[FRIAM] Thoughts on the Floyd protests

[Jon Zingale]

Like many of you and from an armchair, I am watching protests in
the streets. I am watching calls for the defunding of our police, and
surprisingly painful responses on all sides. The whole affair leaves
me to wonder:

1. Will the efforts to defund the police eventually meet with efforts
to build private militias? Will the future of policing in this country
follow a path similar to the shift from public to private postal service?
If so, what will accountability be?

2. While there appear to be some videos of police chiefs talking to
crowds through megaphones, should I expect to see interviews with
police on podcasts or in other more intimate domains? Are commentators
making a mistake in treating the thoughts and opinions of police officers,
as individuals, as if they were swarming black boxes?

3. Protests are announced with more than a day's notice. Police,
it would seem, are aware and anticipating participation in these public
events. What do the text messages between police officers look like in
the days leading up to some of the more horrific scenes? 

4. Are any of us good enough friends with a police officer such that we
could invite one to talk about these events on an upcoming Friday?

I cannot help but be upset by what I am seeing, and yet there do not
seem to be meaningful steps taken by those that can affect transparency
or promote sanity.

Jon



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