The Morning Roar: High IQ No Cop For You, 12 Trademarks Declared Less Offensive Than Redskins, Amazon Unveils “Fire Phone”
Welcome to your Friday June 20, 2014 edition of The Morning Roar!
High IQ, No Cop For You
Disclaimer – This story was published in 2000, but is important to review because it exposes a major error in the process of hiring police officers that continues today.Would you believe me if I told you the police in New London, Connecticut have strict standards regarding the intelligence of officers they allow to serve on the force? You probably would assume I was referencing an IQ floor that officers must exceed and that it is good for police forces to have high standards. After all, who would want a bunch of morons in uniform running around like they’re straight off the set of the movie Idiocracy?It turns out that New London’s intelligence standards are a little bit different than any reasonable human would assume. The standards actually prevent job candidates that score above an intelligence threshold from becoming police officers.ABC News had this report back in 2000:
A man whose bid to become a police officer was rejected after he scored too high on an intelligence test has lost an appeal in his federal lawsuit against the city.The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld a lower court’s decision that the city did not discriminate against Robert Jordan because the same standards were applied to everyone who took the test.“This kind of puts an official face on discrimination in America against people of a certain class,” Jordan said today from his Waterford home. “I maintain you have no more control over your basic intelligence than your eye color or your gender or anything else.”He said he does not plan to take any further legal action.Jordan, a 49-year-old college graduate, took the exam in 1996 and scored 33 points, the equivalent of an IQ of 125. But New London police interviewed only candidates who scored 20 to 27, on the theory that those who scored too high could get bored with police work and leave soon after undergoing costly training.Most cops just above normal the average score nationally for police officers is 21 to 22, the equivalent of an IQ of 104, or just a little above average.
Why would cops want to avoid officers that get bored with police work and pursue other options? Is there anything wrong with working as a police officer for a few years, gaining experience, then moving on to a more lucrative or possibly less dangerous career? Police departments aren’t looking for candidates with options or the level of intelligence that allows them to easily find more lucrative pay in another field when they tire of police work.More intelligent police officers could be more adept at pinpointing and eliminating inefficiencies in the criminal justice system. Every good manager knows that hiring the smartest and most creative employees is good business. The end result is intelligent, hard-working employees which make a manager's job easier.This is not how things work in a field where a protected group enjoys a monopoly. Efficient practices that save money and new ideas do not matter in these situations. Commitment and "loyalty" to the force trump everything else. This is why state-protected monopolies are bad for business.12 Trademarks Declared Less Offensive Than RedskinsIn yesterday's edition of The Morning Roar, Marc discussed the Washington’s Redskin’s loss of their Trademark registration due to it being “disparaging to Native Americans.” Marc then astutely pointed out that anger should not be directed at this one decision by the Patent Office, but rather the very existence of the protectionist agency should be called into question.The Daily Caller published an article that exposed the inconsistency at the Patent Office. The following is a sample of some company names or products from a list of twelve that could be considered potentially disparaging to certain groups. The full list of twelve can be found over at The Daily Caller.
Figgas over Niggas: This pending trademark seeks to cover a line of “Apparel for dancers, namely, tee shirts, sweatshirts, pants, leggings, shorts and jackets.” “Niggas,” of course, is a slang version of the word “nigger,” a term considered highly offensive towards black Americans.Kraut Kap: Another recently-filed trademark, this one for a line of plastic lids. “Kraut” was made famous in World War II as a derogatory term for opposing German soldiers, as well as Germans in general.Dago Swagg: A label created for a line of clothing. ”Dago” is a corruption of the common name Diego, and is used in English-speaking countries as an offensive term for those of Italian descent, and occasionally people from other Mediterranean countries as well.
Amazon Unveils “Fire Phone”Increased competition in the mobile phone market is always a good thing. This is especially true considering how vital cellphones are becoming to our everyday interactions both personally and professionally. Competition not only leads to potential reduction in pricing, but more importantly stokes the fires of innovation by forcing long standing market stalwarts to adapt to new industry players.The new phone from Amazon, the Amazon Fire Phone
Dynamic PerspectiveExperience interactions not possible on other smartphones. Tilt, auto-scroll, swivel, and peek to navigate menus and access shortcuts with one hand. Dive into a new class of immersive apps and games—peek to see detailed views of clothing, shoes, and more in the new Amazon Shopping app for Fire phone, or take on a character's viewpoint to see around corners and obstacles in games.Firefly technologyQuickly identify printed web and email addresses, phone numbers, QR and bar codes, plus over 100 million items, including movies, TV episodes, songs, and products—simply press and hold the dedicated Firefly button to discover useful information and take action in seconds.MaydayGet free, live, on-device video support with an Amazon expert, 24x7, 365 days a year at the touch of a button. No appointments necessary. Now available over the AT&T cellular network, in addition to Wi-Fi.