BIG A KNOWS How We Got Here
by Anthony Richardson America in its current state is unsustain-
able, our racial division has finally caught up to us. And none of us will find true peace and social stability in this country ever again until we deal with this issue of policing in America. I offer some eye-opening insights from a vast compila- tion of open dialogue over many years between Black and White friends and family members of all ages - and from people of other races and cul- tures from around the globe. These 8-Demands by the Black community, and the corresponding 4-part Blog series, were derived from this exten- sive dialogue. They will layout a blueprint that can start to break down the walls of communica- tion between the two races, and start a true un- derstanding of our overall perception of one another - as well as the role of the police. If these demands are voted into law, they
also have the potential to drastically lower the crime rate in the Black community, which in turn could lead to a massive amount of eco- nomic investment in our communities. These demands will also usher in a new era of policing, predicated on continual community engagement and tension mitigation - rather than enforce- ment - if properly implemented. Some stark re- alities have become undeniable in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, unarmed Black citi- zens recently being murdered by White police officers, and the ongoing civil unrest that has followed. We are clearly a nation divided by black and white - physically, mentally, culturally, in our living conditions, and our perception of America in general. I think it is time for this country to finally admit that our past history and cultural differences, calls for the most drastic
federal legislation ever drafted to keep this democracy from falling apart at the seams. Policing in this country has been a con-
stantly evolving institution, and has been based historically on controlling Blacks and other mi- norities from its inception in the US. It started off as a privately funded system by shipping ty- coons in Colonial Boston. They hired local thugs part time to protect their ships and cargo to- and-from port. Most cities also supplemented the small privately-paid police force with depu- tized volunteer watchmen (mostly drunks and petty criminals) who basically served as look- outs for the gambling and prostitution busi- nesses. But to save money, the shipping merchants convinced the private citizens that it was in all of their best interest for them to start paying for the police themselves. And in 1838 the city of Boston created the first publicly- funded, uniform and badge, police department in the US. However, almost a century later this
country found itself in need of a massive federal- level overhaul of its policing policies and the
58
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
