Speculative fiction has a long history of taking the issues of the day and reframing them in a new context with the hope that people will look at them in a new way. Our "unprecedented" times are bringing all sorts of old ways and old thinking back to the forefront. On Tuesdays, I present "what if?" questions. Previously, the intent was as an idea generator. It still is. But now, I ask that you really think about all the repercussions that these ideas will have. If only these were just thought exercises.
Before I get to the question, please check out this Twitter thread (it's relevant).
I was perusing Twitter while pondering what question I would pose this week when I came across the above linked thread. If you haven't checked it out, please do. I don't expect anyone to read the whole thing (I didn't), but just a couple minutes will give you the sense of where this question is coming from.
Last week was a hard week for me news-wise (as I have a hard time processing other people's suffering). It made me upset. It made me angry. (I even ranted a couple times to the class I've been covering. Not at them, to them.) And as that's where I'm taking my what-ifs right now, I knew what topic this week's question should be.
Seriously, what if we just got rid of the police? It's not like they actually can do anything, anyway.
Reminder of what this phrase means. pic.twitter.com/p78Ml7RmwS
— Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg (@TheRaDR) May 26, 2022
First off, Twitter seems like a cumbersome why to tell a story. If we got rid of the police. Something would rise to fill the void.
ReplyDeleteThat thread just gave so many examples of what I was talking about. I'm just so angry, and this is how I'm expressing that.
DeleteI am not saying it was a bad way for you to tell the story, but to many of the people's stories did not fit into the limited characters of the app.
DeleteOh yes, definitely not.
DeleteIt can be so very frustrating when police come by for noise but don't help a woman in distress. I so disagree about defending the police though. It will hurt on their education and everything that they actually do need. It is not the polices' fault but the laws that need to be looked at. The policeman's hands are so tied when it come to stalking or anything like this. They want to help but are not allowed under these laws. Only when a person shows proof can they do something which normally means they are injured or killed.
ReplyDeleteThat's the story. What I'm responding to is all the stories of people who were laughed at when they reported something.
DeleteThere are police that do good, like the two police who helped the 10 year old me when I fell and broke my leg roller skating But make it about domestic violence (many of the comments I read in the thread) and all bets are off. Like the Brian Laundrie case, and, oh yes, all the minority woman who disappear, never to be found. Or, probably, even looked for by law enforcement. I don't think we need to get rid of the police. I think we need to get rid of many of their responsibilities and have specially trained civilians as the first responders instead.
ReplyDeleteOh definitely. But when I hear about horrors in the elementary school, I wonder if we shouldn't just burn it all down and start over.
DeleteIt's always all or nothing with people. We say ban assault rifles and they think we will take away all their guns. We say defund the police and they think we will live without the police and we hate them all. It's all about moderation, accountability. We do it in our daily lives, we take some money from our vacation fund and use it towards getting a car fixed. We need to reassign money to the areas that really need it. And it most likely will benefit the police.
ReplyDeleteI would guess that many of them are as frustrated as we are. Most of them are in it for helping the public. The others get all the media attention of course. I think they used to get more respect, now they have to watch their backs. Not a job I'd want a loved one to have these days.
ReplyDeleteIt would be lovely to get rid of the problem officers, for sure. That would change things for the better, I think.
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