Minneapolis Social Injustice and Related

[72gmc]

I learned about this report (MPD15: Overview) from the New Yorker. I'm still reading it, but so far I'm appreciating the approach: focus on community needs, and solve for needs rather than applying police to everything. Defund to fund, or re-fund, services that will help people.

[Clean39T]

Big question here: how do we defund and break up police unions without bringing on a "Blackwater" type private-sector solution?

I would think there is a right-wing, conservative opportunist plot already brewing in that direction.

It would be a further disaster for the private/charter- vs. public-school model to be brought to basic law and order in this country (not that it isn't already there to some extent in the prison industrial complex).

[Tom]

I can't imagine how you do it in a big city. Schenectady has reformed their department after a previous chief's regime was spectacularly bad. Imagine a police chief that was known for his taste for white powder through his rise in the ranks. His wife was a dealer... and the chief was finally heard on a wiretap promising protection for a courier. His officers were known for partying with prostitutes and beating up women in bars if they rebuffed their advances. At some point even the unions say enough is enough, but this is just a small town and you don't have as many layers of management to work down through to clean things up and as many guys that need to be fired.

[caleb]

focus on community needs, and solve for needs rather than applying police to everything. Defund to fund, or re-fund, services that will help people.

It all makes perfect sense to a citizen who wants to live in a good community.

It only becomes problematic when you introduce the interested parties who are used to treating that nearly $200m budget as a personal pork barrel, and a general public with only lightly repressed authoritarian tendencies that largely views the police force as "the right sort of people" to be lavished with public largess, and social workers and mental health professionals as questionable stewards of those resources, training and all results be damned.

[theflashunc]

It all makes perfect sense to a citizen who wants to live in a good community.

It only becomes problematic when you introduce the interested parties who are used to treating that nearly $200m budget as a personal pork barrel, and a general public with only lightly repressed authoritarian tendencies that largely views the police force as "the right sort of people" to be lavished with public largess, and social workers and mental health professionals as questionable stewards of those resources, training and all results be damned.

The protests in both volume and size would indicate the number of citizens who find police forces as "the right sort of people" is shrinking.

[gregl]

The protests in both volume and size would indicate the number of citizens who find police forces as "the right sort of people" is shrinking.

Unfortunately, there's still enough of the "wrong sort of people" in this country. These counter-protesters were in a small, central NY town over the weekend:Tegan Viscosi - Tegan Viscosi added a new photo. | Facebook. Racism is alive and well, even in a blue state. It will take years to fix this mess. For those of us who want a fair, just world, the battle is far from over.
Greg

[beeatnik]

The protests in both volume and size would indicate the number of citizens who find police forces as "the right sort of people" is shrinking.

yougov.jpg

https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/s23agrrx..._crosstabs.pdf

How The Police See Issues Of Race And Policing | FiveThirtyEight

[Matthew Strongin]

Levi Ayala Went to Watch History at an Austin Protest and Instead Became a Tragic Part of It – Texas Monthly

I welled up with rage reading this. Why does it take events like this for police to question their tactics. Why does this need to happen for police to realize that shooting a kid in the face while he's standing alone with a bean bag projectile is dangerous and cruel. Why does it take George Floyd being murdered on camera and protests around the country for some police forces to admit that chokeholds are dangerous and cruel. Why is it that so many of us are able to project outcomes and make good, kind decisions, yet so many police seem to be incapable of compassion, empathy or forethought.

I don't actually expect answers, but those these fuckers need to be held to account.

[GrantM]

Not sure how i feel about this. It seems like circular firing squad, targeting bikes as a problem.
Strike me as activism misplaced, kind of like going after Giro when anti-NRA organizations wanted to defund them.

-g

Trek Urged To Divest From Police Business After Bicycles Used Against Black Lives Matter Protestors

[e-RICHIE]

Not sure how i feel about this. It seems like circular firing squad, targeting bikes as a problem.
Strike me as activism misplaced, kind of like going after Giro when anti-NRA organizations wanted to defund them.

-g

Trek Urged To Divest From Police Business After Bicycles Used Against Black Lives Matter Protestors

I’m less convinced. Trek is Trek. Giro (I’m a loyal client and user) was an unwitting byproduct of that other news story. Giro itself didn’t choose to be in that mess. I sided with Giro, and am glad I did.

[ides1056]

"You are lucky what we are looking for is equality and not revenge."

[jclay]

"You are lucky what we are looking for is equality and not revenge."

I thought it was an outstanding show; every white person should have to watch it...not that many who need to understand, would. And yes indeed; I marvel, and am grateful, that revenge didn't start ages ago, particularly given the ocean of weapons in which this country swims.

If I was part of a black family who'd, on the heels of all that's occurred to black folks over the past few centuries, had a member killed unjustly by police I'd feel pretty much like this.

102943784_654887245067355_4956348977296462987_n.jpg

[zachateseverything]

I welled up with rage reading this. Why does it take events like this for police to question their tactics. Why does this need to happen for police to realize that shooting a kid in the face while he's standing alone with a bean bag projectile is dangerous and cruel. Why does it take George Floyd being murdered on camera and protests around the country for some police forces to admit that chokeholds are dangerous and cruel. Why is it that so many of us are able to project outcomes and make good, kind decisions, yet so many police seem to be incapable of compassion, empathy or forethought.

I don't actually expect answers, but those these fuckers need to be held to account.

There's also this: Videos Show Minneapolis Cops Slashing Tires Of Medical Workers, Media And Protesters

I know a certain segment of the population cares more about property damage than they do people being hurt or killed. but then why are they so quiet about this kind of petty vandalism?

[Sbti]

Scum lawyer for one of the ex-cops blames bystanders for not stepping in to stop the murder. Oh, yes, that would have worked out well.

[Sbti]

Agent Orange says the old guy pushed by cops was all part of an antifa "set-up.

[Matthew Strongin]

There's also this: Videos Show Minneapolis Cops Slashing Tires Of Medical Workers, Media And Protesters

I know a certain segment of the population cares more about property damage than they do people being hurt or killed. but then why are they so quiet about this kind of petty vandalism?

Petulant children.

[theflashunc]

And this is why James Mattis sucks. Speak your truth James, especially about things as fundamental as the security of the republic. The guy who was Secretary of Defense as recently at, what, 18 months ago is saying the President is a fascist. Why he's not being more open about this criticism and others aren't being taken to task for it boggle my mind.

Last week, Trump’s former defense secretary James Mattis released a blistering statement criticizing Trump’s use of military force to clear peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square so Trump could stage a photo op outside of a church. Mattis had agonized for months about whether to speak out, a person close to him told me. Mattis told people that Trump is a “proto-neofascist” but Mattis worried it would politicize the military if he denounced Trump. “Mattis’s thinking was, you can’t involve the military in politics, plus Trump could go haywire,” said the source. But Lafayette Square changed his thinking.

“Malignantly Crazy” About Bad Poll Numbers, Trump Is Thinking of Replacing Jared Kushner | Vanity Fair

[72gmc]

"...you can't involve the military in politics"?

I'm idealistic and even I recognize that as an unrealistic statement. We need people in these positions who have the guts to throw sand in the gears when their expertise tells them things are wrong.

[davids]

I just watched this on another website and was about to share it here.

I strongly, strongly, strongly recommend each and every one of us white guys shut up and listen to her. Her argument is reasonable, she is logical and she is absolutely righteously furious.

[bcm119]

well it seems us liberals have coined yet another catch phrase that doesn't mean what it sounds like it means: "defund the police!". Another phrase for which the meaning will be debated and twisted by the right and used against the dems in November. Another phrase like "free college!" or "tax the rich!" which implies the very most extreme meaning while not actually meaning that at all, depending on who you ask. Maybe we should focus on catch phrases that explicitly imply realistic and attainable goals for political change. Phrases like "demilitarize the police", or "publicly funded college", or "tax excess wealth" come to mind. But we've got an election to lose in November so it's no surprise.