Systems That Breed Bad
I was shocked by the murder of Tyre Nichols, as all the many other cases of senseless murder in the hands of police. I am horrified, angry, sad, confused, and sometimes feel hopeless.
Our police system—meaning the way we recruit, train and manage police — is broken, that’s not a new thought, by any means. But this morning it occured to me that it’s not unlike the patriarchy, in that the system itself breeds bad actors—it doesn’t matter what color or gender the actors are. People within the police force and the patriarchy use it for their own gain. But there are good people in the patriarachy, trying to make change. There are good people in police force. The big difference is that we need the police system to exist; the patriarchy system should be dismantled completely. Perhaps the police system should be dismantled and completely restructered.
We are learning so much more about these systems and how to break them apart. That’s the only good thing that might come out of the tragic death of Tyre.
Hopefully, hopefully: change.
It's a well known fact that good cops hate the bad cops. However, bad cops rule through intimidation and threats. What they do on the streets, they'll do in the station house but the violence they play with in that space is social, not physical. Different type of power playing.
Change comes when the good turns on the bad.
Where are the Serpico's of this generation?
I'm a strong believer in "absolute power corrupts absolutely" and therefore powerful organizations like the police need to have oversight organizations to serve as a check and balance to their power. That means every police force must have an independent and well supported "Internal Affairs" department.
I could be wrong. ;-)