Bill Maher hits the nail on its head
Bill Maher came out swinging at the New York City Police Department (NYPD) on Real Time with Bill Maher. It is widely known that NYPD is on a work slowdown. They are making 90+% less arrests, ticket writings etc. Why are they doing this? They are doing this because Mayor Bill de Blasio had the mitigated gall to speak a truth most know but few are comfortable acknowledging publicly. He said the following about his own family — his wife his Black and his kids biracial (read Black to society)
This is profoundly personal to me. I was at the White House the other day, and the president of the United States turned to me, and he met Dante a few months ago, and he said that Dante reminded him of what he looked like as a teenager. And he said I know you see this crisis through a very personal lens. And I said to him, I did.
Because Chirlane and I have had to talk to Dante for years about the dangers that he may face. A good young man, law-abiding young man who would never think to do anything wrong. And yet, because of a history that still hangs over us, the dangers he may face, we’ve had to literally train him—as families have all over this city for decades—in how to take special care in any encounter he has with the police officers who are there to protect him.
And that painful sense of contradiction that our young people see first, that our police are here to protect us, and we honor that, and at the same time, there’s a history we have to overcome, because for so many of our young people, there’s a fear. And for so many of our families, there’s a fear.
So I’ve had to worry over the years. Chirlane’s had to worry. Is Dante safe each night? There are so many families in this city who feel that each and every night. Is my child safe? And not just from some of the painful realities—crime and violence in some of our neighborhoods—but is safe from the very people they want to have faith in as their protectors.
That’s the reality.
Minorities more so than the majority are mistreated by police at a very high rate. The recent killings caught on camera are just the tip of the iceberg. Yet NYPD is upset because to them articulating this truth is tantamount to not having the backs of cops. Jon Stewart addressed this twisted logic beautifully if amusingly. It is great to see that Mayor Bill de Blasio has displayed a fortitude and a toughness in praising cops where he should without backing off from the truth.
Bill Maher made some point that could be summarizes as follows.
- Why should police need constant reassurement from everyone for a job they chose as a profession and are getting paid for. They should just do their jobs according to the established rules.
- Police are showing disrespect by turning their backs at the mayor, their boss elected by an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers.
- Their orchestrated work slowdown is a dereliction of duty.
- Police unions give unions a bad name during a time when Americans more than ever need unions to solve the income/wealth disparity in America. Unions with a sense of entitlement like the police unions and some teachers unions allow anti-union Republican the talking points that resonate with many Americans.
This was not one of the best Bill Maher’s show as it seemed a bit sexist with some antics that made Carly Fiorina uncomfortable. It is hard to feel sorry for Carly Fiorina, an anti poor/middle class policy CEO, but the good old boys detract from much that is good about the show when they fall into that modal.