Lot's of fun, parades, music, dancing, king-cake, beads, family and an all-around good time. But some people use it as a time for other things - such as gaining popularity on Social Media. Here is a recent post from a Facebook friend who shared her friend's post:
Post:
"RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS.... YOU PAY HIS SALARY WITH YOUR CITY TAXES!!!!! Stand up and DEMAND for Service & Protection (praying hands emoji)"
Pic:
Original Post from George Peterson:
"Typical NOPD officer along the St. Charles Ave. Parade route with his nose in his phone instead of paying attention to the crowd.
He stood there on his phone long enough for me to take his picture, walk down the street to show it to his Commander and Lieutenant, walk back and stand directly next to him for several minutes without any situational awareness.
I spoke with Commander Deckert and Lt. DeVallier but they took the usual "I don't give a f*ck attitude that we have come to expect from the leadership in the City of New Orleans (red frowny face emoji inserts x4)"
My thoughts and my opinion:
1st (and MOST important), I wasn't there to witness this. So these are only
my opinions after seeing the pic and reading the comments -
I'm torn - what makes this pic different from videos of NOLA cops dancing during
a parade? Pics/videos of cops dancing along with music and with the crowds seem
to be accepted by most people, especially those who have lived in New Orleans their entire life. Those cop dancing vids/pics are usually cleverly titled in efforts to make people feel as though Mardi Gras is such a safe and happy time, that even the Police Officers join in the fun. I've been to many
parades and have seen cops dance, catch throws, entertain children as well as
break up fights, prevent crime, maintain order and do their job at the same time.
However in this particular photo, Mr. Peterson is showing AND describing something in a way that most people would find unacceptable. If this cop were in fact doing EXACTLY what is being described, then yes that is a problem. From the pic, written post and responses, it is obvious that anger was the emotion that Mr. Peterson was striving for. If in fact, this cop did exactly what's described - then yes, perhaps NOPD needs a refresher course in crowd safety/control.
What I find tasteless is the fact that Mr. Peterson chose to put this cop on blast by posting to social media. File a formal complaint if needed. Contact the Police Chief's office. Contact your congressman if necessary. But to call him out on social media is something I would expect from a left-wing liberal democrat since that's how most of their arguments start.
Like I said I wasn't there. But this is a blantent attempt at trying to start
a social argument.
