My Problems With Authority

It’s been a while since I’ve seen “End of Watch” and it’s been even longer since it was first in cinemas across the world. I haven’t said anything about it, because everybody else was already. I don’t really have anything to add. That’s a lie. If I didn’t have anything to add I wouldn’t be writing this blog. I’m not going to write a review, because in that case, I really don’t have anything to add. Instead, I want to tell you about my authority issues.

My criminal offences are limited to crossing streets while the lights are red and the occasional free trip on train or metro. Other then that, I’m a good girl. I never even offended an officer while he/she was doing his/her job. I acted annoyed, yes, never uttered an offense in hearshot. As a matter of fact, there have only been two ocassions in which I came in contact with police, both had to do with me crashing my car.

Let me explain the source of my annoyance. Police officers tend to approach people with a certain attitude. On one hand I understand, on the other, it pisses me off. I don’t like to belittled. I don’t like to manipulated into offensive behaviour. I don’t like to be approached as something I’m not. I used to have a leasecar, I don’t anymore so that solved several problems nicely. When you’re stopped for whatever, alcohol test or speed etc, and you roll down your window, the first thing you see is a police officer bending down and looking at you as if you’re a little child. “Well well, young lady, and how fast were we driving?” Fuck off!!! Just tell me straight that I was speeding, give me the fucking ticket and let me go.

I’m not a criminal and I certainly don’t look like one so I have no personal experience, but I’ve seen in movies (possibly acted to make it all look more dramatic) and reality cop shows (possibly because a camera is aimed at them) too often how alleged criminals are manipulated into bad behaviour. The police officers, more often than not, seem to be starting the fight (fights usually don’t start with hitting and kicking, but with words). Like I said before, I’m not a criminal and I certainly don’t look like one, so I don’t know if this also happens for real when there are no cameras aimed at them. Suspicion is that it is exactly how things go, based on how often I’m being talked down to by people in uniforms.


Officers Zavala and Taylor after the fight....or before...who cares....?


That’s my problem with authority. And that’s also my problem with “End of Watch”. There’s one scene where one of the officers we’re following, Mike Zavala, is daring(?) an alleged criminal. I don’t remember why they were visiting him at his home or what he had done, neither did it matter. What that scene was about was officer Zavala showing the criminal who was boss, or something. I don’t know, I was irritating my tits off when I saw that scene. Police officers are supposed to be the law. Then why do they act like arrogant twats who beat up people they don’t like and treat other people like they’re lesser inhabitants of this earth? Aren’t they supposed to be an example of good?


 Yes, I do agree, they have a tough and potentially dangerous job. And yes, there are some weird and mad people out there. However, I’m not a criminal, neither do I behave like a criminal, nor am I a child who did something naughty. I like to be treated like a normal grownup with respect. Maybe I’ve done something illegal, but even then you can just approach me in a normal way. Only when I’m actually rude and offensive, then you can start treating me in a harsher way (still no need for abuse, however). Not that I would agree then.