General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSenator Bernie Sanders has something to say:
The violence that killed Alton Sterling and Philando Castile has become an all too common occurrence for people of color and IT. MUST. STOP. Today African-Americans are almost four times as likely to experience the use of force during encounters with the police. We need real criminal justice reform so that people can walk down the street without worrying about whether they'll get harassed or shot. As South Carolina Rep. Wendell Gilliard proclaimed: "Enough is enough of our police officers targeting people of color." #PhilandoCastille #AltonSterling
He also posted: "Your constitutional rights dont depend on your race, gender, religion, sexuality or income. I cant believe we still need to say that."
Thank you Sen. Sanders.
Gamecock Lefty
(700 posts). . . we're not getting numb by all this. I mean, this crap is happening seemingly everywhere now. What the freaking hell is going on???
Is "I Feared for My Life" the new 'Get Out of Jail Free' card???
KeepItReal
(7,769 posts)Who was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
yurbud
(39,405 posts)prison for the cops that do this.
There must be some way to do better screening of cops for racist and violent tendencies, and making sure a cop fired for such things from one department doesn't get a police job elsewhere.
Fast Walker 52
(7,723 posts)It's so depressing and seems hopeless.
KeepItReal
(7,769 posts)Localities are too conflicted to provide unbiased and fair investigation and prosecutions (if warranted).
StrictlyRockers
(3,855 posts)All too often it seems that the system protects those in authority who screw up, no matter how bad the crime.
I remember history. I remember Malcolm X calling for defending themselves by any means necessary. That's a long history of this. Four hundred years?
Chan790
(20,176 posts)1.) That's too damned many. Even if 900+ of them were easily justifiable shootings based on observable circumstances, that's too many to be acceptable. There is a problem there, of many causes, that needs to be addressed to reduce the number of incidents that result in the use of force. (I'd really like LEO input on that, as well...I hold to the belief that most LEOs are good people and the few bad apples cause virtually all the problems and make the job harder for the majority.)
2.) That's a lot of investigations to put on the FBI and I feel they might be better initially-investigated at the statewide (not local!) level with Federal agencies reserving the right to assert jurisdiction.
MisterFred
(525 posts)A white woman a few seats away from me was describing being harassed by the cops for not leaving a park quickly enough after watching fireworks. Apparently she and her friends were waiting for traffic to die down and the cop was very rude in getting them to leave.
A few seats away a black man was listening to her describe her irritation at the cop to her seatmates. I didn't talk to him, but in my opinion his reaction seemed to be "mmm, so they're rude to you too" and "you got off easy and don't even know it".
Iggo
(47,552 posts)arcane1
(38,613 posts)herding cats
(19,564 posts)Some people just enjoyed pretending it wasn't taking place near them. Now, with social media and cellphones, they can't just keep pretending it's not taking place near them, too.
Uncle Joe
(58,361 posts)Thanks for the thread, KeepItReal.
KeepItReal
(7,769 posts)I wish these OPs were not necessary.
Buddyblazon
(3,014 posts)Everybody just has video cameras in their pockets now.
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)Thank goodness. The only way for citizens to begin seeing the reality.
Crappy reality
RoccoR5955
(12,471 posts)ZombieHorde
(29,047 posts)They've been doing this the whole time. The only way to fix it is to scrap it and start from scratch using a new paradigm. You don't reform cancer, you cut it out and throw it away.
bjobotts
(9,141 posts)Threat assessment is so poor that having a gun as your first tool is unjustified. Bring back the peace officers.