As I said yesterday, I will voice agreement when it exists. There are still many things I disagree with Rand Paul on, but this op-ed in Time is exactly what I wanted to see. Embedded on that page was this link to a CATO article. Lastly, though this is just one link, here is a FOX link describing the difference that a change in command has had. This story is far from over, but these stories offer some ray of hope in an otherwise very shitty story.
Since yesterday, the governor has relieve the white Ferguson police chief and his blatantly white, militarized police force from their primary responsibility of maintaining the peace. In their place, he has put a black Captain from the state troopers in charge, and instead of standing there pointing weapons at the crowd, the state police have gone into the crowd, marched with them, and let them stay there as long as they wanted. At least for last night, there were no tear gas canisters or stun grenades tossed into the crowd.
Between Rand Paul and the Governor, there is clearly an understanding of what real life is like. Paul stated the obvious that even when he was a kid, he was quite likely to lip off to a police officer, and he would not have remotely considered the possibility he would be shot. it's not the same for African American youth today. Paul also openly acknowledged that race relations are still a mess today by saying, "Anyone who thinks that race does not still, even if inadvertently, skew the application of criminal just in this country is just not paying close enough attention. Our prisons are full of black and brown men and women who are serving inappropriately." Paul may or may not have other motives here, but I'm not going to question those today.
Of course, other Democrat leaders made statements too, but nobody here thinks that any them are anything but pieces of crap on this blog, so I'll skip posting those except for one, which talks about a congressman who allegedly is going to draft some legislation to help slow the acquisition of military surplus gear.
At this point, almost one week into this story, the name of the officer who shot the young man has not been released, nor has an autopsy report. During this week, two witnesses have been interviewed by national media, but as of yesterday, neither had been interviewed (near as I can tell) by the police or the FBI.
FERGUSON, Mo. — After withholding his name for nearly a week, the Ferguson Police Department on Friday publicly identified the white patrol officer who recently shot and killed an unarmed black teen.
ReplyDeleteChief Thomas Jackson said Darren Wilson was the officer who shot 18-year-old Michael Brown multiple times following a brief skirmish in which police say the teen tried to take the officer's gun.
The chief provided few details about Wilson other than to say he has been with the department for six years and has no history of disciplinary action.
Rand Paul: We Must Demilitarize the Police
ReplyDeleteThere is a systemic problem with today’s law enforcement.
Not surprisingly, big government has been at the heart of the problem. Washington has incentivized the militarization of local police precincts by using federal dollars to help municipal governments build what are essentially small armies—where police departments compete to acquire military gear that goes far beyond what most of Americans think of as law enforcement.
This is usually done in the name of fighting the war on drugs or terrorism. The Heritage Foundation’s Evan Bernick wrote in 2013 that, “the Department of Homeland Security has handed out anti-terrorism grants to cities and towns across the country, enabling them to buy armored vehicles, guns, armor, aircraft, and other equipment.”
Bernick continued, “federal agencies of all stripes, as well as local police departments in towns with populations less than 14,000, come equipped with SWAT teams and heavy artillery.”
Bernick noted the cartoonish imbalance between the equipment some police departments possess and the constituents they serve, “today, Bossier Parish, Louisiana, has a .50 caliber gun mounted on an armored vehicle. The Pentagon gives away millions of pieces of military equipment to police departments across the country—tanks included.”
When you couple this militarization of law enforcement with an erosion of civil liberties and due process that allows the police to become judge and jury—national security letters, no-knock searches, broad general warrants, pre-conviction forfeiture—we begin to have a very serious problem on our hands.
Given these developments, it is almost impossible for many Americans not to feel like their government is targeting them. Given the racial disparities in our criminal justice system, it is impossible for African-Americans not to feel like their government is particularly targeting them.
This is part of the anguish we are seeing in the tragic events outside of St. Louis, Missouri. It is what the citizens of Ferguson feel when there is an unfortunate and heartbreaking shooting like the incident with Michael Brown.
Anyone who thinks that race does not still, even if inadvertently, skew the application of criminal justice in this country is just not paying close enough attention. Our prisons are full of black and brown men and women who are serving inappropriately long and harsh sentences for non-violent mistakes in their youth.
The militarization of our law enforcement is due to an unprecedented expansion of government power in this realm. It is one thing for federal officials to work in conjunction with local authorities to reduce or solve crime. It is quite another for them to subsidize it.
Americans must never sacrifice their liberty for an illusive and dangerous, or false, security. This has been a cause I have championed for years, and one that is at a near-crisis point in our country.
Let us continue to pray for Michael Brown’s family, the people of Ferguson, police, and citizens alike.
http://time.com/3111474/rand-paul-ferguson-police/
Did the hyperlink I posted not work? So what are your thoughts William? We know what Rand Paul thinks, but what about you? Was this an over the top response? Do you believe as Paul does that our justice system does not provide equal constitutional treatment for people of color?
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