For years Ive worked with many different groups fighting against police corruption, militarization, violence, and rights violations. Throughout those years it has been rare to see a broad, society wide understanding that there is a big problem. Cop watchers were criticized for filming the police, for teaching people their rights, and for standing in protest. There was always this concept that the problems were not systemic, but rather isolated and rare. The hard work of so many people dedicated to fighting for their neighbors has yielded a broader understanding and awareness, but with that comes discontent, with the discontent will come the need for change. What we are seeing now is a cultural tipping point. We are feeling the tremors that will preceed the eruption, feeling the tension start to release. Neighborhoods that have suffered in silence, feeling alone in their terror of those who are meant to protect are seeing others react and will be empowered by it. Where in the past we would see isolated skirmishes when a city had finally had enough we are now seeing the ripples of each action start to form waves. If you are of the mind that it is laws that allow for police brutality (it was cigarette taxes that put Garner in a position to have a run in with the police for example ) you obviously have never been profiled. You have obviously never been stopped for no other reason than to be harassed. The reality is that when there is a lack of a law to invoke to commit abuse, abuse will simply be invoked arbitrarily. The reality is (not that removing bad or excessive laws is a cause that lacks nobility) we are looking at the need to end an entire culture of abuse. There is no freedom in a society that tells us that a dead man should have just complied, that our lives hold no value unless we are willing to submit totally. There is no safety in a society that tells police that it is acceptable to skip all other means and just shoot dead an aggressive, but unarmed suspect. There can be no republic in a society that says a grand jury will nearly always hand down an indictment for non officers and nearly never for officers. The tipping point has been reached. Soon change will be inevitable and only the vehicle it takes will be the choice. I do not advocate for violence and make a plea to policy makers to do their duty and move swiftly and deliberately towards tearing down the institutionalized subjugation. I make this plea because its the path that would have the least resistance and would stem the flow into a productive, positive change. However, if civil change is made impossible, I fear violent attempts at change will continue to grow and spread. There is only so long people will tolerate being treated as a lesser, only so long they will tolerate being defenseless. Change is here, keep pushing, keep fighting, keep standing up, and keep shutting it down. There is an importance in our actions that will echo well beyond what we do here and a tone will be set by not only the change we achieve, but how we achieve it.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 01:29:54 +0000
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