Plague Diary, In Which My City Is On Fucking Fire

[lydy]

I live in Minneapolis. The most recent murder by a cop happened 10 blocks from my house. The Target and Cub that have been set on fire were the places I most often bought Target-like objects and groceries. I've watched a fair bit of the live-streaming from Unicorn Riot. This didn't have to happen. This is what happens when cops are left unchecked.

I sent email to my city council person and my mayor, as follows:

I am terrified and heart-sick.  At every point, the police have escalated.  I stand firmly with the protestors, and against the police.  Further militarizing the situation is going to make things more violent, not less.  

I ask you to work to having the officers who killed Floyd arrested.  I ask you to stop the deployment of additional force, such as the National Guard.  I ask you to force the police to stand down, to call the Chief of Police to account for the actions of the officers.  I ask for an investigation to determine how this escalation happened.

I ask you to stand up for the people who are enraged and despairing, and not for the men who terrorize and abuse my neighbors.

I thank you for your time.  I apologize for my lack of eloquence or coherence.

I am tired and angry and frightened.  And it may be, again, a long, hot summer.  This has happened before.  It should not have happened again, and yet, here we are.  

Comments

[womzilla]

I think you know this, but it's something I feel people need reminding of. Dallas was well-known among those who study law enforcement for taking police reform seriously in the early part of the last decade. Even so, when 5 cops were killed in an ambush, it turned out one of them had obvious white supremacist tattoos.

That's 20%, in a *good* force.

(Yes, I know it's generalizing from a small sample. But come the fuck on: an Iron Cross tattoo isn't subtle.)