Recent killings show that the police should be retrained as peace officers. They should defuse tense situations without killing anyone, and provide assistance to people in crisis. Smart phones have exposed outrageous actions and lies by some cops, yet the outrages still occur. Does a Black life really matter? Militarized police forces and mass incarceration look and feel like an occupying army. Trust in our police is low for many Americans, leading to calls for less funding.
Most police officers have been in the military, where they learned how to shoot, and kill. Some of them act like they are still in a war zone with their finger on the trigger. Our military is finally leaving Afghanistan after twenty futile years of shooting up villages, killing thousands of civilian men, women and children. America has a long history of killing civilians, from genocide of Native Americans to lynching of African Americans, from conquering the Philippines to the bombing of Vietnam, from Hiroshima to Fallujah. America should protect human rights and life, both here and overseas.
We must end our endless wars around the world, and bring our military and taxes home. Military and police forces are very expensive at a time of other pressing needs, like fighting the pandemic, mitigating climate calamities and funding the Green New Deal. Weapon makers can make bullet trains, electric trucks and batteries. Investing in quality education, mental health care and nice parks reduces crime rates faster and cheaper than do police and prisons. Communities should be empowered, and thus have effective oversight of their peace officers. Americans need to be kind with each other, and also be kind with the rest of humanity and with Mother Nature.
Great post Robert, I couldn’t agree more!
Yes! Yes! Yes! Police need retraining. Departments need to be refocused completely on “keeping the peace” in the way that all the great ethical teachings have told us. A
Thanks Nam! I agree, police should be peacekeepers and ethical in everything they do, held at a high level of expectation (like teachers, doctors, etc.).
Thanks Berkley!
Love it! Yes!!! Thank you!
Thanks Kim!
I like that going from police officer to peace officer, good idea. After all that is the job to “keep the peace.” Thanks.
Thanks!