Change
George Floyd was buried this week amid bowed heads, signs of the cross, or raised fists. The protests have continued. If we say it loud enough and long enough, with or without violence, we can make it better. Just tell us to be better and, with enough people behind it, we will.
Oh, we do need to change. We do need to realize that people are people and people have value and skin color or gender or economic status or weight or ... whatever does not diminish that value. Well, except for birth status. If you haven't passed through the magical birth canal, you only have the value placed on you by your mother. But otherwise .... But I digress. We need to change as a human race. Unfortunately protests, laws, and removal of statues won't do it. But who's going to tell them? We're gonna need a Bigger voice.
Cultural Appropriation
Democrats in Congress knelt for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to recognize George Floyd. Some of them did it in Kente cloth in solidarity for African Americans ... or "cultural appropriation" if we apply current standard terminology. Oh, sorry, that's only for the Right.
Defund, Not Abolish
That's what Kamala Harris is saying. Saying that defunding the police is the same as abolishing police is "Creating fear where none is necessary." Except that's what the protestors called for in Minneapolis. "We don't want no police in our neighborhoods." That is abolishment. Now, of course, maybe it's time to eliminate police. You can argue that. But if we don't fund it, it won't be. Defunding is aiming at abolishment. If that's your argument, defend it. Don't argue conflicting ideas.
(CNN had an article defending abolishing police departments by giving examples of cities that have. Unfortunately, they didn't actual disband them. They reconfigured them. Not the same thing.)
(If you have any doubts whether or not the plan is to abolish cops, I think it's abundantly clear in this story and this one, too. Doubt it if you want, but Cops and Live PD have been canceled in the wake of the Floyd protests. See?) (Yes, that was intended as humor. I think it's clear, however, that the national bent is leaning toward "Blue Lives do not matter.")
No Greater Faith
I know we have a problem. Racism reigns (among all sorts of other "ism" evils). I wouldn't even begin to try to deny it. (I would deny it's a "white people" thing. It is a human thing.) George Floyd's death was unnecessary and unjust and the law must be followed. It's easy to see the shared outrage across the world. But the question I've been asking is "What do we want?" What do the protesters want to be done? Now I have an answer. George Floyd's younger brother told the House Judiciary Committee, "Do the right thing." So, apparently, the solution to a few bad cops is new and improved laws. If Congress can pass a Justice in Policing Act, white people will no longer be racist, cops will no longer break laws or kill people, and Rodney King's dream will finally be fulfilled -- we can all just get along. I guess I'm just not that kind of optimistic about Congress, racists, or legal solutions to a problem of the human heart. Am I opposed to new laws? Of course not. I just don't anticipate that they will be a solution, that they will make things right.
A Better World ... Can You Say "Anarchy"?
Protesters in Seattle, Baltimore, Denver, and, of course, Minneapolis are all demanding "no police" and expect, in some cases, the mayors to resign if they don't comply. Others, like Los Angeles and New York City are cutting funds to police and investing that money in minority programs, but many want a world without cops. Are you ready for a society without law enforcement? Lots of people seem to be.
Feel Good Story of the Week
An Italian woman underwent open brain surgery. It lasted less than an hour and while they were doing it, she prepared 90 "Ascoli-style" olives. Making good use of her time. (Actually to monitor her during the brain surgery, but you have to admit ...)
Finally
A couple of stories left.
Ridiculous claims have been silenced once again for good and all. They've pulled Bibles from the shelves for claiming we're all one race and made in the image of God. Racist!
We're all delighted, I'm sure, at the news that they finally put down McGruff the Crime Dog in the growing anti-police tide. They debated putting him out on a farm, but that would have cost money and "defunding police" is the aim, right?
Must be true; I read it on the Internet.
3 comments:
When I heard that they wanted to refund or abolish police, my first thought was, "What about the argument against guns that you don't need one because that's what the police are for?" You can't have it both ways. I don't deny that the police force needs a change, but without them, I'll be keeping my guns even closer, thank you very much.
Pssst! I think you meant "defund," not "refund."
At least part of the problem with "defund the polilce" is that it's a hashtag that means whatever any particular individual wants it to mean in any circumstance. To some, it clearly means "abolish", to some it means "reform". The bigger issue is one of messaging and of what the actual plan is going to look like.
Post a Comment