Comments on: Why did Lee Baca win Sheriff of the Year award? http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sun, 26 May 2013 06:24:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Lupus_Yonderboy http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1686064 Lupus_Yonderboy Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1686064 If that's the case, maybe they just shouldn't give an award.  Maybe, instead, they should go "well, we were going to give this to the sheriff who ran the most constitutionally sound jail where human rights were respected but we couldn't find any so let's all pack it up and try to be better next year."  Just because others are horribly evil doesn't excuse merely evil. If that’s the case, maybe they just shouldn’t give an award.  Maybe, instead, they should go “well, we were going to give this to the sheriff who ran the most constitutionally sound jail where human rights were respected but we couldn’t find any so let’s all pack it up and try to be better next year.”  Just because others are horribly evil doesn’t excuse merely evil.

]]> By: Lily Gonzalez http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1685996 Lily Gonzalez Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1685996 Killbots are cowardly narcissists.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvmDdVoroI0 Killbots are cowardly narcissists.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvmDdVoroI0

]]> By: Lily Gonzalez http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1685994 Lily Gonzalez Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:40:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1685994 This is an abomination.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DEDK-re0bo This is an abomination.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DEDK-re0bo

]]> By: niktemadur http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1685818 niktemadur Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1685818 It's a term that's been floating around lately, Epistemic Closure. It’s a term that’s been floating around lately, Epistemic Closure.

]]> By: Jim Friess http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1685795 Jim Friess Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1685795 Surely you know that Baca means "stupid" in Japanese. Surely you know that Baca means “stupid” in Japanese.

]]> By: Víctor Jiménez Merino http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1685239 Víctor Jiménez Merino Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1685239  So... the prison system in the USA is so fucked up that thousands of wrongful incarcerations, systematic rape, rampaging violence and torture is the base line to measure how good a sheriff is doing? Whoa...  So… the prison system in the USA is so fucked up that thousands of wrongful incarcerations, systematic rape, rampaging violence and torture is the base line to measure how good a sheriff is doing?

Whoa…

]]> By: monkey magic http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1685236 monkey magic Fri, 22 Mar 2013 08:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1685236  I would not be surprised to find out that he thinks prison rape is part of the rehabilitation process.  I would not be surprised to find out that he thinks prison rape is part of the rehabilitation process.

]]> By: bengee http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1685220 bengee Fri, 22 Mar 2013 07:44:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1685220 The question is real, though. Why did he win? What is special about this sheriff among the many sheriffs? Obviously sheriffs have different standards for excellence among themselves than, for example, human rights organizations. Maybe he saved their baby. Or more likely, because he deals with the nation's biggest jail system, and it hasn't turned into the kind of tent city mad max scenario that you see in new orleans or texas. You know, like the New York sheriffs in the nineties that ran prisons with 10-20% rates of tuberculosis? Those guys maybe don't get the award. The question is real, though. Why did he win? What is special about this sheriff among the many sheriffs? Obviously sheriffs have different standards for excellence among themselves than, for example, human rights organizations.

Maybe he saved their baby. Or more likely, because he deals with the nation’s biggest jail system, and it hasn’t turned into the kind of tent city mad max scenario that you see in new orleans or texas.

You know, like the New York sheriffs in the nineties that ran prisons with 10-20% rates of tuberculosis? Those guys maybe don’t get the award.

]]> By: llazy8 http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1685181 llazy8 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 04:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1685181 Looks like you've answered your own question there.  Looks like you’ve answered your own question there. 

]]> By: Marc Mielke http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1685127 Marc Mielke Fri, 22 Mar 2013 02:30:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1685127 Sheriff Baca, I'm sure you're a corrupt motherfucker and I'mma let you finish, but I just have to say Joe Arpaio is the MOST CORRUPT SHERIFF OF ALL TIME!  Sheriff Baca, I’m sure you’re a corrupt motherfucker and I’mma let you finish, but I just have to say Joe Arpaio is the MOST CORRUPT SHERIFF OF ALL TIME! 

]]> By: pjcamp http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1685113 pjcamp Fri, 22 Mar 2013 01:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1685113 I've long believed that we have allowed a separate culture to develop in law enforcement. They no longer think of themselves as citizens but as police, separate from and above society. We serve their needs. If a cop is a criminal, the rest of the system will circle the wagons rather than turn him in. Cops never do wrong, and the one who is most belligerently antagonistic to the public is the cop's cop, the cop of the year. This is worth watching in that regard: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/the-confessions/ I've personally had evidence planted on me to, as golfers have it, "improve the lie." Every interaction I've ever had with police in my 53 years has been negative in some significant way. That's why I've commented several times on this site that cops are scum. As far as I'm concerned, they are until proven otherwise. But, sadly, it isn't just cops. You can't blame one or two people for the failings of the system, and that is the import of the Frontline episode. The entire system is hosed, from stem to stern. If you're lucky enough to avoid being caught up in it, good for you. If you're not, good luck to you. You'll need it. I’ve long believed that we have allowed a separate culture to develop in law enforcement. They no longer think of themselves as citizens but as police, separate from and above society. We serve their needs. If a cop is a criminal, the rest of the system will circle the wagons rather than turn him in. Cops never do wrong, and the one who is most belligerently antagonistic to the public is the cop’s cop, the cop of the year. This is worth watching in that regard:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/the-confessions/

I’ve personally had evidence planted on me to, as golfers have it, “improve the lie.” Every interaction I’ve ever had with police in my 53 years has been negative in some significant way.

That’s why I’ve commented several times on this site that cops are scum. As far as I’m concerned, they are until proven otherwise. But, sadly, it isn’t just cops. You can’t blame one or two people for the failings of the system, and that is the import of the Frontline episode. The entire system is hosed, from stem to stern. If you’re lucky enough to avoid being caught up in it, good for you. If you’re not, good luck to you.

You’ll need it.

]]> By: JH http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1685095 JH Fri, 22 Mar 2013 01:15:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1685095 Well, the criteria is "a pulse" and "being a sheriff," so I can see where they're coming from. Well, the criteria is “a pulse” and “being a sheriff,” so I can see where they’re coming from.

]]> By: Daemonworks http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1685087 Daemonworks Fri, 22 Mar 2013 01:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1685087 Isn't the whole point of being Sheriff to be as corrupt as possible? Isn’t the whole point of being Sheriff to be as corrupt as possible?

]]> By: EH http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1685073 EH Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1685073 The history of "Officer of the Year" awards tell us that the law enforcement industry glorifies bad behavior. The history of “Officer of the Year” awards tell us that the law enforcement industry glorifies bad behavior.

]]> By: Boundegar http://boingboing.net/2013/03/21/why-did-lee-baca-win-sheriff-o.html#comment-1685071 Boundegar Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:43:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=220232#comment-1685071 Guess it all depends on who's casting the votes.  And national Sheriffs think rape is nifty. Guess it all depends on who’s casting the votes.  And national Sheriffs think rape is nifty.

]]>