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  1. You must read the article before you can comment on it.
    • bill
      Top reader of all time
      2 years ago

      I read this a few days ago and didn't post it. Now I think I want it to win AOTD, but just because it's a topic worth talking about.

      As far as being liars overall, my gut is that cops aren’t any worse than the rest of us: doctors, lawyers, teachers, all of corporate America, etc. And I’m skeptical of articles that incite anger or fear.

      Cops exist within a broken system (don’t we all?) and have to wrestle with all of their acknowledged and unacknowledged racism (don’t we all?)

      I’d love to see major budget cuts to police departments, 50% or more, and take half of their weapons away, effective immediately. I'm not sure if articles like this help further that cause.

      After a cursory glance, it looks like the “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act” covers court procedures and communications, data collection, police trainings, stuff like that. Nothing to do with budget cuts or shrinking the overall size and presence of law enforcement in America. At least the right can admit that they don't want to defund the police. The left just seems good at pretending like they want decreased police presence, but not where and when it counts.

      • Alexa2 years ago

        Cops exist within a broken system

        yes, omg yes. nailed it, and I feel like you really took the hesitancy out of me going too far on my comment, I don't want to get into a "not all cops" moment, but I get that not all of them. But seriously, no more wartime grade weapons.

        Thanks for letting me swoop in and post it, I do hope it AOTDs, and I was hesitant wondering...is this too intense? but also, i read it, so wtf, I trust this community to never flay me at the stake. its not twitter, after all.

        • bill
          Top reader of all time
          2 years ago

          Yessss. If in doubt - post! That's obviously the move. Because, as you said: wtf, you read it. Lol. Posting kicks off a conversation, which is the point. And yeah, we don't flay each other around here. Dunks aren't all that satisfying anyway.

      • DellwoodBarker2 years ago

        🆙 🧬🔮⚖️One of A Trilogy of Excellent RU Articles regarding Policing ATM ⚖️🔮🧬🆙

    • DellwoodBarker2 years ago

      The big lie is about the compatibility of police power and the sovereignty of everyday people. As the essayist Mark Greif writes, police have “no intelligible place in the philosophy of democracy.” The lie is that the discretionary despotism of policing necessarily protects and serves the people.

      Rebutting the political claim that police protect and serve, activists offer a different political claim. It may not yet be a reality, but neither is the police claim. It is an abolitionist argument: We, not police, keep each other safe.

      Interesting to read some of the more extreme position here for abolishing police compared to the more balanced view of training diverse teams of police to drive with qualified mental health workers to create less traumatic experiences. I think I am more in favor of the more balanced approach with baby steps towards re-imagining police in a more creative and innovative capacity. I sense that pulling the police carpet out from under society in a quick haste would cause a lot of chaos. However, I hugely favor individual autonomy and giving people power back which is more like a Wild West scenario I suppose.

      Overall, we need to see changes and the baby steps of police depts starting from scratch and riding with mental health workers feel like steps in the right direction. Next, let’s add some color and fashion to their uniforms and police cars and police stations. 😉🌈

      • Alexa2 years ago

        yess, i feel like it needs a zoom out where we ask "what's it for" and go from there, because if its for safety thats a different approach, for mental health and helping the downtrodden, a diffo approach, and if its for something else, again thats a different approach.

        Dig your comment

    • Pegeen
      Top reader this weekReading streakScoutScribe
      2 years ago

      A huge problem. I posted an article about how Camden, NJ completely fired their department and started over. Things HAVE to change. I see strict educational standards/requirements as part of that change. Focus more on community development skills. There has to be better relationships between the police and communities they are meant to serve - more trust and communication. Everyone is traumatized at his point.

    • Alexa2 years ago

      whoa, especially surprised by the stats on dangerous jobs. farming falling in at #7, yeehaw.

      very strong position for this one, but a lot is worth exploring.

      The core of policing is not safety. It is social control. All the other lies obfuscate this function.