What has happened in Minneapolis is sickening. Most importantly, the grotesque killing of an unarmed man by an officer in broad daylight. The near universal condemnation is heartening, but I wonder how much that will change things.
(I won't comment much on the riots themselves - people who want to riot will use whatever excuse to loot, and need to be prosecuted to the full extent. Property damage, even while protesting for a righteous cause, is inexcusable. No further comment on it except to say that given the political leanings of a place like Minneapolis, none of this surprised me. Just as Baltimore in 2015 didn't surprise me.)
This is going to be an unpopular opinion (on this side of the political spectrum), but I hope episodes like these and pandemic enforcement fiascoes will show the reality that the police are not our friends. They are tools, agents, and revenue collectors of an entity (government) first and foremost, and anything they say about "serving" and "protecting" comes a distant second.
Oh my God, attacking the police. HOW DARE YOU!!
Individual men and women are fine. But let's be real, the collective police force - yes - force - exists primarily to serve Caesar. Their livelihoods and pensions depend on their fealty to their political masters. So when rubber meets the road, do they follow orders, or do they protect people and their rights? Some to their credit have chosen the latter, but have paid a price. So not all hope is lost, but we ought to remain vigilant.
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