RB> Well, first of all, you weren't being patronizing to Don, you were
 RB> being  patronizing to the general population, specifically those who
 RB> have met your  definition of "street people" ...
UM???, now why would I need to patronize street people, for what gain? How
many of them do you think read the messages in this echo? I don't remember
defining the term, "street people". I do remember making the distinct
observation that there are all kinds of folks living on the street, some good
and some bad.
 RB> Well, it was basically an irony; here you are calling for the police
 RB> to haul  off panhandlers who want to spend money on (gasp!) beer, when
 RB> the police who  are these great working heroes have the exact same
 RB> problems.
You are making a very broad generalization here that is not true, but you
didn't address the question anyway. Why should a police officer have an
obligation to support the alcohol or drug habit of a street person? You were
very critical of my statement that I refuse to do this with the money I work
for.
I can find studies for just about any subject under the sun, and I'm sure to
find one slanted just the way I want. Some of the studies you mention are all
the way back in the 60's, and they mean nothing to me. I would be interested
in the purpose and agenda of the researcher as a very first step. I have read
many studies dealing with the psychological makeup of successful police
officers, and they don't fit the picture you tried to paint. The key word
here is "successful". There are tons of police officers who don't drink,
don't smoke, have never beaten their children, and have never been divorced.
I work in the third largest police department in Oklahoma and have done so
for over 20 years, and I've never been polled for this information. In terms
of alcohol abuse compared to other professions, I wouldn't have a clue, but I
certainly wouldn't compare police officers to street people. I further doubt
that many other professions would fair well in a comparison with the police
profession. To say that police officers are people and many of them have
problems just like other people would be a true statement. However, you
almost attempted to create a stereotype that police officers are alcoholics
and child beaters, and we both know this is not true.
Tom Rightmer - A Victims' Rights Advocate
... Latest conspiracy theory:  Humpty Dumpty was pushed.
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