Taylor
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2004
- Messages
- 1,630
- Reaction score
- 4
I have been putting this off for some time and perhaps should have said something sooner. I am grateful that the many people here at AD have accepted me into the community. As you all know, I am hearing but have several deaf friends. I have also done a lot with not only my agency, but agencies in surrounding counties in regards to deaf awareness. A program I helped develop was instituted in our department starting with a past academy class (and will come up in the next academy class as well as future classes). I have also met with other agencies about deaf awareness training for their officers.
With that said, it is often disheartening with some of the things that I come across here at AD and feel that I need to vent about it. Whether my gripes are justified or not is up to you....I feel how I feel and I see what I see...but it doesn't mean that I'm seeing it properly.
Example: Recently there was a member here that contacted me about a problem they were having. This person lives no where near me, not even the same state...and laws vary from state to state. Regardless, I took several hours researching information for this person. I did not so much as get a Thank You from that person....in fact, I was sent a bunch of insults and called names. Perhaps I did not give them the answer that they wanted to hear, but I did the research (that they could have easily done themselves) and put that research together for them. I can deal with somebody I arrest or write a ticket to insulting me...but when its somebody here at AD that lives in another state and insists I give them advice (in fact, I'm sometimes told that I HAVE to give advice because I'm a police officer).
This has happened on several occasions and is generaly via PM. What I found funny is that recently, somebody called me names in private...so I politely requested they do not contact me any more. A few weeks late, I get a message say 'Hi' from this person....so I ignored it. They want to insult me in private, then they should not expect me to always be responsive to a 'Hi'. Of course, I then get more insults because I'm ignoring them.
My first question is, do they treat other members of AD this way? If not, why would this rule that I have to be nice to you when you are insulting me only apply to me at AD? Again, this has happened on several occasions and I'm not pointing at any particular member or person.
My next issue is about some of the messages I get because people have a problem with their local police department. An officer was rude to them, so somehow I deserve a nasty message because a cop in Florida did not address you as 'Sir'...what would possess you to send a nastygram to a cop in Maryland because of a cop in Florida? I mention the Florida incident and many know the person I am referring to (who is now banned), but that was the most public. There have been messages to me because people did not like something about the police in 8 other states. And what I find amusing is many times when I'm told these stories, the officer did nothing wrong. For example, I get a nasty message because a cop in the midwest wrote a speeding ticket to this deaf person. The argument was the cop was wrong because deaf people should be let go. I disagree with that and feel the cop wasn't wrong for writing a ticket for somebody doing 25mph over the speed limit. Why should somebody get off specifically because they are deaf? And again, I question what this has to do with me.
A person recenlty asked me about an incident involving the police and this person was upset. I explained why the officer did what they did, and when I did that, the person said it made sense. I have no problem with people asking me questions like that, and this person was kind enough to say Thanks for answering and that she now understood it. Even if she didn't understand it, she was polite and placed no blame on me for what another officer in another state did.
The final straw for me tonight was when somebody questioned my integrity. You can call me names, you can insult me...you can even try to fist fight me on the side of the road...but the most offensive thing to me is to question my integrity. I swore to treat people equally, rich or poor, strong or weak, and to uphold the law equally. Nobody has the right to call me a liar and say that I did not do something when I did. This was the final straw for me, and I'm sure that this person probably did not mean the amount of harm or grief that it caused. This has occured in the past as well, but tonight it struck a nerve with me. In the past, I have had other members question my integrity and occasionally I get the 'I see how you are' because I do not agree with them.
I do get tired of seeing the posts about 'I'm leaving AD'. My attitude is if you aren't happy with something, then say it....and then silently leave. I'm not making that statement that I want to leave...because I don't. I'm making this statement to say what many cops never say. Cops have feelings too. When you call us a name, its no different than somebody calling you a name. When you attempt to throw a punch at me, you expect me to take it..because thats what cops do, right? If somebody punches you, do you not have the right to stop that from happening? Then why would it be different for me? If you are speeding down the road and a cop pulls you over, why do you have such hatred for him? You were, after all, breaking the law and your taxes pay for him to enforce the law...and to stop those who break the law. That cop did not ask for that law to be written but he is told to enforce it as it is written. Why would you get pissed off at a cop for writing you ticket, but then expect a company to follow the ADA? When you go to McDonalds and the person is slow in taking your order, do you cuss them out in the middle of the restaurant? Do you complain to the manager? Do you write a letter? Then why would you cuss me out, contact my supervisor, or write a letter to my chief because I did not give you the answer you wanted to hear...or give it to you in a timely fashion? A member recently became pissed off at me because it took me 2 days to answer a question....this was the same night one of our officers was involved in a shooting and I was called in at 3am and worked for close to 24 hours straight...got a couple of hours sleep and then went back to work. Why would you want to send a letter to my chief about that?
Alldeaf has always been my home away from home. I have met many friends here, and have become rather close to a few of them. I have learned so much about the deaf community. This has not only helped me in my job, but has caused a lot of personal growth for me. For that, I'm forever grateful..but if I get the insults on the street...Yesterday I had a battered wife cuss me out in the courtroom for locking her husband up because he beat her senseless while she was holding her baby....why am I the enemy there? And why am I becoming the enemy here at alldeaf? Its slowly becoming that way.
I've realized that there will always be a member here that has an issue with me because I'm a cop. I do not know what the police did to wrong them, nor do I know why they hold me accountable. I do know that many police officers have told me in the past to never disclose your occupation....and that I would regret it if I did. When at a party, people turn against you. When in a restaurant, people turn against you. When sitting at a stoplight, people turn against you....I guess I was ignorant for thinking that it couldn't happen here at AD, but it has.
With that said, it is often disheartening with some of the things that I come across here at AD and feel that I need to vent about it. Whether my gripes are justified or not is up to you....I feel how I feel and I see what I see...but it doesn't mean that I'm seeing it properly.
Example: Recently there was a member here that contacted me about a problem they were having. This person lives no where near me, not even the same state...and laws vary from state to state. Regardless, I took several hours researching information for this person. I did not so much as get a Thank You from that person....in fact, I was sent a bunch of insults and called names. Perhaps I did not give them the answer that they wanted to hear, but I did the research (that they could have easily done themselves) and put that research together for them. I can deal with somebody I arrest or write a ticket to insulting me...but when its somebody here at AD that lives in another state and insists I give them advice (in fact, I'm sometimes told that I HAVE to give advice because I'm a police officer).
This has happened on several occasions and is generaly via PM. What I found funny is that recently, somebody called me names in private...so I politely requested they do not contact me any more. A few weeks late, I get a message say 'Hi' from this person....so I ignored it. They want to insult me in private, then they should not expect me to always be responsive to a 'Hi'. Of course, I then get more insults because I'm ignoring them.
My first question is, do they treat other members of AD this way? If not, why would this rule that I have to be nice to you when you are insulting me only apply to me at AD? Again, this has happened on several occasions and I'm not pointing at any particular member or person.
My next issue is about some of the messages I get because people have a problem with their local police department. An officer was rude to them, so somehow I deserve a nasty message because a cop in Florida did not address you as 'Sir'...what would possess you to send a nastygram to a cop in Maryland because of a cop in Florida? I mention the Florida incident and many know the person I am referring to (who is now banned), but that was the most public. There have been messages to me because people did not like something about the police in 8 other states. And what I find amusing is many times when I'm told these stories, the officer did nothing wrong. For example, I get a nasty message because a cop in the midwest wrote a speeding ticket to this deaf person. The argument was the cop was wrong because deaf people should be let go. I disagree with that and feel the cop wasn't wrong for writing a ticket for somebody doing 25mph over the speed limit. Why should somebody get off specifically because they are deaf? And again, I question what this has to do with me.
A person recenlty asked me about an incident involving the police and this person was upset. I explained why the officer did what they did, and when I did that, the person said it made sense. I have no problem with people asking me questions like that, and this person was kind enough to say Thanks for answering and that she now understood it. Even if she didn't understand it, she was polite and placed no blame on me for what another officer in another state did.
The final straw for me tonight was when somebody questioned my integrity. You can call me names, you can insult me...you can even try to fist fight me on the side of the road...but the most offensive thing to me is to question my integrity. I swore to treat people equally, rich or poor, strong or weak, and to uphold the law equally. Nobody has the right to call me a liar and say that I did not do something when I did. This was the final straw for me, and I'm sure that this person probably did not mean the amount of harm or grief that it caused. This has occured in the past as well, but tonight it struck a nerve with me. In the past, I have had other members question my integrity and occasionally I get the 'I see how you are' because I do not agree with them.
I do get tired of seeing the posts about 'I'm leaving AD'. My attitude is if you aren't happy with something, then say it....and then silently leave. I'm not making that statement that I want to leave...because I don't. I'm making this statement to say what many cops never say. Cops have feelings too. When you call us a name, its no different than somebody calling you a name. When you attempt to throw a punch at me, you expect me to take it..because thats what cops do, right? If somebody punches you, do you not have the right to stop that from happening? Then why would it be different for me? If you are speeding down the road and a cop pulls you over, why do you have such hatred for him? You were, after all, breaking the law and your taxes pay for him to enforce the law...and to stop those who break the law. That cop did not ask for that law to be written but he is told to enforce it as it is written. Why would you get pissed off at a cop for writing you ticket, but then expect a company to follow the ADA? When you go to McDonalds and the person is slow in taking your order, do you cuss them out in the middle of the restaurant? Do you complain to the manager? Do you write a letter? Then why would you cuss me out, contact my supervisor, or write a letter to my chief because I did not give you the answer you wanted to hear...or give it to you in a timely fashion? A member recently became pissed off at me because it took me 2 days to answer a question....this was the same night one of our officers was involved in a shooting and I was called in at 3am and worked for close to 24 hours straight...got a couple of hours sleep and then went back to work. Why would you want to send a letter to my chief about that?
Alldeaf has always been my home away from home. I have met many friends here, and have become rather close to a few of them. I have learned so much about the deaf community. This has not only helped me in my job, but has caused a lot of personal growth for me. For that, I'm forever grateful..but if I get the insults on the street...Yesterday I had a battered wife cuss me out in the courtroom for locking her husband up because he beat her senseless while she was holding her baby....why am I the enemy there? And why am I becoming the enemy here at alldeaf? Its slowly becoming that way.
I've realized that there will always be a member here that has an issue with me because I'm a cop. I do not know what the police did to wrong them, nor do I know why they hold me accountable. I do know that many police officers have told me in the past to never disclose your occupation....and that I would regret it if I did. When at a party, people turn against you. When in a restaurant, people turn against you. When sitting at a stoplight, people turn against you....I guess I was ignorant for thinking that it couldn't happen here at AD, but it has.
I emailed you part 1 and part 2 about my past and was hoping that you could help me out...but you DIDNT! I am very much disappointed that you never reply me back at all...
Until then, it takes a thread like this to enlighten us all that these generalisms are wrong and misguided.. even with the best of intentions.
Taylor!
