The broad implications of police misconduct include a staggering financial burden
The outlay of police misconduct is often measured in human costs. Whether it’s a loss of life, lasting trauma as a victim or a victim’s family, or the harm it does to entire communities. What is rarely openly discussed are the financial burdens of police misconduct on society. Since human costs don’t appeal to people, perhaps the financial costs will. You know, since some Americans are so concerned with the costs of things like social programs and a few broken windows.
Police Brutality
A reminder of how Black and Latino victims of police brutality are purposely demonized by law enforcement using the media
In the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center, protests have taken place every day since the April 11, 2021 murder of Daunte Wright. As calls continued to grow for officer Kim Potter to be charged in Wright’s death, prosecutors have since charged Potter with second-degree manslaughter. If convicted, Potter faces up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of $20,000.
While some may suspect other charges will be brought up, it’s worth noting that in Minnesota, second-degree manslaughter applies in cases of “culpable negligence whereby the person creates an unreasonable risk, and consciously takes chances of causing death or great…
Police Brutality
Just moments prior to the verdict being read in the Derek Chauvin trial, Ma’khia Bryant was killed by a Columbus, Ohio police officer
While there may be conflicting stories as to who called the police or the circumstances behind who was attacking whom when a Columbus police officer shot 16-year-old Ma’khia Bryant four times, what’s clear is an officer killed a teenager that didn’t pose a threat to him and no efforts were made to deescalate the situation. It took only 9 seconds from the moment he stepped out of his cruiser to fire weapon four times at a child without clarity as to what was happening.
He made a conscious decision to pick a girl out of a crowd, declare her guilty…
Police Brutality
The recent murders by police of a young Black male and a Latino teenager expose the underbelly of America’s inherent racism
It’s not uncommon to witness the criminalization of people murdered by police. We see it all too often. It’s such a regular occurrence that even the majority in America acknowledge witnessing it in nearly every instance of Black, Latino, or Indigenous people murdered by police. In most cases, the information provided to the media comes from sources that are too often police union lawyers, union bosses, and police departments themselves.
In the murder of Adam Toledo, you didn’t just have a cop-friendly prosecutor who lied about the specifics of how it happened but you also had Mayor Lori Lightfoot initially…
Racism
Bill Maher’s interview with Sharon Osbourne is how covert racism operates in society
The raucous applause was disheartening, to say the least. The dismissiveness by many Americans of Meghan Markle’s claims of being subjected to racism is telling. The celebration of someone who defended a racist and his comments is the equivalent to celebrating the words of neo-confederates but not the confederacy. White America was so critical of Trump supporters in arguing that their defense of Trump’s language was akin to being Nazi sympathizers.
Trump supporters allowed and accepted his racist rhetoric and were rightfully demonized for it yet here we are facing covert liberal racism. Again.
Donald Trump, Piers Morgan, and Tucker…
Racial Justice
Justice is often determined by the victim’s race
In America, police shootings occur regardless of an officer’s race. For example, Black cops are no less likely to fatally shoot Black people than white cops. Despite that, Black people are still 3.5 times more likely to be killed by police than white people. The way cops are trained, the secrecy among them, and the protections granted to them via their contracts have created a culture that is based on fear of the general public and a lack of accountability. Unless, of course, the victim is white and the cop is Black. Then, it seems, accountability becomes a factor.
Racism
Y’all need to chill with the hateful rhetoric
Over the last 75 years, you, white conservatives, have overwhelmingly given your support to the Republican Party. If we look as far back as the Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) campaign in 1945, Republican presidential candidates lost the white vote only once to Lyndon Baynes Johnson (LBJ) in 1964 — during the Civil Rights Era. It was a time when many Southern Democrats jumped ship to the Republican Party because they were subverted by the overwhelming Democratic support for the equal rights of non-white people — particularly Black people.
For reference: Trump won the white vote 54%-39% in 2016. Romney won…
Gun Control
Until America addresses the underlying causes behind why men commit mass murder, no amount of legislation will protect anyone
Sorry folks, but banning AR-15s won’t stop domestic terrorism. It’s far too late for that. There are more guns than people in the United States and those that would do us harm are already locked and loaded. Many of them are preparing for a civil war in fantasy land while journalists and researchers like me who track hate groups fear more isolated attacks across the country similar to the recent and past mass shootings.
Do we need gun reform laws? Absolutely. But the conversation always seems to get lost once we begin to talk about banning any firearms. We know…
Equality
In the last several years the dominant population in America has displayed a lack of comfort with equitable solutions to racial injustice
Equality seems like a utopian dream for the dominant population in America. The majority of American society appears to believe that finding equitable solutions to racial injustice and inequality is someone else’s responsibility. Namely, those who are oppressed by the same system that supports and upholds the majority. In other words, those who benefit greatest from the systems of oppression are largely unwilling to allow others the same privileges they enjoy.
Since the George Floyd protests, it has become evident that the majority of the population will say they believe in equal rights but the reality is, they don’t want…
The responses to a recent article asking what happened to all the White allies brought up a better question: what are allies doing?
In my antiracism work, I often expose how and when White people and the people in my own community (the Cuban American diaspora) regularly act to uphold white supremacy. Yes, it’s unpopular and not very rewarding but I’ve always done this. I often discuss how everyday normal behavior can sometimes uphold racist stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. From micro- to macro-aggressions, minorities, particularly Black emerging adults, experience several instances of racism every day resulting in traumatic stress and it must be properly addressed.
A recent article of mine titled, “Where the White People At?” was met with a whole lot of…
Arturo Dominguez
Anti-racist activist, essayist, and upcoming author; advocating for equality, justice, and accountability. Support my work at patreon.com/ExtremeArturo
