Ask Lemmy

Is this person a new friend? Or is this person a cop. Getting to know someone and becoming friends with that person is a relationship. Deciding this person is horrid because they are a cop is superficial. And that person will never be your friend, there is no relationship there. Is this person a Human you want to get to know, or a job title you hate.

I mean, try to steer him to not be "one of the bad ones" and always do the right thing even if that means the possibility of getting fired.

If he starts abusing his power, thats when you have to cut off the friendship.

Basically, act as his conscience, and stop him from getting corrupted by the system.

Remember, if its not him, someone else is taking his position. Just use the fact that this happened to be your friend to try to act as a moral guide. But be willing to confront him if he becomes corrupt and be prepared of the possibility to lose this friend.

Every perfect rule has only 1 exception.

If you meet another "good one" know that one of em is lying to you.

I think you deal with it the same way you deal with someone of other political party. If you can have a reasonable argument with them and each explain your values and how you process some issues, it's OK if they come to a different place than you.
E.g. People can feel for the homeless and come to a different % of assistance vs. job training.

But, If it seems like they have an utter lack of empathy for a certain type of person, you call that out and see what happens. If they can't acknowledge human rights and dignity, you cut them off.

One of my friends is a veteran. I be sure to tell him my thoughts on his deployment in Afghanistan and I've told him multiple times he deserves his PTSD.

But I still love that man as a human and a friend. We get along together, we laugh, I call him a terrible person, and life continues.

Basically, don't change your beliefs based on who you're with, and it's fine to be friends with a cop. I have other friends who are terrible human beings as well, but they make up for it with other great qualities. If anything, being friends with a PoS is the best way to make them a better person; you really have an opportunity to help society.

I see some rather extreme responses here and I am pretty radical too but don't let this shit replace your common sense judgement when dealing with people on personal level.

Use common sense.

Well, either you drop the All from ACAB... or your friend.

This is one of many problems with “ACAB” because not every cop is one way or the other.

Reality is that a functioning society needs police officers. It sounds like you hit it off with this person and they have some good qualities that you like.

How do you expect the police to change if we don’t get involved? Getting rid of the police entirely is not a solution. But getting in and making changes from the inside is a valid way to make things better.

Why are you wanting to create an echo chamber for yourself? Why don’t you expose yourself to others and other ideas that are different than yours? What’s the harm there? Are you scared you won’t be able to change his mind or that his ideas might make some sense to you?

Wouldn't be a friend.

With things like cops, you have to remember that if no one with morals goes into it, it'll keep getting worse.

I have a lot of family that are in some kind of law enforcement, and a couple friends from college that went into it as well.

If you cut them off because they're cops, then the only people who associate with them are assholes and it concentrates.

Just be upfront about it.

Couple months ago I ran into a friend of a friend from college who's a cop. The first and last things I said to him was dont be a fucking asshole. Other than that I treated him the same as if he wasn't a cop.

If we cut that dude out of our lives, the only people he'd talk to would tell him to be more of an asshole.

Like, obviously if he's doing shady shit, then fuck him.

i use to work with the police, and many i considered my friends. i know they were good people, but i also knew those on the force that were not.

part of the acab movement is about how the general public can never know which is which, so it is in our best interest to assume we are always facing the worst of the worst. your intimate knowledge of the person can be held separately from the movement.

i do understand that those good cops allowing those bad cops is a huge issue but thats really on them, not you. officers who attempt to 'fix' this issue arent officers for very long.