Ongoing U.S Police Brutality and Corruption Discussion Thread

The police in many areas tend to be overwhelmingly from the same right-wing middle class base that buys into and promotes the images of all black men as "thugs" that in turn help these cops become so shook and hateful that they can murder during a routine traffic stop where there is no actual danger to them. They practice apologetics for each other and come from communities that further apologize for them and reinforce their hate. The hemming and hawing is just the uncomfortable cpublic face of privately believing these cops most likely did the right thing.

Although I think it's also true that this mentality probably subdues some cops who might otherwise think the shootings are wrong into keeping quiet.

yeah i think you're right on both counts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gO8loTTJms

fwiw it's never a bad time to take a look at the policy platform and legislative information promoted here:
http://www.joincampaignzero.org/#vision

there's a gofundme for the family

https://www.gofundme.com/castilevalerie

cool to see sean daley (aka slug from atmosphere) put down $500

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hmmmm shit i hope that wasn't someone scamming....

There was briefly a message up about them having had some trouble setting it up and there having been another page. Possible there was duplication, or maybe one of them was fake, IDK.

From one of our best friends:

Since school has let out, when I see pre-teen/teenage black boys grouped together in (our progressive neighborhood) doing absolutely nothing but enjoying each other's company, I get knots in my stomach, and think, I must keep (redacted) busy at that age. Why? Because my heart feels that hanging out with your friends in a group is not a safe situation for black boys, even in my area. Then listening to the MN woman, and hearing their little girl tell her, '...it's okay mommy, I'm right here...' nearly broke my heart. I've been wondering when to start teaching Thomas that in five years, definitely in ten, he won't be looked at as cute and innocent. Starting today, to a child that never has experienced racism directly, at least that I know of, I will start ingraining in his mind the fine lines he must walk because of his heritage, which unfortunately, extends far beyond law enforcement. But with the police, no matter what the situation, even a 'routine' traffic stop, he can never trust a police officer, he must always be on guard, and never think a situation will end where he will walk away physically (and emotionally) okay...only because of the color of his beautiful, brown skin. (redacted) is only 7, but right now, he hangs on to every single word I say, and takes it to heart. I thought I had more time...but I have to start now. This angers me to tears.

Minnesota fucking Nice.

I would move to all this Reykjavík, why because it look intersting.

I feel like however far away we are from genuine police reform, this is one of the rare areas where social media seems to have performed a valuable civic function insofar as it has expanded the awareness, general level of coverage, and moral outrage over a critical issue that was previously dismissed, marginalized or otherwise ignored. Obviously cops in America have been killing black people for as long as there have been cops in America, but the degree and scale of it was not previously apparent to a lot of (mostly white) people, and now it's something that confronts presidential candidates of major political parties. At some point, god willing, this is going to turn into actual political action.

http://www.justiceinpolicing.com/policy-reforms/

shakey <3

Guy in Iceland: Dear United States, please demilitarise your police. They are making you less secure, and making your society appear barbaric and hopeless.

Me: Dear Iceland, we're working on it -- it's deeply entrenched -- and will let you know when we've made progress. Thanks.

Icelandic dude: Dear United States, we know you're doing your best. We've got your back. Let us know if we can help.

Burn. :(

also: "appear"

this motherfuking narrative i'm seeing go around right now comparing this shit to black on black crimes in the inner cities is disgusting . bout to lose it atm!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CmyjbeCXEAA8grR.jpg

Dixit Beyoncé.

Icelandic dude: Dear United States, we know you're doing your best. We've got your back. Let us know if we can help.

Burn. :(

― augh (Control Z)

so would that be an... ice burn?

I've never seen Obama look so dejected.

From one of our best friends:

Since school has let out, when I see pre-teen/teenage black boys grouped together in (our progressive neighborhood) doing absolutely nothing but enjoying each other's company, I get knots in my stomach, and think, I must keep (redacted) busy at that age. Why? Because my heart feels that hanging out with your friends in a group is not a safe situation for black boys, even in my area. Then listening to the MN woman, and hearing their little girl tell her, '...it's okay mommy, I'm right here...' nearly broke my heart. I've been wondering when to start teaching Thomas that in five years, definitely in ten, he won't be looked at as cute and innocent. Starting today, to a child that never has experienced racism directly, at least that I know of, I will start ingraining in his mind the fine lines he must walk because of his heritage, which unfortunately, extends far beyond law enforcement. But with the police, no matter what the situation, even a 'routine' traffic stop, he can never trust a police officer, he must always be on guard, and never think a situation will end where he will walk away physically (and emotionally) okay...only because of the color of his beautiful, brown skin. (redacted) is only 7, but right now, he hangs on to every single word I say, and takes it to heart. I thought I had more time...but I have to start now. This angers me to tears.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 7 July 2016 19:03 (4 hours ago) Permalink

This takes me back to talks my mother had with me growing up, and makes me realize that it's gonna be time to have a similar discussion with my own son soon. My talk with him may need to be more intense as a result of recent events. I pray the talk HE has with his children (if he has them) someday can be as mild and insinuative as my mother talk with me was.

Man, the cycles. They don't stop.

Obama's comments that I read (what was posted to his Facebook page anyway) was disappointingly milquetoast.

reports on twitter of two police shot, by someone with a rifle, after the protests in dallas had ended : /

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20160707-shots-fired-during-downtown-dallas-rally-2-officers-reportedly-injured.ece?hootPostID=ca83751d11f2a214e8fdaf224a07ab3f

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdyYjuavxWE

3 officers dead, 3 in critical condition, two in surgery ....

Two snipers...from elevated positions... No suspects in custody

Fucking hell

Shot by snipers. Very strange

ah xp

what can you say? seems like nothing has changed since ferguson. shakey is 100% otm about Black Lives Matter being the only impactful social movement to come out of the social media era. but this shooting is inevitably going to pivot the national conversation to some Blue Lives Matter shit. just miserable

well, we can always pray that it's a wingnut provocateur.

that video is insane

xp

no I think it's Dan's Option #2 starting to play out, people just can't take this shit any more and it's war, fuck the pigs

I sincerely hope that it works out better than he speculated in his original post if that's what's happening here

could be some wingnut dumbass, for sure, I guess I hope so?

2. There is a violent uprising against municipal and state police forces, incurring large casualties on both sides and triggering a response from the state/federal level that fundamentally changes the way policing works in this country. I do not predict that any changes from this admittedly unlikely scenario would go well for victims.

― volumetric god rays (DJP), Wednesday, July 6, 2016 5:15 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

so about that o_O

Snipers shooting at cops at a protest - someone definitely wants to start some shit.

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

jesus christ

police chief says they think there might be a bomb in play. they are calling in federals apparently

but who fucking knows

This seems pretty well organized to just pop up literally a day after these shootings

people have so much lying around though

feel like there's going to be further clampdowns on people's right to protest now

Could be the motivation behind a right wing or govt or police affiliated provocateur - not to get the tinfoil out, but anything seems possible. the timing of this all is insane

Yah I was wondering that, but didnt want to sound all grassy knoll

i mean, it is Dallas!

a 4th officer has died

if these ppl hit 10 cops and no one else in that crowd they r prob very good at sniping this is bizarre and terrible

meanwhile the cops put out a picture of a black guy at the rally open carrying a rifle as a person of interest and it took twitter like 90 seconds to find footage of him innocently standing in the crowd during the shooting

Yes, that's a life ruiner. Apparently the guy was a speaker at the rally and this being Texas open carry of rifles has always been legal and open carry of anything newly legal.

Dallas also has an active New Black Panther group that's been armed at more than one protest, not that I'd expect many of the people on Twitter to know that though maybe someone at DPD should have.

This whole thing is happening about 3 blocks away from Dealey Plaza.