Thank you for this article. “Safety” for all can be improved by providing services that help people feel safe- a living wage, healthcare system that helps people live well-physically and mentally, and having accountability under the law applied fairly.
The police force exists to protect the property of the very rich and has, almost since it’s inception, in its foundations of those who hunted runaway slaves. And when slavery got “abolished” their job became to fill the industrial prison system, which is an echo of slavery.
Typical - a proven alternative to sending armed officers to every 911 call, reduces violence and death, better outcomes, but they continue to more heavily finance the armed police option rather than the alternative that has been proven to have been more effective, less deadly and less costly! Just bloody brilliant! NOT! 🇨🇦
One thing not addressed here: since SCOTUS has repeatedly declared “no constitutional duty to protect”, isn’t it Congress’s responsibility to fill that gap with laws *requiring* police to protect? Is that even possible? (Not with *this* Congress, I assume, but in future?)
The legal arrangement is almost impossible to defend: police may have no constitutional duty to protect you, yet they retain extraordinary authority to stop you, restrain you, enter your home, and kill you. That is not a social contract. It is power without a matching obligation. Anthoneil called for help and encountered an institution trained to interpret distress as danger and fear as permission. We keep measuring public safety by how many armed officers arrive, rather than by how many frightened people survive the encounter. Perhaps the first question behind every police budget should be painfully simple: protected whom, from what, and at whose expense?
I hate to say it but the current Supreme Court is quite comparable to the 1857 Supreme Court of Chief Justice Roger Taney which ruled that Dred Scott, an enslaved black individual who traveled north with his enslaver was not really a free man although he then lived in a free state.
I was going to say the same. The “defund…” is a trigger that shuts down rational thought. A member of the new socialist party interviewed the other day said that and even I felt triggered. Reallocate funds, maybe? There needs to be a way to make this happen. Clearly it would save lives.
Policing in its infancy was established by Sir Robert Peel, to protect the property rights of middle and upperclass people from the plague of house breaking and thievery in England urban areas. Thief takers or "Peelers" were basically employed by magistrates to prevent and punish these early 18th century outlaws. It was all about "Property"
I find it hard to believe that modern policing, despite its almost universal advertising, of protect and serve, are not legally responsible for preventing/capturing those who perpetrate violence against other people. No wonder the USofA is fixated on personal protection through gun ownership. Are police in Europe and other egions sworn to protect the public? Or does every police fore in the world evade that responsibility. I wonder that assaults and murders of humans are ever solved. I also wonder it this ancient discrimination is why police and courts do such an abysmal job of prevention.
"Robb Elementary had 576 students—and 84% were economically disadvantaged. We painfully recall how 19 students were murdered, 17 more suffered bullet wounds, and 538 are emotionally scarred the rest of their lives."
the things we just don't know.. is really quite astounding.. like the depths of what we are told and led to believe police are for and what they are actually doing... the more we peel back this sytem the more we realise it was never in our favour
Thank you for this article. “Safety” for all can be improved by providing services that help people feel safe- a living wage, healthcare system that helps people live well-physically and mentally, and having accountability under the law applied fairly.
The police force exists to protect the property of the very rich and has, almost since it’s inception, in its foundations of those who hunted runaway slaves. And when slavery got “abolished” their job became to fill the industrial prison system, which is an echo of slavery.
We are a heartless, soulless people, governed by zombies.
Typical - a proven alternative to sending armed officers to every 911 call, reduces violence and death, better outcomes, but they continue to more heavily finance the armed police option rather than the alternative that has been proven to have been more effective, less deadly and less costly! Just bloody brilliant! NOT! 🇨🇦
Since the police don't protect us, and are themselves often protected from accountability for their actions, what exactly are we paying them for?
One thing not addressed here: since SCOTUS has repeatedly declared “no constitutional duty to protect”, isn’t it Congress’s responsibility to fill that gap with laws *requiring* police to protect? Is that even possible? (Not with *this* Congress, I assume, but in future?)
I'd like to add that a person is required to perform more schooling hours to become a licensed hair stylist than a police officer.
The legal arrangement is almost impossible to defend: police may have no constitutional duty to protect you, yet they retain extraordinary authority to stop you, restrain you, enter your home, and kill you. That is not a social contract. It is power without a matching obligation. Anthoneil called for help and encountered an institution trained to interpret distress as danger and fear as permission. We keep measuring public safety by how many armed officers arrive, rather than by how many frightened people survive the encounter. Perhaps the first question behind every police budget should be painfully simple: protected whom, from what, and at whose expense?
I hate to say it but the current Supreme Court is quite comparable to the 1857 Supreme Court of Chief Justice Roger Taney which ruled that Dred Scott, an enslaved black individual who traveled north with his enslaver was not really a free man although he then lived in a free state.
Thank you for this clear statement. Whoever came up with the phrase "defund the police" ought to be fired because it exacerbates the misunderstanding!
Can someone come up with a better phrase we could start talking about?
I was going to say the same. The “defund…” is a trigger that shuts down rational thought. A member of the new socialist party interviewed the other day said that and even I felt triggered. Reallocate funds, maybe? There needs to be a way to make this happen. Clearly it would save lives.
Thank you for this timely article (as a resident of Madison WI) who has to try to make sense of yet another senseless police execution.
Policing in its infancy was established by Sir Robert Peel, to protect the property rights of middle and upperclass people from the plague of house breaking and thievery in England urban areas. Thief takers or "Peelers" were basically employed by magistrates to prevent and punish these early 18th century outlaws. It was all about "Property"
I find it hard to believe that modern policing, despite its almost universal advertising, of protect and serve, are not legally responsible for preventing/capturing those who perpetrate violence against other people. No wonder the USofA is fixated on personal protection through gun ownership. Are police in Europe and other egions sworn to protect the public? Or does every police fore in the world evade that responsibility. I wonder that assaults and murders of humans are ever solved. I also wonder it this ancient discrimination is why police and courts do such an abysmal job of prevention.
"Robb Elementary had 576 students—and 84% were economically disadvantaged. We painfully recall how 19 students were murdered, 17 more suffered bullet wounds, and 538 are emotionally scarred the rest of their lives."
You mean 540 are emotionally scarred.
Dude what!? He's only a kid! What's the matter with these lunatics!?
Horrific and tragic. Thank you for bringing this to light.
the things we just don't know.. is really quite astounding.. like the depths of what we are told and led to believe police are for and what they are actually doing... the more we peel back this sytem the more we realise it was never in our favour