Wherein Officer Salvatore Rivieri of the Baltimore Police Department finds himself with half a million views on YouTube. Now, of course, the only pertinent matter in all of this — other than Rivieri’s appalling behavior — is that those kids weren’t harming anyone and didn’t appear as though they were posing an imminent threat of doing so.
He demanded, and then commanded, respect. What he was certainly able to do was intimidate, assault, and ultimately commit battery on one of the boys, then take his property; but he couldn’t force that respect he believed himself entitled to, could he? And doesn’t that respect continue to allude Officer Rivieri?
So, Officer Rivieri? How’s that working out for you? You know what? Any real man should find it the easiest, most wholesome, and rewarding experience in the world to earn the respect of teenage boys like that. Sure, there are exceptions, but I know I could have done it. It could be as simple as asking them to explain the relative merits of their transportation equipment and what makes it so special to them. You might have asked them how they go about ensuring they don’t run into and harm anyone. I’m betting they’d have been more than happy to demonstrate their competence.
This is pure pretense. Do you see it? The pretense goes to who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy; to who’s innocent and who’s guilty. The pretense is in the constitution (i.e., in how it is constituted, made up, fundamentally constructed) of the state itself. By pure "virtue" of office holding, of uniform wearing, of badge wielding, of citing writing upon scraps of paper, the State is presumed right and innocent and the one coming in conflict with its constitution is presumed wrong and guilty. But the reverse is true, and it’s true because those kids weren’t hurting anyone. Rivieri is the bad guy.
And you know why? Because if those kids were actually hurting people, it would not have required office holders, uniforms, badges, or writings upon scraps of paper to stop them. The very best thing that can ever be said about the State, at its very best (which was certainly not the case here) is that in the context of protection, i.e., of stepping in to stop and prevent clear and present harm, it’s entirely superfluous. That the best that can ever be said for it.
Update: Ok, some people didn’t get the title.
Billy summed up respect pretty well:
"If they would be respected, then they must first be respectable."
From here:
http://www.two–four.net/comments.php?id=P2735_0_1_0
"…I know I could have done it. It could be as simple as asking them to explain the relative merits of their transportation …"
You have got to be kidding me. You have no idea what kind of audacity kids can have these days. Some are as disrespectful as humanly possible and will come at you with a fierce "fuck you asshole" attitude-no matter how you choose to handle it. I deal with the good, the bad and the ugly everyday and this kid in the video is a prime example of a kid that needs a good'ol ass kick'n to remind him that he is a little piece of shit and wearing his hat sideways and pants so low that his ass hangs out does not make him one bit special.
Remember a couple of weeks ago when Johnny Law told you to put your dogs on the leash and you did and without a word? I would bet it had something (not everything) to do with the kind of person you are and were raised to be. You chose to respect the law even if you thought is was bullshit and your actions were not hurting anyone.
Same thing here. But this little fuck-wad does not respect elders, the "state" or anyone else.
Did you hear him drop the line, "Dude don't take my skateboard, I didn't do anything." No you did break the law by skating in that location. And no you weren't told not to earlier by the officer and by your friend (as he states in the begining of the video). Dumbass.
How many times do you hear the phrase, "I didn't do anything" when watching Cops? Criminals.
As far as the assault…the second he does not handover the skateboard he is inviting the confrontation. I truly enjoyed watching the cop take it from him and placing him on the ground-twice-something I can not do without putting my career at stake.
For all the teachers that put up with assholes like this kid…Thank you Officer Rivieri.
Job well done.
"You have got to be kidding me."
No, I'm not.
"…this kid in the video is a prime example of a kid that needs a good'ol ass kick'n…"
You don't know that. And even if he did, Rivieri has absolutely no moral authority to do it. The kid wasn't harming anyone.
"Remember a couple of weeks ago when Johnny Law told you to put your dogs on the leash and you did and without a word?"
Yep. What's you point, that if I'd have caller he the bitch that she was, it would have been fine and dandy for her to assault me and take my dogs? Because I didn't show her respect?
Rivieri has exactly the same moral authority as anyone else in the world, no more, no less, which is to intervene when real harm is being done to person or property. If you don't have the moral authority to stop a bunch of kids who weren't harming anyone, verbally intimidate and try to dominate them, shove one to the ground and take his property, then neither did Rivieri.