Quotas at the Expense of Public Safety
Quotas are bad. There, I said it. The latest tragedy from the great American quota system can be found in Atlanta Georgia with the story of Brian Nichols. Now, I am assuming everyone is familiar with the courthouse shooting in Atlanta. If not, Google it and you'll easily find it.
I have heard the news heads classify this tragedy as another case of "gun violence" while completely (albeit not suprisingly) ignore the real issues here.
#1. Brian Nichols was not shackled at his feet while being taken to the courthouse. Although he had been found with homemade knives in his cell the previous day, and the judge requested the prisoner be shackled, he was not. Why you ask? Easy answer.. the shackles are "dehumanizing" and can "sway a jury". Keep in mind he was in jail on a rape charge. I'll let you draw your own conclusions here.
#2. He was being led to court by a 51-year-old FEMALE guard. A GRANDMOTHER mind you. Other than trying to meet some quota system, what business does a 51-year-old woman have being a prisoner guard?
Before you accuse me of being anti-woman, allow me to clear it up for you: yes, I am anti-woman when it comes to placing them in roles such as these. The problem is the lowering of standards to meet these quotas. Women are allowed access to these positions based on the fact they are women. When they do not meet the physical strength requirements that it takes to be an officer, a new set of rules are invented (reminds me of our dumbed-down educational system).
For example, I've read that the LAPD has a goal of a 40% female officer population. Will these 40% be just as capable and strong as the 60% male staff? If they are, then God bless them. Sadly however, they won't be. They will be there only to meet some illogical goal dreamed up by the liberal nutcases in charge of the department.
Who will pay the price? The citizens. The citzens who cannot carry a weapon to defend themselves will now have to depend on a police officer who probably cannot defend herself any better.
posted by TinyElvis @ 7:42 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
I certainly understand your point about the female officers needing to be equally, if not, more qualified than their male counterparts. But I think that you may be misrepresenting yourself when you imply that size matters in the last paragraph (and with the grandma statement). While size certainly lends its advantages -- not only in strength, but also in intimidation (which shouldn't be undermined in police work) -- I'd argue that size does not necessary equate to effectiveness. With the proper amount of skill and training, couldn't a 5'6" 130 lb. woman be as deadly as a 6'0" 190 lb. man? Imagine that she is small, but has advanced training in self-defense and he is large and strong, but cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. It's possible. Certainly size helps, but it's not always a reliable indicator of capability.
This doesn't prevent me, however, from understanding AND agreeing with your point about the LAPD and its gender quotas. I too get the impression that quality officer selection might be compromised to meet this goal. Does it mean that I think a female officier would be less capable than a male one (thus undermining my argument above)? No. This means that I believe that quotas would screw with the Darwinian process that I think is essential to hiring. Hire the best. If that be a man, woman, light-weight, or heavy-weight so be it.
On another note, I thought we were past this whole idea that women weren't being hired as a conspiracy to hold them back. This proposal suggests that women need a helping hand. Call me optimistic, but I don't that's the case anymore. Call me proud, but if a helping hand was offered to me simply because of my gender, I'd personally wouldn't want it.
Of course, I'd take a free dinner and a movie offered by my boyfriend any day; chivalry is welcomed in romantic relationships (they operate by their own rules). It is not, however, in the workforce. If women want equal footing, they'll should earn it. That would be the only way to earn the respect that comes with the role. It seems that this respect that most women are looking for in the first place.
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