Is it any wonder we all go back to complacency
It’s comfortable
Quiet
Peaceful
Stay in the bubble – wave to the people
Let life drift past
Today’s news never lasts
No matter
How
Shocking
It
Was
Last
Week
Uncategorized
Is it any wonder we all go back to complacency
It’s comfortable
Quiet
Peaceful
Stay in the bubble – wave to the people
Let life drift past
Today’s news never lasts
No matter
How
Shocking
It
Was
Last
Week
The deep stuff sticks, but it’s seldom what we see in mainstream media.
Because the media are all about sound bytes and popularity opinion or inflaming rather than informing – or so it would seem. I’ve thought so much about this (and read more than I can fully process) as usual it is a multifaceted problem that is trying to be distilled under one label – which keeps sliding off when we shine a light on it. I’m over writing about it for now I think. Back to simpler conundrums for awhile.
I don’t think it’s complacency. It’s that there really isn’t that much anyone can do. If we knew what to do, we’d do it! These issues are so politically manipulated, too–it’s being distorted by activists for politics and then what we MIGHT actually do gets drowned out in the propaganda. There is nobody I know of either party in this country (if that video turns out to be the whole story — and I still think one should not rush to judgment for anyone) who does not think this cop should be prosecuted. That includes even politicians on the right. (There is also this thing about them knowing one another and the other cops standing by that smacks of a cop on the take movie–could be much more behind this). Probably just imagination.
But the statistics, despite this terrible cop, and despite the possibility there could be more of them that should be weeded out — do not support that in America we have widespread genocide where white police officers are just murdering blacks in the street! In ACTUAL police encounters, half the people killed are white. But this kind of thing gets all the news as if it’s way more rampant.
So this is less about race and more about police tactics in general. And finding out how much this is going on. I think there IS a perception that black people are treated differently, though, and they certainly were treated poorly in the past. So that feeds into the problem. The perception itself is a problem even if it statistics don’t support it.
Some of the things they suggest could get a lot of good officers killed just because a few cops are bad. Like shooting them in the leg — if a perpetrator has a gun and is going to use it, that is not going to cut it. There are always improvements that can be made, but none of them will help if you have actual BAD cops–there will still be those few bad ones who won’t do what they are supposed to — and probably more dead good cops if you take away their tools. It’s the gun control argument — I guess you guys got rid of them in Australia. But it never makes sense to me that if you take all the guns from good people, there won’t still be a black market for criminals and no way to defend ourselves. Possibly fewer overall guns. But our second amendment was as much about preventing a tyrannical government as protecting us from one another. And too many ways criminals can get guns. Of course, we hunt up here in the U.P. And live with coyotes and wolves and bears. We all have guns. 🙂
It’s possible more police officers should be investigated more closely. But this kind of rioting and this kind of “activism” causes as many problems as it fixes. It would be different if these cops were not charged (and I don’t think that can be rushed, either). But they have been. And they will be.
There are no easy answers here and letting activists burn down our cities and kill good black officers isn’t a solution by any stretch. No outrage at all about killing that black police chief, filming it while nobody helped him. I’m curious. Do you hear about that stuff in Australia? Or does all the looting, burning and beatings, innocent deaths at the hands of these rioters get left out around the world?
One of the biggest things that could help is less union interference if they are getting a lot of complaints against an officer. Bad cops and bad teachers ought to be fired, but that rarely happens until they abuse a child or kill someone with excessive force. Maybe better police training, though again, how will that stop a really bad person? And does he represent all cops? Why are ALL policemen being lumped in with the actions of this one guy?
I like to think serial killers and child abusers of any color don’t represent me or all men? Do women who kill their children represent all women? It might be my responsibility to try to stop them, but do they represent most of us? No, I can’t believe that we are all that evil that we spawn people like this. This idea of collective guilt is just divisive. I think people are either mentally ill/have had terrible environments or are under enormous stress when they behave the way they do and that people are basically good, most of us.
It’s all so upsetting. I can’t believe I’ve written all this. I just had an argument with my best friend from high school a friend of 50 years because I was so angry she posted “If you are talking about HOW the protestors are behaving and not WHAt they are protesting, you are part of the problem.” SHE is the problem. Everybody we know agreed this guy was out of line and should be prosecuted. That was a given right out of the shoot–we were all on board and had no problem with peaceful protesting (again, if that video is the whole story we are on board–though I suspect his drug abuse, heart condition, and Covid-19 will end up contributing to his death once this gets to trial and it will be hard to prove what caused his death–even Ellison admits this)–there is nobody who isn’t behind prosecuting him here–but that does NOT justify killing innocent people and burning down cities.
I disconnected facebook today. I couldn’t take the hate on there anymore. No reason, all rush to judgment and blame. It’s so sad.
Hi Lynn thanks for your long reply – I like long replies.
You mention a lot of things here and how can you not? It’s, as you say- a multifaceted issue which people are trying to shove into a simple box called racism – it keeps popping out because that is not all that this is. Or that I can see anyway.
Wrecking other people’s property and destroying livelihoods, creating terror and fear is not right no matter the purported cause. If I apply that to me and my family, our business and had vigilantes wrecking everything and stealing what is not theirs? Absolutely wrong.
That isn’t the victims fault though and it is one injustice drowning out another. Two wrongs don’t make a right – it adds more fog to an already cloudy issue.
We don’t have guns here no. People can get a gun licence – my brothers all have them, they live on rural properties and need them. My younger son has one as he hunts. I believe Australia is better off without everyone carrying guns around (other than those who are licensed) because it means police aren’t constantly on edge when they pull someone over because that person might have a gun – it makes a big difference I believe in how they behave toward everyday people.
That said arseholes are everywhere and in every job and how they behave should not be a reflection on any particular department as a whole.
My dear friend who is white had a terrible experience with a male police man who pulled her over and found that her licence had expired , she had been having a lot of trouble and it was just an oversight but he was so vicious and mean, treated her like a criminal, threatened and abused her until she was left in tears and shaking.
All she had to do was go to the main roads department and renew a bit of paperwork. She later found out he had harassed a lot of women and obviously got off on the power play.
No a colour thing – this time it was a gender thing.
Bullying and hatred is terrible but it isn’t always racism – it’s just bullying and hatred. When that is combined with a gun and power..
So I take your point – one mans actions don’t denigrate the entire police force and while he should be personally held responsible and punished, and an enquire into procedure forthcoming….
Now I am writing too long a reply.
I think you got it right in the first sentence – we don’t know what to do, if we did we would do it.
Hopefully out of all this will come some clarity on what everyone can do going forward – to ensure these sorts of tragedies don’t occur.
Good idea to get off Facebook – don’t lose a good friend over this – it’s not worth it. there are enough divisions in the world already.
This is fantastic. Simple and poignant.
But, you might want to check, I think you have a typo in the second line.
Thankyou! I hate typos they really wreck the flow – so thanks for letting me know l, I appreciate it, all fixed. 😊
I hate finding them after I post or hit “send”. I always hope someone will let me know so I can fix them.
I don’t think I can edit my comment, but you may certainly delete it if you like.
All good thanks – think everyone makes mistakes and typos at some stage in the writing journey 😊
A lovely piece!!
Thanks
Very true, Kate. Am waiting patiently for the next big thing to explode. That is a really great image you came up with for this post.
It’s beautiful! Such joy and colour. Bubbles – we all have them.
As much as we want to go back to the norm, it’s still important to address major issues. Hopefully we can move forward with getting new changes to our system!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
I think so too Nancy – and the whole world is tired of the inability to effect real change – I look ahead and see my grandchildren dealing with these same problems if we don’t make a move to solve these issues.