As a nation, we're currently engaged in a tense debate about what public safety and policing could or should look like. Some cities are discussing dramatically reducing the funding of police departments and distributing those funds to other kinds of public safety and support specialists. For example, someone suffering from domestic violence might call not the police, but specialists who handle domestic violence issues and can help them to achieve safety.
Before we get into the nuts and bolts of what that might look like, let's begin with: How do you feel?
Are you excited? Frightened? Confused? Angry? All of the above? Something else?
We're not going to argue with each other's emotions. We're just listening and taking a temperature check.
Before we get into the nuts and bolts of what that might look like, let's begin with: How do you feel?
Are you excited? Frightened? Confused? Angry? All of the above? Something else?
We're not going to argue with each other's emotions. We're just listening and taking a temperature check.
I am scared that things won't change - but I'd like them too. Even with my white privilege I have had terrible experiences with law enforcement in situations where it would have been better if they had not been the ones who were sent to the issue.
The several times my drunk mother was causing harm to me or herself on accident, police came and did nothing but scold me for calling them saying they could not do anything, and where very scary and hurtful to me as a young child. If instead there was some kind of 'team' that could actually handle and do something about that dispatched, things may have played out differently for my entire childhood, teen hood and have affected the struggles I still face as an adult.
The several times my drunk mother was causing harm to me or herself on accident, police came and did nothing but scold me for calling them saying they could not do anything, and where very scary and hurtful to me as a young child. If instead there was some kind of 'team' that could actually handle and do something about that dispatched, things may have played out differently for my entire childhood, teen hood and have affected the struggles I still face as an adult.
Gosh, I'm so sorry that you had those experiences. That sounds extremely traumatic.
I saw some interesting Twitter surveys asking people about their interactions with the police and the majority of responses seem to have been: they either didn't help or made the situation worse.
Our entire legal system is adversarial. Every single thing about it. As it is, victim support, community work, and healing are not functions that any arm of the legal system is capable of doing.
I'm also worried that things won't change enough. What we seem to need is a reframing of the entire court and criminal system, from written law to the beat cops. Sensitivity training can't fix this. But I am also hopeful.
I saw some interesting Twitter surveys asking people about their interactions with the police and the majority of responses seem to have been: they either didn't help or made the situation worse.
Our entire legal system is adversarial. Every single thing about it. As it is, victim support, community work, and healing are not functions that any arm of the legal system is capable of doing.
I'm also worried that things won't change enough. What we seem to need is a reframing of the entire court and criminal system, from written law to the beat cops. Sensitivity training can't fix this. But I am also hopeful.
Feeling...
Well, at first, I was sad for George Floyd but excited than everyone seemed to be on the same page for once. Everyone seemed to want to tackle police brutality.
I was like, "Great! Now they can finally pass some kind of real checks and balances that will prevent these things from happening."
The Democrats, Republicans, and American People all seemed to be on board.
Then, as both parties drafted anti-police-brutality bills in Congress, the protests started. I was excited about that, too.
I wanted to go to one, but couldn't, because I was needed at home.
My best friend and her children went to one and I was proud of them, and a little jealous.
Police were kneeling with protestors. Congressmen from different parties were saying the same words. It was exciting.
But not long after, the protests in my own city started turning violent after dark.
It was after most of the protestors had gone home.
Some businesses were looted, some people stood on the highways to block traffic, some fights broke out.
I wasn't scared or anything, I just figured that was some opportunism and wasn't associated with the message of most protestors.
But at that point, it became clear that going to the protests might be dangerous.
Then I read a first-hand account of my best friend's daughter, who had been to the protest in my hometown. I knew her view couldn't be influenced by media for any political reasons so I took it to heart. She said that it was a much more complicated situation that what is shown on social media or on the news. But I won't go into detail, because that's beyond the scope of discussion here.
Curfews were imposed, but violence kept happening night after night.
Most protestors left each night at curfew, but a relatively small group stayed behind, and some within that group went on a spree that was talked about on the morning newscasts.
At one point someone lit a fire inside the Walmart down the street.
I still wasn't scared at that point (not for my personal safety), but I was starting to feel bad for the small business owners that didn't have insurance.
However, I was encouraged when we saw footage on the news of people of all races and political persuasions meeting up to help small business owners sweep up the broken glass inside their shops, replace stolen items, sanitize, etc.
Then, on a night not long after that, I watched the local news while a group of protestors occupied a highway in downtown Dallas. It was like a standoff.
For hours, the police had been saying over the loudspeaker things like, "The curfew is in effect. Please disperse. All those who don't return to their cars will be arrested."
The police waited, and waited, and asked and tried to persuade, but the crowd remained. Then, at some point, someone in the crowd threw something that shattered the window of a police car parked on the bridge, and some others in the crowd threw things at police officers.
That's when Dallas PD released tear gas on the crowd and moved in and started arresting people.
Actually, they handcuffed them but never moved them anywhere, and finally let almost everyone leave.
The next day, I saw a headline that claimed Dallas police had herded and cornered peaceful protesters on the bridge with no way for them to escape, and then tear gassed them.
That made me mad, because I had watched the whole thing on live TV. The police were practically begging them to get off the bridge and go to their, for literally hours, and only responded after some of their officers were attacked.
That's the kind of stuff that made me start getting angry about the way some people were using this tragedy to divide us, instead of to push for actual change.
I also followed the development of the Seattle Capitol Hill "Autonomous Zone" in the news. (AKA The CHAZ or The C.H.O.P.)
I watched it go from a beautiful rally and mini think-tank, a second Woodstock, to an area full of chaos where shootings kept happening, and young black men kept getting injured and dying.
I listened to the police scanner recording of one of those shootings and, as far as I could tell, the police and fire department were trying their best to get to the victim and weren't allowed in.
There are conflicting accounts of what happened there.
But, regardless, I was very concerned about the idea of people setting up "no police" zones and then taking the law into their own hands. I was concerned that one could pop up here, or anywhere. From that point on, I remained concerned.
And frustrated, because neither police brutality bill was passed by Congress, because it became a political issue instead of a humanitarian and safety and sanity issue.
I'm concerned that we in America are SO divided that we can no longer see each other's points of view.
And frustrated. I think it's ridiculous that we can't get a something done that is so common sense as making sure police can get to the scenes of crimes while also not killing any of the suspects they have in custody. I think it's become a political football, and that is maddening.
Well, at first, I was sad for George Floyd but excited than everyone seemed to be on the same page for once. Everyone seemed to want to tackle police brutality.
I was like, "Great! Now they can finally pass some kind of real checks and balances that will prevent these things from happening."
The Democrats, Republicans, and American People all seemed to be on board.
Then, as both parties drafted anti-police-brutality bills in Congress, the protests started. I was excited about that, too.
I wanted to go to one, but couldn't, because I was needed at home.
My best friend and her children went to one and I was proud of them, and a little jealous.
Police were kneeling with protestors. Congressmen from different parties were saying the same words. It was exciting.
But not long after, the protests in my own city started turning violent after dark.
It was after most of the protestors had gone home.
Some businesses were looted, some people stood on the highways to block traffic, some fights broke out.
I wasn't scared or anything, I just figured that was some opportunism and wasn't associated with the message of most protestors.
But at that point, it became clear that going to the protests might be dangerous.
Then I read a first-hand account of my best friend's daughter, who had been to the protest in my hometown. I knew her view couldn't be influenced by media for any political reasons so I took it to heart. She said that it was a much more complicated situation that what is shown on social media or on the news. But I won't go into detail, because that's beyond the scope of discussion here.
Curfews were imposed, but violence kept happening night after night.
Most protestors left each night at curfew, but a relatively small group stayed behind, and some within that group went on a spree that was talked about on the morning newscasts.
At one point someone lit a fire inside the Walmart down the street.
I still wasn't scared at that point (not for my personal safety), but I was starting to feel bad for the small business owners that didn't have insurance.
However, I was encouraged when we saw footage on the news of people of all races and political persuasions meeting up to help small business owners sweep up the broken glass inside their shops, replace stolen items, sanitize, etc.
Then, on a night not long after that, I watched the local news while a group of protestors occupied a highway in downtown Dallas. It was like a standoff.
For hours, the police had been saying over the loudspeaker things like, "The curfew is in effect. Please disperse. All those who don't return to their cars will be arrested."
The police waited, and waited, and asked and tried to persuade, but the crowd remained. Then, at some point, someone in the crowd threw something that shattered the window of a police car parked on the bridge, and some others in the crowd threw things at police officers.
That's when Dallas PD released tear gas on the crowd and moved in and started arresting people.
Actually, they handcuffed them but never moved them anywhere, and finally let almost everyone leave.
The next day, I saw a headline that claimed Dallas police had herded and cornered peaceful protesters on the bridge with no way for them to escape, and then tear gassed them.
That made me mad, because I had watched the whole thing on live TV. The police were practically begging them to get off the bridge and go to their, for literally hours, and only responded after some of their officers were attacked.
That's the kind of stuff that made me start getting angry about the way some people were using this tragedy to divide us, instead of to push for actual change.
I also followed the development of the Seattle Capitol Hill "Autonomous Zone" in the news. (AKA The CHAZ or The C.H.O.P.)
I watched it go from a beautiful rally and mini think-tank, a second Woodstock, to an area full of chaos where shootings kept happening, and young black men kept getting injured and dying.
I listened to the police scanner recording of one of those shootings and, as far as I could tell, the police and fire department were trying their best to get to the victim and weren't allowed in.
There are conflicting accounts of what happened there.
But, regardless, I was very concerned about the idea of people setting up "no police" zones and then taking the law into their own hands. I was concerned that one could pop up here, or anywhere. From that point on, I remained concerned.
And frustrated, because neither police brutality bill was passed by Congress, because it became a political issue instead of a humanitarian and safety and sanity issue.
I'm concerned that we in America are SO divided that we can no longer see each other's points of view.
And frustrated. I think it's ridiculous that we can't get a something done that is so common sense as making sure police can get to the scenes of crimes while also not killing any of the suspects they have in custody. I think it's become a political football, and that is maddening.