aaronsd (06-10-2020),Cookie Tray (06-04-2020),motherfucker(06-05-2020),My name is Yoshikage Kira (06-04-2020),♥ PrettySarcastic ♥ (06-04-2020)
Big sigh. There is a video circulating out of Buffalo that I won't share that is so sickening.
I was of the general reform camp but the arguments for defunding are getting louder for me now.
(And I know we are in the middle of a serious conversation but saw this on my TL and it made me laugh. Peace, all).
aaronsd (06-10-2020),Cookie Tray (06-04-2020),motherfucker(06-05-2020),My name is Yoshikage Kira (06-04-2020),♥ PrettySarcastic ♥ (06-04-2020)
Thank you for your genuine questions! Before we consider what will take place if both are abolished, we have to look at what happens currently in those situations.
When a family member's house was robbed and ransacked, police showed up eventually, took a police report, and did nothing. The only purpose of the police report was to have it recorded so it could be reported to insurance. They did not ever find the person who broke in, they did not ever find any of the stolen objects. One item in particular was found posted on Craigslist just an hour later, identified by unique markings in the picture and S/N. The police were told. They told us to let them do their jobs. The item eventually was sold on CL with no intervention from the police. This is anecdotal, but most of the time police respond to calls after the fact, not mid-crime. When I was robbed at work, it was not for 4 months that they found the person, and only because I had told them exactly where to find a fingerprint and he was a suspect in an older crime.
When rapes are reported, more than 9 times out of 10, nothing is done. People have been laughed at, victim-blamed, brushed aside and ignored even when there was plenty of evidence. When domestic violence calls come in, police show up, take a look around and leave, usually without doing anything even when there are visible signs of violence or distress. Even if they arrest the abuser, they are generally let out pretty quickly after.
The majority of the time, (you need an account to see links). (you need an account to see links) They pull you over at traffic stops to write you tickets so they can generate income for the city.
Sorry to paraphrase so ineloquently, my brain's a bit out of sorts atm due to new meds but overall: the police are bad at doing what they're supposed to be doing, and are very rarely helpful. People are shot when doing mental wellness checks. Victims of domestic abuse and intimate partner violence are regularly turned away.
So we look to: what are people doing NOW in those situations, when the police have been proven pretty useless?
I started writing out a lot more and tried to open a bunch of resources but realized it's much smarter to let the people who have been doing this for years and working on prison & police abolition for years provide the trains of thought and resources.
(you need an account to see links) is a GREAT place to start.
@(you need an account to see links) Yeah I spoke way too soon because I guess I hadn't caught up with my timeline before seeing that. :\ It also happened a few days ago but not an hour after posting that I heard about what happened in Austin, TX as well, to that poor child Levi Ayala and jesus christ... to hear his brother (you need an account to see links) (sorry for fox news link it was the only video I could find of it) was absolutely heartbreaking. HEARTBREAKING. I've cried a lot over the past few days but this broke me all over again.
B (06-05-2020),ab a a gjniev (06-05-2020),My name is Yoshikage Kira (06-04-2020),tox87 (06-06-2020)
Here's a scary thought.
"The sheer number of incidents of police brutality captured on film in the past week ought to have everyone thinking about what they do when they know the cameras are not running."
From Walter Shaub's twitter. Walter Shaub was the Director of the Office of Government Ethics under the previous administration.
=|
graphics by Flordibel & Menine <3
aaronsd (06-10-2020),Alcremie (06-05-2020),B (06-05-2020),ab a a Cookie Tray (06-05-2020),gjniev (06-05-2020),Misha (06-05-2020),motherfucker(06-05-2020),My name is Yoshikage Kira (06-05-2020)
I think the scariest part is, they know the cameras are always running and they're still committing these acts. They know they can get away with it, because they ARE getting away with it. There are no consequences. Nothing has happened to any of the cops who were recorded plowing their cars into protest crowds, or shot any protesters, or knocked people to the ground and caused injury and miscarriage, or any kind of brutality. They think simply charging Chauvin and his gang with 2nd degree murder "WITHOUT INTENT" is enough.
Autobot (06-05-2020),My name is Yoshikage Kira (06-05-2020)
Lots of reflecting to do today but please keep Breonna Taylor in your thoughts - a victim of police violence and gun violence - and if so moved, reach out to legislators in Kentucky.
(Information: (you need an account to see links) and the (you need an account to see links))
----
In local news, NY governor is calling for a "Say Their Name" reform agenda outlining:
1. Make police disciplinary records transparent
2. Ban chokeholds
3. Make false race-based 911 reports a hate crime
4. Attorney General must act as independent prosecutor for any police murder case
(you need an account to see links)
A start of a conversation, but definitely not enough.
aaronsd (06-10-2020),Autobot (06-05-2020),Cookie Tray (06-06-2020),Erik. (06-06-2020),Goddammit (06-07-2020),motherfucker(06-05-2020),tox87 (06-06-2020)
I haven't read through this whole board, but I'm going to. I just kind of need a place to talk that isn't Facebook right now. I'm going to spoiler this because its long. Don't feel like you have to respond or anything, I just need to get it out.
Other people on this thread have made more eloquent points than I can, but I'm sad. I'm angry. I'm frustrated with our entire broken ass system. And if you're in the US and you don't feel those things, I think maybe you aren't paying attention. I send my love and hugs to everyone who is feeling some kind of way about what is happening in their country. I'm not wholly aware of what is going on in the rest of the world, because every single day there is 50 new things flung at me about my own country, but I know protests are happening world wide right now. And I know the US isn't the only broken ass country. But I love you guys and these times are hard right now so please make sure you are practicing self care. If you can't go out and protest, donate to bail bonds (many cities/states have links for that right now) and if you can't do that, share the links on social media so maybe others can. If you are US based, please vote this November. I'm really pissed that my candidate got fucked, but I don't think the US will survive another four years of this administration that just keeps gutting everything. I feel like I've lived an entire (thick) history book in the last four years and I'm tired.
NO JUSTICE NO PEACE
thank you to those who read this entire rant.
(you need an account to see links)
userbar by (you need an account to see links)
HACKER SHADES by (you need an account to see links)
Alcremie (06-10-2020),Autobot (06-07-2020),B (07-14-2020),ab a a Cherubi (06-07-2020),Houndoom (06-10-2020),My name is Yoshikage Kira (06-07-2020),♥ PrettySarcastic ♥ (06-10-2020)
It looks like (you need an account to see links) is disbanding! (apologies if this was already posted)
(you need an account to see links) is an interesting (unofficial) infographic offering a glimpse of what 'community led public safety' could look...curious to see how things will play out, what hurdles will come up from restructuring the 'police service'
Last edited by Maki; 06-07-2020 at 05:55 PM.
Autobot (06-07-2020),Goddammit (06-07-2020),My name is Yoshikage Kira (06-07-2020)
gjniev (06-13-2020)
US is a special kind of country. So rich, and yet, so far behind others on social issues. A bit like russia, just on a higher economical level
It makes me feel absolutely disgusted as an Australian that there's so many people around me that shun the BLM movement and instead make it about "all lives matter". Like, no, fuck off, don't water down the situation by saying something like that, that is far from the truth. Cannot ignore the fact that people with dark skin get treated very different to people without. Here in Australia we have something like 3% of the population are Aboriginal Australians but something close to 25% of the prison population are them also. They are systematically racially discriminated upon, really bright kids just don't get the same opportunities other people do as they grow up, so they get locked into the same poverty cycles that their parents and grandparents were stuck in. It is incredibly difficult for an Aboriginal person in Australia to break into the middle or high income earner category, that only happens if someone gets adopted into a family with that wealth already or if they become a sports star somehow.
Our welfare system also does not support the Aboriginal Australians as much as people of other backgrounds. I really don't know how all of this began. This country was stolen from them, and they are literally being cornered into poverty stricken areas that has no opportunities for bright young kids.
There absolutely is police brutalitiy over here especially when the victim is not white. There are plenty of stories if you dig deep enough about how the Aboriginals in these communities get treated during drug raids, completely innocent bystanders.
Because of all of the protesting in America, finally, it's having some effect over here and we are hopefully convincing our ministers to consider changes that can help the whole country move forward as a group.