Comments on: Reminder: I’m Speaking Tonight at Vanderbilt

By: Warlord

Warlord — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:08:02 +0000

The big question is. Whose side are SWAT teams going to be on once the
coming revolution occurs? I know they have all taken oaths to defend the
Constitution however, they tend to look at citizens as the enemy.Ive also
noticed, when SWAT teams are called in some usually dies, as they tend
to resort to training rather than common sense.

By: skunky

skunky — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:13:49 +0000

Buttrick Hall. Hehe.

By: Whim

Whim — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:10:41 +0000

There have always been a lot of police shows on TV, almost universally showing the police in a favorable light, as hard-working, brave, consciencious, incorruptable, and brilliant.

The FBI Series with Efram Zimbalist, Jr. stands out as premier Hollywood propaganda syncronized with the party-line coming from Washington political HQ.

But, in the same vein of fantasyland, the TV shows Marcus Welby M.D. never had a line of patients waiting 1.5 hours in his waiting room to see the dear old doc., and Owen Marshall, Attorney at Law always had innocent clients. So, did Perry Mason, for that matter.

By: Jay

Jay — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:57:02 +0000

When I was at Vanderbilt I remember a Dean bragging that Vanderbilt had the only private SWAT Team in the state. Doubt that’s still true.

By: C. S. P. Schofield

C. S. P. Schofield — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:13:16 +0000

Yizmo Gizmo,

TV trends come and go. There was a year in the 1970′s that saw the premier of so many Police Procedural shows that Harlan Ellison dubbed it “The Year of the Cuddly Cop”. But between then and now Cable became common. Then it was possible to say “There are wall-to-wall cops shows” when that meant five or six over the course of a week.

I have no idea what the balance of programming is like now; I haven’t watched cable with any regularity for at least a decade. But from what I see on DVD shelves, I would guess that there are a lot of Vampire shows, a lot of Historical dramas, and, yes, a lot of Cop shows.

By: Yizmo Gizmo

Yizmo Gizmo — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:57:05 +0000

“Somebody should examine the progression from Dragnet to the present.”

From “Just the facts, maam” to “Get on the ground, Motherfucker.”
Over the same course of time the US prison population swelled
from 180,000 to 2.3 million, and countless CSI shows replaced game shows,
and Criminal Justice became one of the most popular Majors
in College. What happened?

By: C. S. P. Schofield

C. S. P. Schofield — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:31:03 +0000

Somebody should examine the progression from Dragnet to the present. Sgt. Friday was a smug preachy jerk at times, but the dominant image I have of him is standing around talking in a relatively calm voice. Not diving trough a window with an assault rifle or pump shotgun.

Anybody have any thought on that?