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=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=zBJ6lBDpCiQ4Bhq3euXX5MZVnTU26c6Dwa6pgV0hj3Q&s=wYQBIUYwkgQ3vxhFrcP487FoU-ckz0Fttuk5XMXukE4&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=zBJ6lBDpCiQ4Bhq3euXX5MZVnTU26c6Dwa6pgV0hj3Q&s=WZLHzCX_JMpVoTzppFi1cfYugH6rK8tbGawdfp3RfQs&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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