Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.

smithsonianmag.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 42 posts

Re: The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.

#21

Post by gamblor956 »

groby_b wrote: post #7
wpietri wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that's reasonable. I strongly recommend Kendi's booked "Stamped from the Beginning", which is basically a history of racist ideas. One of the things that's really striking about it is the extent to which the ideas commonly in circulation are ones useful to the powerful. One clear example from the book is the various theories of natural inferiority. During long periods when white slavery of Africans was common…

The history of the US police is firmly rooted in slave patrols, so your suspicion is pretty much spot on.

That is wrong. Police forces originated in North, where slavery was outlawed. Slave patrols were not formed until nearly 70 years later.

https://plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/history-policing-united...

Re: The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.

#22

Post by brendoelfrendo »

ThAw0 wrote: post #20
raincom wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always wonder why Democrats, while in power, don't something about this and other problems that African Americans face? It is okay to accuse Republicans for blocking some reforms. Why can't Democrats address systemic injustices when they had numbers? Leaving everything to the Supreme Court does not help, as it takes 100 years for SCOTUS to make a change, as Justices take baby steps. Politicians can take a faster ro…

>I always wonder why Democrats, while in power, don't something about this and other problems that African Americans face? Do what? Make violent crimes legal? >It is okay to accuse Republicans for blocking some reforms. Why can't Democrats address systemic injustices when they had numbers? Those damn Republicans and enforcing rule of law! Police brutality aside (there needs to be State-level inspectors general), Afri…

Ok, rectify generations of slavery, followed by segregation, followed by institutionalized racism, and that will happen. Crime is linked with poverty, and racism and racist policies are a major driver of poverty in African American communities.

Re: The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.

#23

Post by SpicyLemonZest »

raincom wrote: post #13
rcurry wrote: post #10

We have a systemic problem in this country when it comes to policing, and it’s not about racism - it’s far worse than that, if there even is such a thing. It’s called “qualified immunity” and it’s NOT in our country’s constitution. It’s a fabrication, a lie, a horrifying farce that allows our cops and DAs to operate with near total impunity for any malicious activity they choose to engage in. Our “system” is hopeless…

I always wonder why Democrats, while in power, don't something about this and other problems that African Americans face? It is okay to accuse Republicans for blocking some reforms. Why can't Democrats address systemic injustices when they had numbers? Leaving everything to the Supreme Court does not help, as it takes 100 years for SCOTUS to make a change, as Justices take baby steps. Politicians can take a faster ro…

The first step to understanding would be to question your implicit framing. Is it really true that Democrats are uniformly trying to help black people and Republicans uniformly want to prevent that?

Re: The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.

#24

Post by drunkpotato »

brendoelfrendo wrote: post #22
ThAw0 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I always wonder why Democrats, while in power, don't something about this and other problems that African Americans face? Do what? Make violent crimes legal? >It is okay to accuse Republicans for blocking some reforms. Why can't Democrats address systemic injustices when they had numbers? Those damn Republicans and enforcing rule of law! Police brutality aside (there needs to be State-level inspectors general), Afri…

Ok, rectify generations of slavery, followed by segregation, followed by institutionalized racism, and that will happen. Crime is linked with poverty, and racism and racist policies are a major driver of poverty in African American communities.

It's best not to respond to a troll arguing in bad faith. I just flagged their comment and recommend you do the same. It's not worth wasting the time and emotional energy.

Re: The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.

#25

Post by erentz »

raincom wrote: post #13
rcurry wrote: post #10

We have a systemic problem in this country when it comes to policing, and it’s not about racism - it’s far worse than that, if there even is such a thing. It’s called “qualified immunity” and it’s NOT in our country’s constitution. It’s a fabrication, a lie, a horrifying farce that allows our cops and DAs to operate with near total impunity for any malicious activity they choose to engage in. Our “system” is hopeless…

I always wonder why Democrats, while in power, don't something about this and other problems that African Americans face? It is okay to accuse Republicans for blocking some reforms. Why can't Democrats address systemic injustices when they had numbers? Leaving everything to the Supreme Court does not help, as it takes 100 years for SCOTUS to make a change, as Justices take baby steps. Politicians can take a faster ro…

They have half of Congress at the moment, holding a majority in the House by the way. They could pass a bill right now addressing anything (pick your favorite issue that is broadly supported by the Democrat voter base) and send it to the Senate to be debated. Yet they don't. People need to wrap their head around the possibility that Democrat party leadership doesn't actually agree with their "base" on the issues, they just pretend to. The evidence is there in the record.

Re: The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.

#26

Post by ThAw0 »

brendoelfrendo wrote: post #22
ThAw0 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I always wonder why Democrats, while in power, don't something about this and other problems that African Americans face? Do what? Make violent crimes legal? >It is okay to accuse Republicans for blocking some reforms. Why can't Democrats address systemic injustices when they had numbers? Those damn Republicans and enforcing rule of law! Police brutality aside (there needs to be State-level inspectors general), Afri…

Ok, rectify generations of slavery, followed by segregation, followed by institutionalized racism, and that will happen. Crime is linked with poverty, and racism and racist policies are a major driver of poverty in African American communities.

>Ok, rectify generations of slavery, followed by segregation, followed by institutionalized racism, and that will happen.

Already done, it's 2020. Crime is much more linked with ethnicity than it is with poverty.

The poorest ethnic group in NYC (where I live) are Asians (https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_58ff7f40e4b0c46f0782a5b6). They still commit orders of magnitude less crimes than blacks (https://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/race-crime-and-poli...).

Re: The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.

#27

Post by ThAw0 »

drunkpotato wrote: post #24
brendoelfrendo wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, rectify generations of slavery, followed by segregation, followed by institutionalized racism, and that will happen. Crime is linked with poverty, and racism and racist policies are a major driver of poverty in African American communities.

It's best not to respond to a troll arguing in bad faith. I just flagged their comment and recommend you do the same. It's not worth wasting the time and emotional energy.

>It's best not to respond to a troll arguing in bad faith.

Bad faith? I'm arguing with facts, and logic. Just because it goes against the narrative and triggers you doesn't mean it's "bad faith".

Re: The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.

#29

Post by ThAw0 »

raincom wrote: post #13
rcurry wrote: post #10

We have a systemic problem in this country when it comes to policing, and it’s not about racism - it’s far worse than that, if there even is such a thing. It’s called “qualified immunity” and it’s NOT in our country’s constitution. It’s a fabrication, a lie, a horrifying farce that allows our cops and DAs to operate with near total impunity for any malicious activity they choose to engage in. Our “system” is hopeless…

I always wonder why Democrats, while in power, don't something about this and other problems that African Americans face? It is okay to accuse Republicans for blocking some reforms. Why can't Democrats address systemic injustices when they had numbers? Leaving everything to the Supreme Court does not help, as it takes 100 years for SCOTUS to make a change, as Justices take baby steps. Politicians can take a faster ro…

>I always wonder why Democrats, while in power, don't something about this and other problems that African Americans face?

Do what? Make violent crimes legal?

>It is okay to accuse Republicans for blocking some reforms. Why can't Democrats address systemic injustices when they had numbers?

Those damn Republicans and enforcing rule of law!

Police brutality aside (there needs to be State-level inspectors general), African Americans need to stop commiting crimes at orders of magnitude higher levels than other minority groups.

The poorest ethnic group in NYC (where I live) are Asians (https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_58ff7f40e4b0c46f0782a5b6). They still commit orders of magnitude less crimes than blacks (https://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/race-crime-and-poli...).

Re: The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.

#30

Post by TA0X4 »

drunkpotato wrote: post #24
brendoelfrendo wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, rectify generations of slavery, followed by segregation, followed by institutionalized racism, and that will happen. Crime is linked with poverty, and racism and racist policies are a major driver of poverty in African American communities.

It's best not to respond to a troll arguing in bad faith. I just flagged their comment and recommend you do the same. It's not worth wasting the time and emotional energy.

Why was what he said bad faith? He posted sources to back up he points.

You can't just claim "bad faith" because what he said triggers you.

Post reply on HN