Never was America’s differential police standards more on display than during the recent ransacking of our national Capitol Building. The Capitol Police then and there showed more patience, restraint, and even kinship to an angry mob of right-wing extremists than even peaceful demonstrators for the left see from police.
If ever there was an occasion to lay a truncheon across someone’s skull, it would be in the defense of our democratic institutions against mob rule. But in too many cases over the years, it appears cops have reserved the power of their badges to carry out personal vendettas against progressives and people of color.
This militantly right-wing bias has shown itself in police departments everywhere. It grows out of the historical role of police to protect the rich from the poor, and whites from non-whites. But their increased militarization has made them into a modern, rubber-bulleted expression of an age-old class war.
What is needed is not so much defunding of police, but a deconstructing and reconstructing that replaces the “us-versus-them” culture with one that emphasizes the importance of human dignity, even for the perpetrator. Screen out those who tend to escalate to violence when encountering a person of color.
Police departments must stop being hiring halls for white supremacist bullies and become organizations that live up to their stated mission — to serve and protect all of us equally.
JEFFREY HOBBS, Springfield, Ill.
Amid some very sensible and doable reforms Ted Rall suggests President-elect Biden should undertake, in Rall’s 1/1-15/21 column, “Hey Joe! These Are Our Demands,” is one that is neither sensible, doable, desirable or a reform. In fact, Ted admits that this one goes way beyond reform-fire every police person and “start from scratch.” This is not politically doable, deprives the public of experienced, competent and decent officers (They DO exist) and grossly unfair. In international law collective punishment, which is exactly what firing all police persons would be, is a crime.
There are some less drastic measures that are feasible, doable, and can legitimately be called reforms that would build on the strengths we have, not be arbitrary and unjust, and gradually, real reform can only happen gradually, build a law enforcement sector free of the intolerance, racism, disdain and contempt for large swaths of the population, and mindless violence we deplore:
1) All police, especially those whose “beats” are racially, ethnically, and class diverse cities, must live in the jurisdictions where they work. (This must be “grandfathered” in. No officer should be forced to pick up and move.) In New York City, less than 30% of police live in the city. They come from the white working-class/middle class suburban enclaves in New Jersey, Westchester County, Rockland County, and on Long Island. Their parents and grandparents fled the city in the ’50s and ’60s to escape a growing Black and Latino population. Their racism and disdain and contempt for the people who live in the communities they patrol is a family tradition. (I suspect that many big city forces have a similar origin.)
2) All police should be college graduates with majors in such areas as forensic science and criminal justice with a large helping of courses in the languages, histories, and cultures of the people in the cities where they work.
3) Police should be well paid, starting salary no less than $90,000.
These reforms, albeit expensive, would result in a force that could truly be called “professional” (New York’s meretricious motto on patrol cars is “Courtesy, Professionalism, Respect”) and would consist of people who look and sound like and who would have a real connection with, and intuitive understanding of, the people they serve. We would, after a time, have peace officers worthy of the name.
ED BELLER, The Bronx, New York, N.Y.
In the epistles of Paul, we learn how believers in Christ are to behave to one another inside and outside the Church. Since there seems to be concern from people on our political “right” about Christian practice and making laws for society in accordance with Biblical principles, it would be logical to expect Christian behavior from them, especially in these days.
Colossians is still true for all believes in Christ and seems especially relevant to out situation now. It focuses on what our religious citizens who claim to believe in Christ should be believing and doing.
At this time of year, should we not also refresh our memories and step back from believing that politics in this world should save us? Christians have been told: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitters on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the Earth … Mortify therefore your members which are upon the Earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which is idolatry. For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: … But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds … Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. … And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord, and not unto men. … But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” (Colossians 3:1-25)
No matter how much or how little Bible a person knows, there is always more to learn and/or understand better. For some reason, too much focus has been on ideology of party and not enough on doing what’s best for people, regardless of party. Debate is supposed to lead to finding the best solutions to our problems, and the more ideas debated, the better. Then you decide what’s best and do it. If that turns out to fail, try something else! All is not lost. It is good we don’t write every law in stone. What works today would be a disaster tomorrow. And no one part of the population has all the answers. (No one person does, either!) We know this, but we forgot it, for some reason. This is how we got to where we are, and this is how we can keep going indefinitely.
Those who claim to be Christians should be setting the example. It will be good for everyone. And all it takes is deciding to do it.
CHERYL LOVELY, Presque Isle, Maine
After the sacking of the US Capitol by Vanilla ISIS, the shock troops of Donald Trump, who rushed past Capitol police Jan. 6 to interrupt the acceptance by the House and Senate of the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris — which eventually happened over the objections of Trump-enabling Republican Congress members — I don’t want to hear any more from well-meaning Democrats that we shouldn’t refer to Trump humpers as “deplorables.” It is discouraging that there are 74 million of them, but I hope the failed insurrection is a lesson that the rest of us have to pay attention to politics and get off the couch when elections roll around, or Trump happens.
GENEVIEVE PALIN, Chicago, Ill.
“Sometimes people call me an idealist,” said Woodrow Wilson in 1919. “Well,” he cogently added, “that is how I know I am an American.”
Now that the 117th Congress has been duly sworn in, in accord with tradition, it should be stressed that we must progress sociologically as well as scientifically. Although the social sciences are inexact, our citizenry should have credible assurance that fundamental human rights are ours under the aegis of the Constitution.
Those familiar Jeffersonian ideals of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness can be realized through modern and future-oriented ingenuity. In the absence of such progressivity there will be more stagnation.
WILLIAM DAUENHAUER, Willowick, Ohio
When I was a college student, the most impressive thing that I ever learned took place in a Philosophy course. The professor told us that a philosopher by the name of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was well-known for saying that, at present, humankind is at the emotional, mental/psychological, and spiritual developmental level of a 12-year-old child, but would one-day evolve into “adulthood.” When I look around and see how we now often mistreat each other in our country, this observation really “speaks” to me. And I say that in realization that I, too, am one of the 12-year-olds. With all of the heartaches, sorrows, and losses that each of us experiences in our lives, I want us to try to turn “to” each other rather than “on” each other.
STEWART B. EPSTEIN, Rochester, N.Y.
They scaled the wall to make their case Their citizen’s arrest. They broke the glass, defiled the place
Their worst they thought their best.
The desperate launch of ne’er-do-wells
Can’t deign him to repent.
As better angels take to sails
The darkness shall relent.
The wretched souls who scorned the dome
One man, one vote despised.
From ash may legions’ hope be sown
Just cause immortalized.
Rebirth puts nations to the test
Steep twists of fate, dark nights.
But ignorance will not be blessed
Fair play adorn the heights!
MIKE WETTSTEIN Jr., Appleton, Wis.
When Joe Biden addressed his rich donors [in June 2019], he said: “Nothing would fundamentally change” if he is elected president. Let’s hope Joe had his fingers crossed behind his back when he said it. The richest 1% now reap 20% of national income, a major factor in driving inequality and destabilizing our citizenry to the point that many would cling to Trump’s lies and bring violence.
Think back to the Eisenhower years, a time of much greater equality. At that time the highest marginal tax rate was 91%. Small wonder that that rate is now 37% as we suffer massive inequality not seen since the Gilded Age.
Joe Biden is proposing a major tax law restructuring that will emphasize greater taxes falling on those earning over $400,000. But when it comes to the top marginal tax rate he is proposing 39.6%. This will effect very little in bringing our inequality more in line with what is fair and stabilizing. Much more appropriate would at least be 70%, as proposed by AOC. The big question is what Biden meant when he told his rich donors: “Nothing would fundamentally change”.
LEE KNOHL, Evanston Ill.
From The Progressive Populist, February 15, 2021
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