Postulate this: Who in their right mind funds their demise?
Much was made of the #DefundThePolice moniker. For many of us, in the aggregate, police do not represent the body of comfort that it does for many in the “majority” community.
Should this revive #DefundThePolice?
It was not enough for many to see black and brown (POC) bodies shot, maimed, and mostly disrespected. After all, isn’t their violence in those communities anyway? They must have done something deserving of their deaths and disrespect. Right? It should be noted that Appalachia shares similar socioeconomic issues/violence issues that often go unreported or placed into the criminal justice system.
Some observed the unpatriotic seditious insurrection of the US Capitol by the righteous #BlueLivesMatter crowd (as long as it is POC the Blues are maiming) with incredulity, and surprise. It was a picture rarely seen on national TV.
Others were not surprised at the insurrection but hoped it represented every I-told-you-so moment. In that one event, the America many prefer not to see was evident. Those who deny that racism was a tool in the movement heard and saw the epithets as well as a first run of the Confederate flag in the US Capitol, the people’s house. They saw that the purported care for law and order was devoid of value. They saw that police reserved their savagery for POC as they treated violent attackers with decency.
Segue:
Here is a fact. The Republican Party and Conservatives represent the minority in this country. Even with a maxed out Republican performance they were short of the majority by millions of Americans. Yet, their minority, because of the undemocratic nature of our Constitution allowed the GOP to rule whether they had the presidency or not. I will repeat ad-nauseam; that California, which has 67 times more people than Wyoming, get just two senators, is an aberration that must not continue to stand.
The Right-Wing panic now is that with complete Democratic control of all of government, if they show some spine, they can really get their policies implemented by getting rid of the filibuster and other undemocratic modals. A coup was the last hope if one believes Democrats will use their control of the government as effectively as Mitch McConnell and his party did.
Re-Segue:
A large number of cops from around the country were a part of the insurrection, an overtly violent, racist, anti-Semitic event. Am I supposed to feel safe in the presence of police where that was just a visible representation of what too many of us see when no one is watching? Hell no! #DefundTheDamnPolice. Keep a minimalist force to handle violent crimes. Invest in community centers and people to uplift communities.
Policing communities without investing in the communities make them cages. Invest in mental health professionals, therapists, and those who deescalate. Learn from other societies that have gotten it right.
Suffice it to say I hope the coup attempt becomes a learning and humbling experience for the country. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.