We need police because we need stability.

I went to a a Spanish English intercambio at the Connolly branch library yesterday. Mostly we learned about Sancocho. But at the end we talked a little bit about the shootings and gun control. It turns out, in my group I was the furthest one to the right on the gun control thing. I am pretty much 60-70% in favor of having no guns whatsoever if it was possible. Though I see the other side of it too.

It was interesting when we started talking about police. A lot of the people from Domican Republic were very conservative and here's why. They were saying that they are not only here for the economy, because they could get jobs in DR too. Part of the reason they are here is stability, something which a strong police force provides. Now fo course there are problems. Of course there are bad police. But there also bad doctors, bad lawyers, bad bankers.. etc. The only other profession that has control of life and death is the doctor. But in any case the point was about police... these guys were like, "We neeeeeed them." because they see what happens when you have super corrupt police.

Most Chinese people will say the same thing.

For instance.. in China, police have a lot of power over regular citizens. (But not over gangs that are backed by powerful officials. Back in the 90's the Army invaded the police station with tanks because the Police Chief shut down a brothel... which a powerful official might not have run directly, but had a financial stake in.) So a lot of cops in China simply cannot be bothered to do their job unless they are getting money for it... not from the state but from whoever is paying them in cash in hand.

It has occurred to me that this problem of police violence has always existed. It isn't worse than before. It's just that before the gang violence was so bad that people wanted that cleaned up first. Only now, is it stable enough that we can talk about changing police tactics.

Furthermore, in terms of #blacklivesmatter, under Bush or even Clinton, or Bush or hell Reagan... there was simply not enough traction to have such a movement. I'm not saying that any of the former presidents were racist. Reagan probably really meant well, (for those who despise him) and of course had his flaws (for those who worship him.)

Now I don't know how true this claim is, but some say Reagan helped fund the crypts. But from his hands off government approach this actually made sense. The Crypts were semi-gang semi community organization at the time. They hadn't become so well known fro Drug Trafficking yet. So it makes sense as a hands off emperor to delicate the people most in power in an area and let them deal with it. It isn't crazy when you look at say the Roman Empire. It just looks crazy in hindsight.

The same type of thing was done in Chinatown right? The police let the Chinese take care of their own. As long as society was stable and no white people were hurt whatever, it was seen as it's own little country within a country. As long as everyone can do business... which is the focus of the Republican side.


It is only now that the President is black and is in his lame duck period that there is a reason for the black lives matter movement to really push hard. So in a way... it is a sign of progress that these tragedies make national news etc. We are getting better as a country.... unless we are actually  falling apart at the seams. Only time can really tell right?