Higher Standards Needed to Change Reality: All Police Forces and Israel

I hope I can write this succinctly.

First, let me state unequivocally that I understand and believe that both Israel and policeman have every right to protect themselves from anarchists, terrorists or whatever one wishes to call murderers. But as representatives of civilized society they have to adhere to the highest standards possible to gain the good will of those who they police.  Otherwise, they are occupying enemies, which inspires anarchist behavior.

Nicolas Kristof dissected the pro-police propaganda that supposedly fed the feeling of disrespect some NYC policemen feel.  There are false statements about things President Obama said (things he did not say, I repeat) and there is quoting the reality that 93% of murdered African Americans are killed by other African Americans.

But there is also the reality that 84% of of murdered Caucasians are killed by other Caucasians.  There are very rarely Police shootings of unarmed white people.

There is some reason that police shoot far more unarmed African Americans than they do Caucasians.  And what I don't understand is why the criminal justice system and the Police Internal Affairs system cannot separate and punish, in the name of promoting respect within the policed community, those instances where the murdered individual was guilty of nothing other than being African American:  Eric Garner, the Wal-Mart shopper who was buying an air rifle and talking on his cell phone, and a 12 year old boy with a toy come to mind (as someone who has fond memories of playing WWII with a plastic machine gun that went rat-a-tat-tat, I am sympathetic with the concept of toys).

How do we know this racism exists?  Kristof interviewed retired African American NYC policemen. Almost to a man, they had been subject to unwarranted incidents where they were treated like criminals before it was known that they were policemen.  The treatment included heads being slammed, handcuffing, and having guns drawn on them.  Then there is the reality that in the last 15 years, 10 of 14 mistaken identity shootings were officers of color shot by Caucasian policemen.  Young black men are shot at 21x the rate of young white men and Black people are only 20% of the population.  There is clearly racism in the ranks of the police forces of America when it comes to the execution of their jobs and the criminal justice system and Internal Affairs Departments must do a better job of distinguishing between justified shootings and unjustified shootings.  Policemen face a tough job, but the community will only respect those who do it well and without prejudice.

There is video of a Billings, Montana policeman stopping a vehicle that did no wrong, although the people inside were high on methamphetamine.  He saw a hand move and fired 3 bullets into the unarmed man, killing him, simply because he was afraid of harm.  I get it.  I am afraid of anyone I don't know with a gun.  I work very hard to avoid places where I will run into people with guns.

But if you are afraid of being killed by handguns, call in reinforcements before you place yourself in a position where you can be harmed.  Cop Cars have loudspeakers and radios.

I included thoughts about Israel here because it peaceful relations between the Palestinian people and the Israeli people will only come about if the Palestinians believe their lives are respected and they have hope for a future.  Expanding settlements that require a police state presence for protection reduces hope and shows no respect.  Israel is a modern economy that could do much for the Palestinian economy if there was a better balance.  I know in tough negotiations, you don't want to give up something for nothing, and the Palestinians need to control the terrorists that live within their jurisdiction, so why not require that before Israel gives anything. Well, as I stated before, a community that does not feel respect from the police will generate individuals who believe that terrorism is the only answer.

Someone has to break that cycle.  Israel is the only one who can do it with the Palestinians and the police and local politicians are the only ones who can do it in America's cities.

Link to Kristof column