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The anti-anti-tyranny argument

A friend recently texted me a link to a Vox article titled “Why the anti-tyranny case for the 2nd Amendment shouldn’t be dismissed so quickly,” by Dave Kopel, asking my thoughts on it. My first reaction was that I wasn’t even sure what the article was trying to argue, unless it was really just making the case implied in the headline: “Don’t ignore this, and here’s some philosophical thinking to prove it’s a legitimate line of thought.” But then it marinated, and soon I was barraging him with a text message rant.

Before I go on, let me disclaim (word?) that I am not writing this article with the intent of expressing an opinion on the right to bear arms; I’m merely responding to a particular article making a particular case about that right. Continue reading “The anti-anti-tyranny argument”

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Blow-by-blow: Woman kneed, punched, and Tased in Wisconsin

In my ever-more-depressing scan of my Facebook feed the other day, I came across the following video purporting to depict police brutality. The 58 second version is as follows:

Even in those 58 seconds, how a police officer sees this video is likely going to be very different from how a civilian–especially one with anti-police sentiments–sees the video. But before we launch into the blow-by-blow, I did manage to dig up a much more complete video. Continue reading “Blow-by-blow: Woman kneed, punched, and Tased in Wisconsin”

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The Orlando attack

Shooting_at_Pulse_Nightclub.jpg
Public domain photo from the State of Florida

Three days ago, 29-year-old Omar Mateen walked into a gay night club in Orlando with a SIG Sauer-manufactured semi-aumatica rifle and a Glock 17 handgun and opened fire. He killed 49 people and wounded over 50 more before being killed in a shootout with police. This is widely being labeled as the worst mass killing in United States history. (Note: Some have been countering that Wounded Knee and other massacres of American Indians have seen more deaths; I won’t for a second try to minimize those tragedies, but it all depends on what criteria you’re using.)

I suppose a good blogger would have been on top of this sooner. Many, many have. I find it difficult to find the words to write something measured and coherent in the wake of such an atrocity. Partly because I’m not sure I have anything to say that will approach adequacy; partly because I fear that once I get started, I won’t be able to stop, and I still won’t have said everything I want to say. But here I go… Continue reading “The Orlando attack”

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On race and policing in America

Having just been at a conference where I was lucky enough to engage in a lot of difficult, but enlightening, conversations about race and policing in post-Ferguson America, I’m feeling fired up and ready to take my first stab at blogging about something that I’ve been thinking about for years: Race and policing in America, as understood by a progressive white cop. I hope you have some time on your hands, and whether you’re on the pro- or anti-law enforcement side of some of these debates, I’ll ask you keep reading past the parts where you disagree with me. Continue reading “On race and policing in America”

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On the “tactical” look

Recently I was at a cross-training for law enforcement officers and mental health professionals where one of the session leaders said–as an aside–”did you know your uniforms were designed to intimidate?”CHP-Swat-Team

His source was a superior at his own organization, who used that to justify not allowing uniformed police officers to be seen “hanging around” their mental health facility in order to give clients rides home.

With policing in the spotlight these past few years, uniforms are indeed one of the things that have generated discussion. You may remember this being in the spotlight in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, during the unrest following the shooting of Michael Brown. Local police were criticized for wearing riot gear, while the Missouri State Highway Patrol was praised for sporting a more traditional look. Last year, President Obama brought attention to this issue again when he advocated “softer looking” uniforms for police officers. Shortly thereafter, Travis Yates wrote a response on Law Officer, called “Why the Soft Uniform is Dangerous.” Continue reading “On the “tactical” look”

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Your cop friend

The first post is always the most awkward.

I’m a youngish officer at a medium-to-large city police department in the Midwest. (While I appreciate the weight of specificity, speaking publicly as a police officer is a complex thing, and I’m not ready to say more about who I am just yet.)

I’m not what most people expect from a cop. I, like almost all my non-cop friends, could safely be called a liberal–though those same non-cop friends would probably accuse me of having drifted to their political right. I was raised a pacifist, am educated in nonviolent communication, and experienced in peace activism. I have a Master’s degree and worked in higher education before coming, later than many, into law enforcement. And what I’ve found is that this identity–being engaged in communities that seldom overlap–has positioned me to provide a sometimes unique perspective to both pro- and anti-police folks.

That’s not to suggest that I have a perspective that’s better than anyone else’s or that everyone has something to learn from me. But having found myself in so many of these cross-cultural (if you will) conversations, I’ve felt a consistent desire for quite a while to throw some writing out into the blogosphere, specifically about law enforcement issues.

I hope that I will find police and civilians alike in my audience; the only commonality I seek in those I speak to is having some interest in policing in America. But at the outset, what I will probably most often be trying to do is explain the often insular and mysterious world of law enforcement to those outside our circles, who may be confused or angry by what they read or experience, and who may want to know more.

So if you don’t have one, I’m your token cop friend, here to help explain how policing works and maybe provide some insight why we do things the way we do. And if you’re a cop, I’ll be your token crunchy liberal, offering a peek into a mindset that is equally foreign.

And then we’ll see where it goes from there.