Marc Jampole: Warrior Cops
Warrior cops continue to destroy civil liberties and the lives of innocent people. I’ve been suffering a slight case of cognitive dissonance lately, a disorientation that stems from residing in … Continue reading →
Origins of the police
Originally posted on Works in theory:
The Five Points district of lower Manhattan, painted by George Catlin in 1827. New York’s first free Black settlement, Five Points was also a…
Daniel Burston: Racism, Policing and the Exuberance of Power
“Justice, justice shall you pursue . . .” Deuteronomy 16:18 “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke Trayvon … Continue reading →
Lauren McCauley: ‘The Alarm Bells are Ringing’ — From Athletes to Environmentalists, a Universal Call for Racial Justice Emerges
While the protests over deaths of Eric Garner and Mike Brown refuse to stand down, leading environmentalists, labor protesters and others show their solidarity saying: “These issues are not separate.” … Continue reading →
Sarah Lazare: As Protests Sweep Nation, DOJ Confirms Cleveland Police ‘Chaotic and Dangerous’
Last month, amid mounting nationwide outrage at deadly law enforcement violence against black people, Tamir Rice—12 years old, African-American, and unarmed—was shot and killed by Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann … Continue reading →
Patricia A. Nugent: The Good, the Bad and…the Scared
There are bad cops. Trigger-happy. Vengeful. Crooked. Prejudiced. There are also bad teachers and bad priests. When the public trust is broken by “bad apples” in any helping profession, … Continue reading →
Jose Padua: Coming Home
Originally posted on Shenandoah Breakdown:
When the policeman tells me to pull over to the curb because the woman with the pearly white smile just told him that I nearly…
Sarah Lazare: Severe Racial Disparities In Arrests the Norm In America
At least 1,581 police departments across the country arrest black people at greater rates than in Ferguson, according to USA Today analysis. Ferguson, Missouri has become a flashpoint of anger … Continue reading →
Kara Dansky: How Many People Must Be Maimed or Killed Before We End the Militarization of Our Police Forces?
Father “Bou” Phonesavanh showers his son “Bou Bou” Phonesavanh with love after the young toddler braved a battle for his life, one month after police in Georgia dropped a “flash bang” … Continue reading →
Barbara Elovic: An Encounter with the Police
A few years ago on a Saturday afternoon in late fall I had a surprisingly unpleasant encounter with one of New York’s finest. As I was starting to cross the … Continue reading →
Who Polices the Police?
Originally posted on The Contrary Perspective:
Surplus MRAPs: Coming soon to a police force near you? (Photo: U.S. Air Force/Senior Master Sgt. George Thompson) S. and B. Lett Every day…
How I Escaped the Drug-Sniffing Dog from Holland and Other Tales of the Night
Originally posted on Shenandoah Breakdown:
When we heard that Souled Out was providing the music at last month’s National Night Out activities at the gazebo, we decided right away to…
Robert C. Koehler: The Courage to Disarm
The Ferguson tragedy, like all those that preceded it and all that will follow — involving the trivial and panicky use of lethal force, by the police or anyone else … Continue reading →
Marc Jampole: On the recent assassination of two police officers
To stop future assassinations of police, we must toughen gun laws & end police brutality against minorities No sane person would condone or try to justify the execution-style killings of … Continue reading →