BookRix

Denver, CO

Does racism play a role in these shootings? Certainly. Does the ridiculously
low legal standard for justified police shootings handed down by the US
Supreme Court shield police officers from prosecution let alone conviction for
the shooting deaths and injury of too many Americans, disproportionately black
ones? Most definitely. And so does flawed recruitment and training practices
of police officers. They all play a role. American police shoot far too many
American civilians - no other advanced society even comes close.

But we are kidding ourselves if we believe America's gun culture doesn't play
an outsize role in police shootings as well, and yet that discussion is yet to
be had. Police in other developed democratic societies don't face the always-
present danger of an armed suspect or in fact anyone they stop or otherwise
encounter. American police officers face that danger constantly and it shows
in the fear with which some of them react when confronted with a potentially
dangerous situation.

We as a society need to have that discussion, preferably before angry yet
peaceful protests turn into deadly riots when the black community has decided
it has had enough.

------
Video: https://moxox.com
Music: https://muxiv.com
AV: http://yofuk.com