There are compelling critiques that the entire industry of social
measurement itself is a tool of social control by the dominant power

On Thu, Jun 11, 2020 at 5:07 PM Liz Swan <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> Courageous. I like it. Thinking of people in terms of 'process' instead of
> a noun ("racist" or other) is helpful. It's hard especially now to express
> these sentiments, but as a white woman with no criminal background, I've
> had some encounters with police officers that would make your head spin.
>
> Liz Swan, PhD
>
> Program for Writing & Rhetoric
> University of Colorado Boulder
>
> Independent Broker & Owner
> Swan Real Estate LLC
>
> Certified Yoga Instructor
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 11, 2020, 3:41 PM Ari Delashmutt <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>> Joe's rant was pretty epic and knocked me in the head hard. It made some
>> things click. I wrote an article about said things, Medium says its a 6
>> minute read. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
>>
>>
>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__medium.com_-40ariintheair_inquiring-2Dabout-2Dall-2Dlives-2Dmatter-2D3a248f6e568&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=C-AZSt32-UBXviN65n9-TnRRZdtkCEXgTS_gvec9GkI&s=4EGG0xU-4dM5zeVJe-8GqItyOy2dDawxtJbeA8gGC-E&e= 
>> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__medium.com_-40ariintheair_inquiring-2Dabout-2Dall-2Dlives-2Dmatter-2D3a248f6e568&d=DwMFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=zBJ6lBDpCiQ4Bhq3euXX5MZVnTU26c6Dwa6pgV0hj3Q&s=1nPhh9I2G6sNcfQdNXTlBXMG1P33L3umcXo8VIJrIXI&e=>
>>
>> With love,
>> Ari
>>
>> On Thu, Jun 11, 2020 at 9:44 AM Henriques, Gregg - henriqgx <
>> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>> Joe,
>>>
>>>   Thanks for this analysis. Very helpful in clarifying the sociological
>>> issues.
>>>
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Gregg
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *From:* tree of knowledge system discussion <
>>> [log in to unmask]> *On Behalf Of *Joseph Michalski
>>> *Sent:* Thursday, June 11, 2020 12:04 PM
>>> *To:* [log in to unmask]
>>> *Subject:* Re: Two articles on Policing
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Dear Colleagues:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> With all due respect, I simply cannot support a "50-50, he said, she
>>> said" approach to the analysis the state of policing and justification
>>> systems invoked to support particular agendas. Please feel free to ignore
>>> the following "rant" from a stereotypical "left-wing" sociologist, yours
>>> truly. I don't agree w/ that characterization, but what choice do I have?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Even if one could step outside of the political firestorm, the social
>>> scientific theories and certainly the empirical evidence - including that
>>> which Heather MacDonald (author, btw, of a book that I read a couple years
>>> ago titled *The War on Cops*) cites - points to deep-seated biases &
>>> differential treatment, as well as real-life differential outcomes for what
>>> happens to "real people" in "real communities." But the discourse is so
>>> tilted in the U.S. (even moreso than in Canada where I live) that it would
>>> take far too much time to make the case for why even much of the discourse
>>> even in the current framing tends to be far more "right-wing" and
>>> conservative, as well as at odds with the social scientific literature.
>>> MacDonald states that "I urge this committee to reject the proposition that
>>> law enforcement today is systemically biased. The evidence does not support
>>> that charge." And yet her own highly distorted & limited presentation of
>>> the numbers *still* provides evidence of biases in policing and
>>> disproportionate surveillance & criminalization of African-American (and
>>> racialized minorities) in general. And, of course, she ignores the far
>>> wider range of evidence that's even more damning and that would subvert her
>>> claims entirely.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> But here's the bigger point. Most people ignore the fact that if you
>>> want "more crime," then hold constant civilian behavior and simply increase
>>> the number of police. More surveillance alone leads to more crime, all else
>>> constant. More people looking for "bad behavior" will lead to more
>>> observations, more arrests, etc. And who's in positions to "identify" and
>>> "observe" and then "sanction" perceived crime? Those in positions of social
>>> advantage and power. And that story has not changed all that much, despite
>>> the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Law enforcement continues to be
>>> highly skewed and biased, almost regardless of the metric that you use.
>>> Tons of empirical stuff does not even get counted, such as the # of times
>>> that people who are stopped for "identical reasons" if you could hold all
>>> else constant (e.g., speeding) end up being treated *differently* on
>>> the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, or any # of other social factors, to
>>> say nothing of human psychology, that might affect how transactions &
>>> interactions unfold. Where's all that data? Nowhere. And yet, do a thought
>>> experiment with me. Imagine if you were to test all the police in terms of
>>> their propensities for implicit bias or even overt manifestations of
>>> racism? What if you did comprehensive personality profiles? What would you
>>> find? And, then take that a step further. Despite the training they receive
>>> (often only 12 weeks or less), how might they end up interacting with
>>> "random" samples of people from the general public? What do you think you
>>> *might* find if you were to really study these issues in-depth and
>>> scientifically? Do you think you might see various forms of differential
>>> treatment, especially if "unfiltered" (although, apparently in the case of
>>> some officers like Derek Chauvin, it really doesn't even matter if the
>>> camera is rolling)? What would be the distribution in terms of the general
>>> police force, even if 90% were totally enlightened, fair-minded individuals
>>> committed to the highest aspirations of the "protect and serve" philosophy
>>> (btw, the evidence on who the police "are" from social scientific research
>>> paints a vastly different picture)? So, if "only" 10% act on their biases,
>>> what effect would that have & who would disproportionately be targeted? And
>>> so on.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> And so the problems are far more deep-seated. If you want certain groups
>>> to be targeted, then increase police presence & see what happens. For
>>> example, what happens to "peaceful protesters" if there are more police
>>> around to "watch"? Forget the rioting and looting - how many arrests of
>>> looters have been caught on tape (and even then there are other issues to
>>> consider)? How many peaceful protesters have been beaten, or tear-gassed,
>>> or abused in one way or another?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> If there's a call to "de-fund" the police, does that mean no policing
>>> services? Or does that mean shifting some of the funding to investments in
>>> other types of services, education, health, infrastructure, opportunities,
>>> and investments in "poor" communities? Even among self-identified
>>> "liberals," how many want to live among and work with the poorest of the
>>> poor, be the awesome teachers I had in Fairfax County in the 1970s (white,
>>> privileged, wealthy, and largely segregated outside of TC Williams!) for
>>> young people "at risk" in those communities, move their families & live
>>> among & befriend those in the poorest neighbourhoods, and invest in small
>>> businesses or have their larger corporations relocate in those communities
>>> to create work incentives? And who's providing the health and social
>>> services, working with those suffering from substance abuse problems, or
>>> coaching the kids in sports and extra-curricular activities? No, none of
>>> THAT stuff can really be "legislated" and you certainly cannot force people
>>> to live in more integrated or diverse 'hoods, but at least recognize that
>>> much of the funding and tax relief directly benefits the wealthy (as Billie
>>> Eilish might sing, "Duh") and those in positions of power, including the
>>> police & the military. Far more money is spent on the U.S. military (yes,
>>> that's *directly* relevant to this discussion) and to U.S. policing
>>> than to all other publicly-funded health and human services. Not even
>>> close, especially if you set aside social security (which no one seems to
>>> define as "socialism" in the U.S., but I digress...) But what's the
>>> narrative being advanced in halls of power and certainly by the Trumpian
>>> leadership on the right?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I cannot even begin to do justice to the thousands of scientific
>>> research studies that demonstrate the full range of biases and inequalities
>>> built into the systems of advanced-industrial democracies in general, to
>>> say nothing of what's happening in the most extremely polarized &
>>> militarized system on the face of the planet:  the U.S. military-industrial
>>> complex, who funding exceeds the next 10 countries in the world combined.
>>> I'm sorry, but I have spent my life trying to understand human behavior
>>> and, specifically crime, violence, and social control - and none of that
>>> (or the best of the work by the top leaders and pioneers in the field) gets
>>> noticed, acknowledged, or built into most of the discussions. Speaking only
>>> for myself, I think I may have reached the end of my career in even trying
>>> to have intelligent conversations about any of this stuff any longer. I'm
>>> sure I sound like a raving idiot. I just wish people could see at least
>>> *some* of the arguments and evidence as to how far to the right the
>>> discourse & justifications have shifted to the right. The one small kernel
>>> of hope? Some white protesters getting beaten again randomly & for no
>>> reason being detained are starting to ask, "Hey, I can't believe I'm being
>>> attacked for simply 'living my life' and 'being here'." No shit. That's
>>> what African-Americans and Indigenous peoples and racialized minorities
>>> have been saying for centuries. Duh.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Or, as a right-wing nutcase brother of mine once complained, "I can't
>>> believe a group of young black kids stopped & yelled at me 'hey Honky'
>>> while I was playing tennis in LA." He was so angry that these youngsters
>>> would throw that epithet in his direction, unprovoked & without knowing
>>> him. I thought: Great, a teachable moment. I asked him to reflect on how
>>> angry he got that this happened to him exactly once and as a successful,
>>> wealthy, 40-something lawyer w/ a multi-million dollar home. And could he
>>> imagine how his African-American counterpart might feel who experienced
>>> this type of prejudice, bias, and discrimination regularly from the time of
>>> being a child right on up throughout one's life. No, not *everyone* would
>>> act that way toward the African-American walking among them. MOST people
>>> would be kind and treat each person fairly and with respect. But, that
>>> said, how many in the population would treat the racialized minority or the
>>> "other" differently, negatively, and/or with hostility? And how many times
>>> would that have happened over the many years? And what impact would that
>>> have on one's self-esteem, confidence, or general feeling of well-being?
>>> And yet look at what impact, my dear brother, just ONE incident had upon
>>> your mental health and well-being as a successful grown man. He still
>>> doesn't get it, and never will.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> So much more to say, but I'll move along as an "old guy" now. But, in
>>> contrast to a lot of others in my generation, I have a different sign on my
>>> lawn. It's not "get off my lawn", but rather "all are welcome - come and
>>> hang out on my lawn & I'll even get you a drink if you're thirsty..." Best,
>>> -joe
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Dr. Joseph H. Michalski
>>>
>>> King’s University College at Western University
>>>
>>> 266 Epworth Avenue, DL-201
>>>
>>> London, Ontario, Canada  N6A 2M3
>>>
>>> Tel: (519) 433-3491
>>>
>>> Email: [log in to unmask]
>>>
>>> ______________________
>>>
>>> *ei*π + 1 = 0
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>>
>>> *From:* tree of knowledge system discussion <
>>> [log in to unmask]> on behalf of Henriques, Gregg -
>>> henriqgx <[log in to unmask]>
>>> *Sent:* Thursday, June 11, 2020 7:47 AM
>>> *To:* [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
>>> *Subject:* Two articles on Policing
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Dear TOK List,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>   For folks who are interested in understanding the divergent
>>> “justification systems” that are operating about the state of policing in
>>> this country, I recommend the following articles:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Heather MacDonald is a conservative scholar who has long argued that the
>>> fundamental progressive narrative about brutal cops as an aggregate is
>>> misguided. This is a transcript of her testimony to congress yesterday:
>>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.city-2Djournal.org_repudiate-2Dthe-2Danti-2Dpolice-2Dnarrative&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=C-AZSt32-UBXviN65n9-TnRRZdtkCEXgTS_gvec9GkI&s=6h5dBD7-6czpKHOqOaivQ2RSsH12L0WEs1KESzsyf6M&e= 
>>> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.city-2Djournal.org_repudiate-2Dthe-2Danti-2Dpolice-2Dnarrative&d=DwMF-w&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=h6kB7iQCbvdCGiWf2dX8DsIsU4IDPEmOLWq59xpgmxA&s=2s_tONfe_Ppbxvo1_VFMw_2AtomzpYiwXjJUPwpWx2E&e=>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Nicholas Kristof is a liberal NY Times columnist who has long advocated
>>> for social justice causes. This is his call for how to effectively think
>>> about “defunding the police”:
>>>
>>>
>>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.nytimes.com_2020_06_10_opinion_defund-2Dpolice-2Dfloyd-2Dprotests.html-3Fcampaign-5Fid-3D2-26emc-3Dedit-5Fth-5F200611-26instance-5Fid-3D19255-26nl-3Dtodaysheadlines-26regi-5Fid-3D35223894-26segment-5Fid-3D30632-26user-5Fid-3D8e4f03af2447d5adeb5069c9fb9bdf47&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=C-AZSt32-UBXviN65n9-TnRRZdtkCEXgTS_gvec9GkI&s=nRbEg9KAcWjw65ybTyjNqWd0Ya0MwQSkDDD7L3iDIj8&e= 
>>> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.nytimes.com_2020_06_10_opinion_defund-2Dpolice-2Dfloyd-2Dprotests.html-3Fcampaign-5Fid-3D2-26emc-3Dedit-5Fth-5F200611-26instance-5Fid-3D19255-26nl-3Dtodaysheadlines-26regi-5Fid-3D35223894-26segment-5Fid-3D30632-26user-5Fid-3D8e4f03af2447d5adeb5069c9fb9bdf47&d=DwMF-w&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=h6kB7iQCbvdCGiWf2dX8DsIsU4IDPEmOLWq59xpgmxA&s=pmUhEi7QK-PfiU3_NKYdXNTORTXOCsIISOzgZPnoEXI&e=>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>   NEXT MONDAY at 5:30 pm EDT we will be having Professor Mike Mascolo
>>> offer his insightful framework for understanding conflict, and bridging
>>> divides to create common ground. A formal announcement will be coming soon.
>>>
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Gregg
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ############################
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>>
>>
>> --
>> [image: photo]
>> *Ari in the Air*
>> Athlete & Filmmaker
>>
>> 4582926933
>> Bend Oregon
>>
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