Yet again today more painful video of police killing a civilian.
I’m not going to weigh in on this particular shooting right now, but instead provide some context.
Similar to it’s problem unique problem with guns, overall, US police kill far more civilians than in any other country.
Are we a uniquely criminal country in the world? Are we uniquely crazy? I doubt it. We are simply awash in guns and have a uniquely sick gun culture.
Regarding policing specifically, given the complexity of the issue, I won’t venture too much in a short post like this.
But I will say I was shocked to accidentally get a window into how police are recruited. Pekin, Illinois is a city not far from where I live. While browsing for video production companies, of all things, I came across the video below. Check out how they look to attract new officers:
So, policing in Pekin will involve siccing dogs on people, rolling up in military equipment with rifles at the ready, plenty of shooting, and high-speed chases? Wow, I’ve been to Pekin a lot over the years, and I never realized it was a warzone.
If this is how we’re going about police recruitment in the US - if these are the expectations that we’re setting - no wonder we have a problem.