Even though I've survived a combat tour in Iraq, my trauma from interacting with police is more currently relevant to me. Having been falsely arrested several times, physically abused, roughed up, threatened, and caged, I have more of an involuntary response to police than Iraqis. While much attention is paid to veterans with PTSD, we obviously don't have a monopoly on it.
One of my dear friends has experienced some truly horrific abuse at the hands of the police. She also works as a waitress. Earlier today, 4 fully armed and uniformed cops walked into her restaurant and got sat in her section.
As she said, "My energy immediately gets irritated and off balance which leads me to 'accidentally' drop an entire tray of drinks on 2 of them and their entire table. Down their guns, sweet tea all in their radios and phones."
Needs to say, she didn't get a tip from them, but the table next to them noticed that she wasn't exactly remorseful and gave her a $10 tip. "So essentially I just got paid to pour drinks on cops." She is also now excused from ever having to serve police in her restaurant again because of her police brutality PTSD.
You thought this was going to be a serious post about PTSD, didn't you? Now I'm not advocating what my friend did. A more appropriate way for society to respond to criminals would be to ostracize them. If I see police at a restaurant, I'm less likely to eat there. Hang up a sign that says, "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone." Refuse service to known criminals like police who arrest people for victimless crimes. That being said, I'm not going to hold it against my friend for responding to brutal criminality with some spilled drinks!
