to work in Belgium (which judging by his licence-plate I believe him). My husband and I do smoke herbs as so many of us do and people who know us know this fact.

When the neighbour who is of a darker shade and a divorced mother with a daughter and who is in my son's class at school, suspicious comments are made and looking at the situation from a mother's eyes....enough was enough......an anonymous phone call to the police with the address of the crime-in-action. Do not do illegal crimes in neighbourhoods where children play in each other's gardens. Do not try and be everyone's friend because I know how much a harvest earns and I know the laws in this country protect me and I do agree....if you do not like a country and it is not your native land...p*ss off home.

The whole irony of this story is that the original family is back living next to me again and the husband and brother *got-off* as to saying "they had no idea of what was going on"

The Allah followers are not all bad but when the summer comes and they all (neighbours in our street that are from Morocco) go home on holiday the rest of us have a peace of mind living here. The Muslim family living a few doors away to my left are the kindest people I know and love them for it.....

What I am getting at is living in any country we do have to look after each other. Do not get me wrong....I know people who do harvest and let it be...it has to come from somewhere but in the legal system I do hope that religious beliefs are set aside and each case is looked at from eyes of a judge that has no discriminations of any kind.

In this world where most governments are corrupt and with the generations replacing generations ....people do look out for each other.

And yes Wicca is a religion just as the spiritual world for many people is just a way of life.....sometimes looking into your own roots and blood-lines there will be an understanding to appreciate and just remember...where I come from and watch I have seen that should never be told....I will rebel just because I love to put up a fight if it is worth it.