Stoning The Keepers At The Gate

In Stoning the Keepers at the Gate, police psychologist Lawrence N.Blum, Ph.D.looks at the role of law enforcement in modern times and argues that, while bad cops need to be rooted out, blanket condemnation of the police threatens the very liberties that make such condemnation possible, as well as the safety of the American public in their homes and lives. Blum argues that the enormous stresses officers experience--from violent physical attack to unrewarded or miusunderstood acts of heroism--require special understanding, an understanding that is often missing from police departments themselves. Blum provides a unique insight into the dynamics, practices, and activities within police agencies that influence police officers' actions, and that often hide the real sources of police behaviors that are thought of as faulty, insensitive, or inappropriate. A passionate call not only for understanding but a reappraisal of whose actions are scrutinized within and outside of police agencies, police accountability, and the nature of policing itself in the twenty-first century. Stoning the Keepers at the Gate is a dynamic and fascinating analysis of the role of law enforcement today.

The author of influential books such as Force Under Pressure and Stoning the Keepers at the Gate, Dr. Lawrence N. Blum is a renowned expert on the psychology of police officers. With Turning Tragedy into Victory, he returns to and expands on the important subject of how to best help those who have sworn to protect and serve when they are the ones who have fallen. According to Blum, officers' lack of knowledge and skill in controlling the stress of the moment has increased their risk of being killed, assaulted, or making mistakes that cost them dearly in career or family relationships. Through visceral, real-life accounts of officers with whom he has personally worked, he identifies pitfalls, errors, and traps that are created when officers lose control over how their brains and bodies react to unexpected crises; explains why and how this lack of control occurs; and provides mental, emotional, and behavioral tools that have proven highly effective at enhancing performance. Above all, Blum says, officers must learn the important lessons that come from their experiences and commit themselves to the quest for mastery in law enforcement--in other words, to turn tragedy into victory. This book is an indispensable resource for law enforcement officers, those who work with them, and the people who wish to keep them safe among the increasing dangers and challenges of today's society.

The term "culture wars" refers to the political and sociological polarisation that has characterised American society the past several decades. This new edition provides an enlightening and comprehensive A-to-Z ready reference, now with supporting primary documents, on major topics of contemporary importance for students, teachers, and the general reader. It aims to promote understanding and clarification on pertinent topics that too often are not adequately explained or discussed in a balanced context. With approximately 640 entries plus more than 120 primary documents supporting both sides of key issues, this is a unique and defining work, indispensable to informed discussions of the most timely and critical issues facing America today.