Episode 52: Catching Up, Part 2

In Part 2 of Catching Up, we discuss the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests, the potential for change that these protests imply, and also the fear that is becoming ever more prevalent in our society.

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  1. Nice listen, guys. I am far from a police apologist, am a strong supporter of BLM, and found interesting your thoughts on to whom protect and serve applies these days. But I think there may be some nuance that might affect some of your ideas presented.
    1. COVID-19 and the shutdown. While I wish and hope that we are seeing a long overdue uprising of the populace and a motivation for change finally take hold, I think that the fact that many of the vices of the masses are shutdown has as much to do with the numbers of protesters we are seeing. And the fact that there are no sports..no bars…no typical distractions available has greatly contributed to the sustained momentum of the movement, much more so than any changes of heart or will. Because, as you eluded, what was different about George Floyd’s “I Can’t Breathe” as compared to Eric Garner’s from six years ago.
    2. Tanks. You talked about how the police have become heavily militarized, and how it reflects a change in their mindsets. I believe I read that the military ended up with a lot of leftover heavy equipment from all of the wars they have waged around the world, and had nothing to do with it, so they gave them to police departments at pennies on the dollar. So we probably have the out of control military industrial complex to thank for that more than a change in police outlook. Because if someone offered me a tank for super cheap, I would also probably own a tank.
    3. Trading guns for batons like in England. I agree that the misuse of firearms by police is pretty undeniable. But I think we cannot forget that our citizens are also much more heavily armed themselves than the citizenry of other countries, thanks to the success of the evil NRA and the like. So it would be asking the police to show up with a baton to a gunfight oftentimes.
    4. Lack of personal connection between police and community. Again, I agree with that perception. But I think we have to consider the context. It is not just the police. Society at large has become less connected. Neighbors don’t know neighbors, etc. So we should probably expect the police to reflect that sociological trend as well. Since I no longer know by first name the butcher, the barber, the mail carrier…why would I have that kind of relationship with a cop.

    I guess what I’m saying is that I think there are larger sociological truths that have to be taken into consideration when analyzing the police and their abhorrent results. And realize when setting the standard for them to meet, that we are failing across the board.

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