Study: White Police Officers Not More Likely to Shoot Minority Suspects (2019)
We have a broad problem with excessive police violence and brutality in the USA. Minorities are disproportionately targeted but anyone can be a victim. There are numerous cases of people of all ethnicities being killed even if they&#x27;re not under suspicion of any crime, such as via a paramilitary drug raid on the wrong house. These sorts of events are so common you can usually search and find one or two in the past month at any given time.<p>We have (recent extraordinary events aside) far lower crime rates today than we did back in the 70s and 80s, but we seem to have just as much if not more police violence and police militarization. It&#x27;s become a kind of macho cargo cult or maybe a bit of security theater that politicians can trumpet. Whatever it is, it needs to be challenged. Police do need the ability to use force when needed, but that should be rare. They are public safety servants not soldiers in a war.<p>I don&#x27;t see the Floyd killing as just a race issue, though it undoubtedly is that since blacks are disproportionately targeted. After watching that video I personally (as a white male) feel at least a bit more nervous about police. What happens if you catch a cop on a bad day, or one with psychological problems, or one who has some reason to dislike you? Am I going to get beat up or worse? Who would I call for help, the police?<p>This is not something that should concern me at all in a civilized country. Is this a civilized country?