Over these past few weeks, I’ve felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness over the state of our nation, but with it also came a surge of inspiration as I witnessed thousands of people come together to fight for justice.
As I was watching, I saw the power and symbolism behind protests. I saw how social media had the power to spark a revolution and spread it like a wildfire.
I have hope that these demonstrations will be a turning point into a new era for our country, but I also know that the protests and this moment alone will not be able to solve the problem. Racism is a deeply ingrained systemic issue in our country rooted in centuries of enslavement and oppression of Black people. It is not just a problem of racist individuals, but it is a much more complex issue that stems from how our nation was built. We must understand that if there is to be any real change, then there will have to be a complete restructuring to the American system as we know it today.
Multiple black activist organizations such as m4bl, Poor People’s Campaign, and Campaign Zero have come forth with a number of demands and policy reforms. Some demands are more radical than others, but they all include the common theme of defunding & demilitarizing the police and reinvesting funds back into the Black community through healthcare & education.
Many activists and allies have debated over whether we should reform the police system, or abolish it all together. This clash has sparked a lot of tension between those drafting up tangible solutions for our nation. There was especially a lot of criticism from some of the more radical activists targeted at Campaign Zero’s #8CANTWAIT campaign, and its toothless demands for police reform. Many have cited that most cities have already implemented the police policy reforms proposed by Campaign Zero, and they have done little to nothing in protecting the public from police brutality. In the case of Eric Garner -the police who killed him was using a banned chokehold in New York. He was never charged, and was only fired years after the incident took place.
Others also argue — with good reason — that the current police system is beyond the scope of reformation. Over the past few decades, Police unions have made it almost impossible for cities to make any major police reforms and to properly hold police accountable for their misconduct. They have been known to bribe DAs to not charge police officers in certain cases, and protect its members from getting permanently fired from cities. Many police unions have also been known to financially back and fund political campaigns, making it almost impossible for any legislation to be passed against police brutality. On top of that, there exists a judicially created doctrine known as qualified immunity that shields government officials from being held personally liable for constitutional violations. This is an especially troubling legal doctrine because it shields police officers from legal repercussions for their actions unless the prosecutor can successfully prove the officer violated “clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known.” In most cases, this means that the prosecutor would have to prove that the constitutional violation has happened in a previous case. Unfortunately, since there have not been many successful prosecution cases against police, it makes it extremely difficult to win such a case.
Given these frustrating facts about the police system, it makes sense that the majority of people (myself included) would want to dismantle the current system and build something better in its place. I believe we should all strive towards a country where we need little to no police, but I also believe that getting to a society where it is possible for this to happen is going to take a really long time.
Unfortunately, the United States is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, but still has one of the highest poverty rates amongst OECD countries. Consequently, this means we also have higher rates of crime. Many studies have shown that there tends to be a correlation between poverty levels and crime rates. This is the unfortunate price America has had to pay with the way that capitalism works in our country. So, to reimagine a society without a police, we must also reimagine a society in which we can lift those out of poverty and provide a better way of life that leads to lower crime rates.
This means that many things have to happen simultaneously for us to tackle the problem and close all the loopholes.
First, there must be laws implemented both on the federal and state level to end police brutality and qualified immunity. I know it seems like police policy reforms haven’t been effective in the past, but the difference between a policy and a law is that breaking a policy might not necessarily hold up in court, but breaking a state or federal law can. There are already many laws being passed in cities and states for choke holds, and no knock warrants. However, we must also have legislation in place that can hold police accountable when they do break these laws to make sure officers do not take these actions lightly.
Second, we must slowly begin to shift funds away from the police and establish better first responder systems for issues such as substance abuse or complaints on homeless people. There has already been a lot of talk over this and President Trump has signed an executive order earlier last week that outlined similar solutions. While it is a tiny start, cities are the ones who must take initiative in these programs and shape them in a way that makes sense for their city in regards to first responders for mental health, homeless, and addiction problems.
Finally, we must figure out a way to close the drastic gap between the rich and the poor in America. This step might not seem as obvious in ending police brutality and systemic racism. But, as I’ve mentioned previously, poverty and crime are correlated and both are very prevalent in our nation. If we could figure out a way to close the gap, and delegate more resources to the poorest communities, then perhaps we can solve the issue of crime. If there are lower levels of crime, then naturally we wouldn’t need as many police officers in our streets. While this logic seems simple, the actual steps to accomplishing this will be the most difficult task of all, but it is the most vital piece we need if we can ever hope to imagine a society with little or no police.
All these steps require the need to restructure our laws and systems to work for Black people because they have worked against them for far too long. This means that we all have the duty to go out and vote in our local, state, and federal elections. I’ve also seen a lot of criticism around this idea, mainly around the fact that many Black people can’t vote as a result of mass incarceration and the aftermath of the “War on Drugs”. However, that is why it makes it so much more important for those of us who do have the power to vote to use our voice and our strength to change the system.
It is going to take time for all these changes to happen, and we all share a part in how this will play out in the next few decades. We must remember that the work won’t stop once the protests stop. We must also remember that this is not just about police brutality. This is about ending racism at every structure in our country. There is so much more work to be done in terms of providing more equality in healthcare, education, and job opportunities. We have a long road ahead of us in deconstructing and rebuilding the American system that was built on centuries of racism.
So, this is my pledge that I will not stop using my voice to speak against injustice and racism. I will not stop educating myself on ways I can help rid racism on a systematic level. I will not stop having conversations about racial inequalities with my friends and family. I will not stop fighting for what is right.