The Black and The Blue

“This obsession with the individual guilt or innocence of victims among pundits and pols seemed to me to miss the entire point of the police brutality issue. The real villain in that story, I thought, was math and probability, and a community policing policy that was designed to massively amp up police confrontations in certain neighborhoods only.” – I Can't Breathe

Based on a Judicial Committee listing, over 20 major cities have already defunded their police departments to the tune of nearly 2 billion dollars following the death of George Floyd, at the hands of a Minneapolis Police Officer.  Pulling resources from local police departments came primarily at the request of Black Lives Matter and its supporters.  Yet, less than two years later, many have already reversed course, after skyrocketing crime put minority communities at further risk. 

Black Lives Matter, born of the 2012 Trayvon Martin shooting, regrouped following the death of Michael Brown in 2014.  Yet despite an exoneration of Police officer Darren Wilson, by Obama Attorney General Eric Holder, Brown remains steadfastly on BLM's list of victims.  The “hands up don’t shoot” lie also spawned from the Ferguson shooting, despite evidence the political slogan was made-up.  These inconsistencies continue to undermine the credibility of the BLM message.

Still, there are many legitimate complaints against the criminal justice system that disproportionally affect blacks in most major cities.  Mass incarcerations and mandatory drug minimums, for possession of as little as 5 grams, lead the list.  Civil forfeiture, also a feature of drug bills passed in the 1980s and 1990s, allows officers to seize money and property from suspected lawbreakers, whether the individual is ultimately charged or not.  Ironically, Joe Biden, who was the architect or supporter of many of these bills, would go on to receive 90 percent of the black vote in 2020.  Another contradiction to ponder.

One policing strategy of particular concern is the Broken Window policies that found their way to New York City in the 1990s.  By addressing petty crimes like graffiti, stile jumping, and panhandling, city managers hoped to restore law and order by signaling that degradation in the neighborhood would not be tolerated.  The unfortunate effect of this zero-tolerance policy was an increase in stop and frisk detainments, strip searches, and other means of harassment.  These intrusions occasionally resulted in false arrests, excessive force, and violations of privacy.  Once in the system, the accused often faced an old boys club, which included not only police officers, but DAs and judges.  In addition, police unions often shield bad officers from accountability and are notoriously slow in implementing needed reform.  More troubling is the monopoly on force that police, as a division of the government, has over the community.  And when that force is immune from liability, it only emboldens their unrestrained behavior, and all of society suffers.  The added dilemma for blacks is they often need more policing when living in low-income areas.  And are often the recipients of policing gone bad. 

In Matt Taibbi’s 2017 book, “I Can’t Breathe”, Taibbi tells the story of New York’s Eric Garner, from his problematic drug days and prison time to his transformation as a loosie cigarette salesman on Bay Street.   His tragic story ends with an illegal chokehold, made worse when a grand jury took a pass on indicting the police officers involved in his death, robbing the family of due justice.  A bit of a martyr, Garner refused to comply with the constant harassment he received for non-existent or petty crimes.  After repeating “I Can’t Breathe” eleven times, Garner would resist for the last time on July 17, 2014.  Just one more name added to the long list of clashes between the black and the blue.    

In 2010, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg in his great wisdom, raised cigarette taxes to discourage what he thought was a dangerous pastime.  But his interference only made an entrepreneur out of Eric Garner, who sold individual cigarettes and bootleg cartons to earn a living.  Less risky than his previous employment as a drug dealer, he earned hundreds of dollars a day to support his six children.  Underground economies of this kind, always result from government overreach.  But ultimately, the powers that be would not be deprived of their tax money, sending four officers down to Bay Street to reclaim from Garner their just desserts.

Yet for all the agitation from Black Lives Matter, they have done little more than to take the money and run.  After pocketing tens of millions of grift from corporations and do-gooders, BLM left progressive cities in ruin and residents without much-needed protection.  

Instead, the showdown continues.  Loyal to a fault, neither side is willing to meet the other halfway.  Each spins their own truths and lie by omission.  And because of that, black and blue blood will continue to be needlessly spilled.