[Peace-discuss] Chicken and egg problem

[John W.]

At 10:19 AM 7/18/2007, Robert Dunn wrote:

>so wouldn't placing the proverbial handcuff on the police make them more 
>angrier? Thus continuing the cycle of anger and resentment from the police 
>into the community and vice versa. What i suggested was that people do a 
>ride-a-along with an officer. As well, the police should be more in the 
>community doing service work such as "Shop with a Cop!" The problem is, 
>everyone is bringing race into this issue. The arguments are that its poor 
>blacks against "middle class whites" as if there are no poor whites or 
>middle class blacks!

I'm sure that members of the Civilian Review Board will be required to do 
multiple ride-alongs as a part of their training.  And I would certainly 
have no objection to doing a ride-along or two, though I do have minor 
concerns about it.

As for race, plenty of middle-class blacks have stories about being pulled 
over by the police for no reason other than (apparently) the color of their 
skin.  Talk to Rev. Jerome Chambers sometime about his own 
experiences.  Talk to any middle-class black person...if you know any.

That is not, of course, to deny that poor whites have their stories about 
police harassment also.

We still haven't heard, Robert, how the police helped you in California 
when you were mugged.

John



>
>From:  Bob Illyes <illyes at uiuc.edu>
>To:  peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
>Subject:  [Peace-discuss] Chicken and egg problem
>Date:  Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:15:56 -0500
> >Robert writes, "Maybe if we were a little more cooperative [to the
> >police] and nicer to them, they would reciprocate." This is a
> >chicken-and-egg problem. The more angry the police become at what
> >they have to deal with, the worse the behavior of those who annoy
> >them, and vice-versa.
> >
> >Many people need to walk the second mile, but there does not seem to
> >be the willingness to do this. For those of you not brought up on
> >Christianity, the second mile and turning the other cheek are
> >central ethical teachings of Jesus.
> >
> >Bob
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