Which side is he on?
What should be done about people who impersonate
police or about retired or off-duty police who wear uniforms? Is this man exercising his right to free
speech, or by wearing a uniform, is he speaking as a member of an
organization rather than as an individual?
Are the reactions against him excessive? And, to make the issue a bit more general, is it a good
idea to protest even when this gets you in trouble with authority?
This is the last entry you can comment on for the second half of May.
This case is rather unusual and unique. I have mixed opinions about this and I am not sure what to make up of it. From one perspective Lewis isn’t really doing anything wrong by wearing a police uniform, it’s not like he lied about still being active as a police officer, he just wore the uniform and didn’t abuse it in any way nor endanger/harass anyone which is what matters the most in these situations in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, wearing a police uniform while not being active in a police force might be misleading for other people. It may cause lots of issues and misunderstandings between the people and the state authorities and it goes against the main reason why police officers wear uniforms which is to distinguish themselves from ordinary citizens. By wearing a uniform Lewis impersonates a police officer without really having the power and jurisdiction of one.
I am not sure how these situations are treated according to the laws/amendments in the US, but if something like this happened in Slovakia then the man would be detained, fined and probably even prosecuted for impersonating a state authority, regardless of his history with the police force.
Although getting involved with the authorities during a protest creates tension amongst the people who are protesting and the authorities which increases the chances that the protest might escalate to another level, but it may also get you into trouble and in some cases even change the rest of your life as the authorities have the right to prosecute you which could eventually even lead to jail time. However, the thing with protests is that they are often organized in large numbers which radically reduces the risk and chance of you being caught unless you are doing something really extreme.
I think it is not very appropriate to wear a police uniform to a protest. Even though it is just a uniform, the person who wears it impersonates the organization he or she is a part of. People automatically view you as the organization, which means that if you see a police man protesting against something, you consequently think that the police as a whole is protesting against that issue. That is in my opinion something really improper.
ReplyDeleteIf we were supposed to wear school uniforms to school, I would probably change my clothes right after school, if I would want to do anything “bad”. That means if I would for example want to drink alcohol in the evening, I would definitely wear something casual. If you would wear your school uniform, you would be presenting the school and if someone saw you doing something inappropriate while you were drinking, he could generalize and think that the whole school you are presenting is like that. In a similar way it is with the uniforms in jobs. When you are wearing a uniform you have a responsibility to behave appropriately. It also ruins some moral principles. For example if you saw a cop in a strip club, you could think that the cops in our country are irresponsible jerks. I agree with the fact that if a person is wearing a uniform, he is speaking as a member of an organization rather than as an individual. Therefore, the reaction against him is absolutely suitable.
I think it is a good idea to protest even when is gets you in trouble with authority, but you need to know some borders. Maybe this man wore his uniform on purpose, to show how he disagrees with the system, or it was just a bad mistake. However, he has to accept the consequences. So in my opinion it is ok when you protest even if it gets you in trouble with the authorities, but you have to be able to handle the consequences which can occur.
The deeds of Ray Lewis seem like, truly, an unimaginable act of defiance against the corporate world. However, to what extent these acts can be justified, is arguable. I, for one, wouldn’t dare put my insurances, pension and income at stake simply for the sake of a protest. While the line between daredevil and mad-man, when referring to Ray, is thin, we have to admit he has come up with an original, to say the least, way of grabbing people’s attention. I could easily see why the police establishments seek to diminish his presence, as they are funded by the corporates, and the pensioner is ruining their image with his DIY masquerade.
ReplyDeleteAs noble as his intention might be, though, I cannot agree with is game plan. In my opinion, it just isn’t right to wear such uniforms in public places after one is no longer part of the respective group. A uniform’s purpose is, well, exactly that – to express uniformity, a belonging to an organization. By putting the uniform that very day, he intended to express the views of the whole police force in the protest, perhaps. However, since he no longer is a policeman, I doubt he has any right to do so. The only scenario, I could possibly see the wearing of the uniform fit, is in the privacy of his own home, reminding himself of the glorious days of hid crime-fighting duties.
Regarding the participation in protests, I am not a big fan of them. However, in some cases it is either imperative that a protest is held or there simply are no other outs to the situation. Should that be the case, I would rather prefer not to confront the authorities if possible. In my opinion, it isn’t worthwhile running the risk of getting caught. In most scenarios, it doesn’t lead to anything good. In fact, the aftermath, can often times be detrimental to one’s future. Imagine being arrested…
First of all, I think it’s a good think to protest because protesting is the only way how the citizens can influence the government’s decision. However, it’s not as easy, as it may seem for the reason that when you protest you can get into trouble with the authority. During the Wall Street’s Nov. 17 Day of Action, approximately 250 protestant got arrested.
ReplyDeleteOne of the protestant, who didn’t get arrested, was Ray Lewis. He is a retired Philadelphian police man. Furthermore, he was wearing his police uniform during the whole protest and holding a sign that encouraged people to watch the documentary “Inside Job.” and that NYPD should not be Wall Street merchants. His intentions were to get rid of corporate America and to take from them their power, so they can’t continue to manipulate with the working class. Even though, Ray Lewis’s intentions were in my opinion, good I don’t think he should wear his uniform in public. In the USA it is illegal to wear a police uniform, when the police man is retired. Wearing the uniform, Lewis risked to get kicked out of Philadelphia’s Fraternal Order of Police. This would mean that he would be cut off his life insurance and free legal means. Nonetheless, I think the reaction against him is excessive and that he shouldn’t get kicked out of the FOP only because he protested in a police uniform. Moreover, according to Commissioner Ramsey “one is not “impersonating a police officer” if they are “not pretending to be a cop.”“ And I agree with him. I agree with William Bender that a police man should be kicked out when he for example, “allegedly forced a suspect to perform oral sex on him in his police cruiser.”
At the end, I personally think that Lewis is using the uniform to represent the NYPD, to get greater attention and pursue people to protest.