Don't approach your Congressman!

[Devil's Advocate]

Follow the link at the bottom to watch two pretty stunning videos.

The second is that of a Congressman getting unnecessarily physical with a couple of students who just asked him a simple question.

But the first is the really shocking one: a Seattle policeman in a scuffle with a couple of unruly jaywalkers (jaywalkers!) and responding by punching a 17-year-old girl in the face! Not slapping, not backhanding, not even pulling back on his hit... a proper, full-on, cocking-his-hand-back-and-unleashing-a-haymaker sort of punch, right on the face. What makes it even worse, he's a white policeman against a black* girl. That's just asking for trouble.

And these are the people who are supposed to help keep society in order?

Rash of video footage incriminates lawmakers, police - Yahoo! News

* Or should I say African-American? I can never remember whether or not 'black' is acceptable nowadays. I think I've heard enough people in the media say it to think it's alright...

[J Riff]

Yup, lots cop beating deaths here, a few on Youtube.. look for VPD. (vancouver)
It's always covered and they keep their job somehow.

[Simple Simon]

I don't actually see what the problem is with regards to the officer hitting the girl. He's quite obviously trying to arrest one girl who is resisting and then another girl who has been interfering tries to push him off her. Now I don't know about anybody else but pushing a police officer (especially in the states) who is quite obviously having difficulty controlling a situation has got to be an extremely stupid thing to do.

The only thing wrong with this situation is why doesn't the cop have a partner with him which would have made the arrest go smoothly.

I must agree that the congressman seems a little overbearing, maybe he's an undercover policeman .