Why Are Conservatives Only Against The Cops When They Do Something To Hurt Them

What bothers conservatives the most about the NFL kneeling protests?

OQ: What bothers conservatives the most about the NFL kneeling protests?The part of the protest that bothers me is the fact that the target of the protest has nothing to do with the stated purpose of the protest.The stated purpose is the issue of police violence against blacks; a worthy cause and deserving of attention. The method being used to bring attention to this issue is kneeling during the national anthem at an NFL game. How does this action relate to the stated purpose? How does kneeling during the national anthem hurt or even affect the police?The national anthem and the flag represent the country; the people and the ideals that the nation was founded on (even if we sometimes fail to live up to them). They do not specifically represent the police, or the army, or even the federal government. If you protest during the anthem, you are attacking or disrespecting the nation as a whole. Protesting at an NFL game is disrespectful of the NFL.According to the stated purpose of the protest, neither the NFL nor the nation as a whole are the targets of the protest. The actions taken, however, send a different message. They are insulting to the nation and damaging to the NFL’s brand. If neither the NFL nor the nation are involved in the offending issue of police violence against blacks, why take actions that insult and damage them?Unless, of course the argument is that the nation is to blame for allowing police violence to continue. I don’t think it has been stated this way by Kaepernick or any of the protesters, but I know people who would agree with that sentiment. In this case, the kneeling protest makes some sense; however, the connection is not obvious and is easily missed.A protest should be targeted at the offending entity. The bus boycotts worked because they hurt the bus companies’ bottom line. The diner sit-ins disrupted the business of the diners. Kneeling during the anthem does not affect the police. It hurts the NFL and insults the country, but has no bearing on the issue to which it is intend bring light. For this reason, the message has become so muddled that many people have forgotten what the point was in the first place.

Why do conservatives tend to support the police?

Liberals support police too. But to get more at the spirit of your question, my opinion is that conservatives are much more comfortable with authoritarianism in general than liberals.Authorities are seen as powerful, benevolent figures which are always right, always moral and ought never be questioned. Their faith in these authorities (whether its law enforcement or religion or the military, etc) is so strong that to question whether these institutions are worthy of such high idealism is perceived as an indelible threat.The idea that a single police officer might have a racial bias that would affect how he sees people on the street is shocking. But the idea that the system as a whole is so ingrained with racism that it has an overwhelming affect on how people of color are treated in the criminal justice system is unfathomable.The difference between liberals supporting the police is that liberals recognize that there are deep flaws in the system that need to be changed so that it works better for everyone. Conservatives perceive any kind of criticism as a threat to their black/white beliefs and respond accordingly.

Why is it the only unions conservatives won't oppose are the police unions?

As a left leaning person, I  am philosophically pro- union , pro-labor.  However, like others have said, that doesn't mean that all unions are the same, or that I agree with everything that all unions and union members do. There, got that out of the way. Let me get something else out of the way. I think being a police officer is a very difficulty job, and like an public job where you are in the public eye, scrutiny is part of the job.  I am grateful to people who have honorably chosen law enforcement to spend their work life.I personally have had mostly positive or neutral experiences with police officers.As someone else expressed frustration with percieved anti cop rhetoric,  I also get frustrated that concerns of civil liberty violations, excessive force , possibly inadequate training  and corruption are seen as anti police. There is no profession , be it teacher ( and I love teachers ), soldiers, clergy, accountant, surgeon, CEO, or lawyer who are of a collective character. There are basic standards for professionals, and there are usually ethics / governing agencies for said professions. Not all doctors, teachers, soldiers, lawyers are of equal skill, judgement, and ethics, and I have to imagine the same is true for police officers. In Michigan, RTW legislation exempted police officers and firefighters, and I think  political leanings had a lot to do with it.  They weren't exempted in Wisconsin. http://www.politico.com/news/sto...Though it's not a blanket truism , most people drawn to police work are right/ conservative leaning. http://www.sfpoa.org/journal/13/...I do think if I were a police officer, I would want to be in a union, because of the legal representation and the collective bargaining power not just for pay, but for work conditions. I do think it's pretty hypocritical for some conservatives who are rabidly anti teacher union to turn an eye to police unions. Yes, like most organizational entities  ( churches, corporations, government agencies) unions can fall prey to abuses of power or corruption.   I think this blind eye speaks to what certain types of conservatives see as " real world" work, traditional / sometimes authoritarian hierarchies ( most police departments even use military titles) and the high value they place on jobs similar to police work, like military/ combat service or physically/ demanding / high risk / archetypical alpha male type jobs ( I'm speaking to perceptions, not my opinion ).