RE: In the Line of Duty
May 13, 2015 at 1:33 pm
(This post was last modified: May 13, 2015 at 1:57 pm by nihilistcat.)
It's not really "cops" per se (cops don't formulate public policy, they don't fund or equip themselves, they don't hire themselves, they don't decide whether or not to prosecute themselves, and they don't even have very much input into the procedures governing their own job). It's THE WHOLE DAMN SYSTEM.
Sure, there's racist cops, stupid cops, incompetent cops, etc. (the same deficiencies we see in the general population). But the real problem is the system. Without a political realignment, a reconfiguration of government towards a participatory system of democracy, where local communities have a real ability to influence the public policies that affect their day to day lives, it won't matter how many video camera lapels we pin on police uniforms, people of color in urban communities (and other marginalized/disenfranchised groups) will always view police as more analogous to an occupying army rather than a police force designed to serve and protect their communities. I should note ... I'm not saying video lapels are a bad thing (studies show that they do reduce incidents of police violence), or we shouldn't demand justice when police actually break the law. But unlawful misconduct is not the only problem, in fact, it may not even be the primary problem. It's the laws and policies themselves that are the problem, and the configuration of the system that creates those laws and policies.
Our system has simply become too detached from the people in whose name it serves. Power has been slowly sucked away from communities, and our political system has become overly centralized. Combined with increasing amounts of money swirling around our government, and we find ourselves in a situation where people have been virtually removed from the equation. This affects all Americans, but it's most acutely felt by more vulnerable communities.
Sure, there's racist cops, stupid cops, incompetent cops, etc. (the same deficiencies we see in the general population). But the real problem is the system. Without a political realignment, a reconfiguration of government towards a participatory system of democracy, where local communities have a real ability to influence the public policies that affect their day to day lives, it won't matter how many video camera lapels we pin on police uniforms, people of color in urban communities (and other marginalized/disenfranchised groups) will always view police as more analogous to an occupying army rather than a police force designed to serve and protect their communities. I should note ... I'm not saying video lapels are a bad thing (studies show that they do reduce incidents of police violence), or we shouldn't demand justice when police actually break the law. But unlawful misconduct is not the only problem, in fact, it may not even be the primary problem. It's the laws and policies themselves that are the problem, and the configuration of the system that creates those laws and policies.
Our system has simply become too detached from the people in whose name it serves. Power has been slowly sucked away from communities, and our political system has become overly centralized. Combined with increasing amounts of money swirling around our government, and we find ourselves in a situation where people have been virtually removed from the equation. This affects all Americans, but it's most acutely felt by more vulnerable communities.
