Episode 29 — Coptalk

[JulyDiaz 2797]

A lot of you know W. Kamau Bell from his tv show Totally Biased and his podcast Denzel Washington is the Greatest Actor of All Time Period. You may have also read his recent piece on blackness in America in Vanity Fair. But this podcast, which we’re calling Coptalk, is something different: a wide-ranging, honest, and friendly conversation about policing in America.

 

In Coptalk, Bell sits down with collaborator and comedy writer Ethan Berlin and a veteran ex-LAPD officer named Anthony Escobar. The three recently worked closely together on a television project, where Escobar served as Bell’s security detail. Coptalk is a conversation about race, community-cop relations and diverse perspectives on the recent incidents in Ferguson and elsewhere. It's a wry, candid and timely conversation – a must-listen.

[Lukas Holmes 2287]

Really interesting discussion. I've felt that the ambiguity of what happened with Mike Brown has lead to the rest of the incidents being overshadowed by the anger associated with the lack of indictment there. If that hadn't happened then we would be seeing a lot more dialogue regarding Garner, Rice, etc.

[Professor Grasshopper 95]

What is this, some sort of cop talk?

[saddlebags 581]

shouldn't this be on wolfpop, or did that shutdown already

[Poika 615]

Really interesting discussion. I've felt that the ambiguity of what happened with Mike Brown has lead to the rest of the incidents being overshadowed by the anger associated with the lack of indictment there. If that hadn't happened then we would be seeing a lot more dialogue regarding Garner, Rice, etc.

I agree except for the last sentence. When I was younger I thought that was possible, but I'm pragmatic enough now to realize that dog whistle racists will always come up with excuses not to have a real dialogue, and they have a surprisingly loud voice in our 'accepted' discourse.

 

Who knows... maybe in a couple more generations.

[clever username 35]

Cops do have quotas for tickets. They are punished for not meeting them.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/10/nyregion/10quotas.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/02/nypd-quotas_n_5916596.html

 

People who bring this up have blood on their hands, though, the Benevolent and Sacred Fraternal Order of Philanthropic Police Officers tells me.

 

Also Ferguson largely funds it's white police department by over ticketing the city's black population, and it is far from the only ex-white suburb to do so.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/11/26/how-segregation-led-to-speed-traps-traffic-tickets-and-distrust-outside-st-louis/

[A New Duck 307]

Thanks for this. This was a great conversation and its candidness and conviviality was really welcome, and a fantastic alternative to most public places these issues get unpacked. I'll be thinking about this conversation for a while. I hope this is in fact episode one and not episode only. More Coptalk, or even Bell putting together panels for candid, friendly discussion about sensitive issues.

 

In the meantime, I'm gonna go subscribe to Bell's Denzel podcast.

[Lukas Holmes 2287]

I agree except for the last sentence. When I was younger I thought that was possible, but I'm pragmatic enough now to realize that dog whistle racists will always come up with excuses not to have a real dialogue, and they have a surprisingly loud voice in our 'accepted' discourse.

 

Who knows... maybe in a couple more generations.

 

It does feel that way. It seems like with each new killing the conversation has changed. Brown-he was trying to get his gun. Garner-He was resisting/so fat he practically killed himself by making us use the banned choke on him. Rice-He pointed a real looking gun at us (oh, video shows he didn't, just kidding, but he could have and should have been raised better). etc.

 

I get that there are more good cops than bad, but like Bell said, it would just be nice to see them condemning their fellow officers when they screw up so badly it can't be defended. I really thought the 'I won't defend fellow comedians if I know history is going to judge me for it' point he made.

 

It's just so fucking depressing.

[freeagent 329]

 

It does feel that way. It seems like with each new killing the conversation has changed. Brown-he was trying to get his gun. Garner-He was resisting/so fat he practically killed himself by making us use the banned choke on him. Rice-He pointed a real looking gun at us (oh, video shows he didn't, just kidding, but he could have and should have been raised better). etc.

 

I get that there are more good cops than bad, but like Bell said, it would just be nice to see them condemning their fellow officers when they screw up so badly it can't be defended. I really thought the 'I won't defend fellow comedians if I know history is going to judge me for it' point he made.

 

It's just so fucking depressing.

 

the issue I took with Escobar's "comedians will defend comedians" statement was that comedians are just entertainers. They are not the law and do not hold people's lives in their hands. They need to be held to the highest of standards. That being said this is a podcast I would subscribe too. It is refrrshing to hear people actually discussing things without yelling at eachother or being so stubborn they refuse to acknowledge anything the other side is saying. they definitely only scratched the surface with this and I'd love to hear more.

[Lukas Holmes 2287]

the issue I took with Escobar's "comedians will defend comedians" statement was that comedians are just entertainers. They are not the law and do not hold people's lives in their hands. They need to be held to the highest of standards. That being said this is a podcast I would subscribe too. It is refrrshing to hear people actually discussing things without yelling at eachother or being so stubborn they refuse to acknowledge anything the other side is saying. they definitely only scratched the surface with this and I'd love to hear more.

 

Had this been the way the Ferguson police force handled the situation from the start; honest discussion, transparency, common sense, not tear gassing journalists, none of what followed would have happened.

[VinsanityV22 500]

This was a great, great podcast. Even though nothing can make the NYPD seem like anything more than blue thugs and entitled, immature children right now, it is good to hear from a cop. Specifically, a GOOD one. For everything going on, my rational part of the brain is trying to keep in mind that the shitheads out there are the minority of cops, but man is it hard after seeing the things the NYPD are doing en masse. Currently. RIGHT NOW.

 

"New York's Finest", my ass. Seriously; boo'ing the Mayor at a funeral, and turning your backs on him? They're acting like kids in high school who hate the guy giving an assembly - numbnuts, all of 'em. Specially that fuck-face who's speaking for all of them (Patrick Lynch). Trying to blame democrats in general. Trying to refuse to do their jobs - wtf is wrong with the lot of 'em?

 

It's like you guys said about respect; you can have a lack of respect for authority, but you have to respect the law (especially when you're breaking the law). But NOOOOO; they're entitled retards who are a disgrace to the city, their fallen colleagues and common sense. Nothing any intelligent person could say can change that because we're not dealing with intelligent people. It's infuriating.

 

--

 

This kind of thing needs to happen more often though. I applaud you guys for doing it. It's not hard to talk to people, and it's not hard to explain yourselves. Officer Escobar demonstrated that perfectly here. But it's not just what happened; it's how it happened. And how these PD's are handling these situations.

 

I read on Gawker something that sums it up perfectly, so I'm just going to re-post, "... But if the deaths of Liu and Ramos gave the police department a moment to solemnly reflect and an opportunity to reconnect with a citizenry it had alienated with abuse and violence, they were squandered within only a few hours, when Patrick Lynch, the head of the police department's largest union, told reporters that there was 'blood on the hands' of the mayor and protesters." -- they're just blaming other people, and alienating themselves more and more from the people they're ostensibly there to "serve and protect". Or at the very least, co-exist with.

 

Like they're above everyone else in the City - which, if nothing else, having two of your own die from gunshot should show PRETTY CLEARLY you're human too, assholes. But nope; back to blaming everyone, shirking any and all responsibility and looking down on everyone - even De Blasio and Obama - like they're beneath cops.

 

--

 

Ugh. It's too much right now. It's impossible NOT to hate Cops. Especially the NYPD. But at the very least, I don't hate this guy. He was great; this was super informational, and an entertaining conversation to boot; he was intelligent and funny and fit in with the always great Kamau Bell & Ethan Berlin beautifully. I respect the LAPD a HELL of alot more now, lol. But shitty cops in Ferguson & New York are doing their best to irrepreably ruining the whole damn profession as far as I'm concerned.

 

I can see how this podcast was a great opportunity to be, like, a release. To put it all out there, and digest good information, and feel better about everything - at least a little. But things seem to have somehow managed to have gotten worse since you recorded. Maybe it's my proximity to NYC?

 

Again though, I'm just gonna repost something written on Gawker: "The NYPD chose to make a grand statement against their mayor at the funeral of a comrade because the mayor admitted, in the aftermath of the death of Eric Garner, that he had the gall to tell his black son to be careful around cops. This admission was, by far, the most relatable and agreeable moment of de Blasio's short tenure as mayor of New York City. This was him doing what we want our politicians to do: to stand with us, to understand, articulate and endorse our points of view. This is why de Blasio–a staunch liberal—was elected, and in that moment he delivered on the promise of his mayorship.That is what the NYPD were turning their backs on. Protesting at a funeral is defensible; making a grand gesture of intimidation against a politician's, and a city's, humanity is not."

 

*sigh* Why can't everyone in that uniform be as good as Mr. Escobar here?

 

--

 

I would love to hear an episode 2 of this someday. Especially if you guys get an NYPD officer on to talk about this shit they're doing right now, man.

 

...

Thanks for letting me vent, guys

 

Great podcast!

[VinsanityV22 500]

shouldn't this be on wolfpop, or did that shutdown already

 

Why would it ever be on a network about POP CULTURE? They're talking about real issues; not movies.

 

I have no idea why some people are so butt-hurt that Paul Scheer and Earwolf have a sister network now about pop culture stuff, but it's really annoying every time I hear the sentiment.

[Uterine Helmet 81]

 

I have no idea why some people are so butt-hurt that Paul Scheer and Earwolf have a sister network now about pop culture stuff, but it's really annoying every time I hear the sentiment.

 

Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown.