[Xmca-l] Re: My Hometown Minneapolis

[Anthony Barra]

Ok. Thank you for your feedback.


On Sunday, June 7, 2020, Annalisa Aguilar <annalisa@unm.edu> wrote:

> Anthony,
>
> I'm not up on my recent history so I looked up "The Ferguson Effect" and
> found this link:
>
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferguson_effect__;!!Mih3wA!V-GgUXmlvGXuow_ScLz-5FuclmHmcW9Mura4Tk51-2cTRpVFOSSWawu-q_HJaWgXjMLw3Q$ 
> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferguson_effect__;!!Mih3wA!Wrb5nztyxIWQJePOViDxdlXyf-Nz0lKCXr-Sq01UtuLKHM6CwQ-PEhrbx6gDrWe0Acj0DQ$>
>
> Which states that distrust of police has caused increase in crime, that "the
> criminal element is feeling empowered." I'm having a hard time with that
> phrase and its meaning, which was coined by the Dotson, St. Louis police
> chief, by the way.
>
> Why on earth would the police get to name the scenario for which they are
> the author and sole perpetrators of this particular form social injustice?
> That is like the rapist getting to decide what are the facts and
> consequences of his act of rape upon the victim. That makes no sense at all.
>
> If you want to really take it "to heart," why would the police do this to
> themselves? If the consequence of their actions was to "privilege" the
> "criminal element"? Should I say "poor, poor police officers!" ??
> Intelligent leadership would agree that police reform is valid and that the
> police have to work HARDER to instill trust in their own communities. It's
> on them to reject bad cop behavior and to punish the "bad apples" who sully
> the officers who do actually provide service to their communities.
>
> (Also: Note the dehumanizing of the phrase "criminal element." Why not
> just say "criminals feel empowered." But it doesn't matter... Most
> criminals feel empowered, regardless of AA profiling. Or was he including
> "white collar criminal elements" too?)
>
>
> I'm not sure you are being appropriate at all. Please do not take my words
> and twist them, thank you.
>
> I disagree with you entirely in many ways, there isn't a need to balance
> head with heart, because that is the entire Cartesian fallacy, that head
> and heart are separated. It's not about balance, it's about
> appropriateness.
>
> What we need is holistic awareness of doing what has to be done in the
> here and now.
>
> Please wake up. What we are experiencing is what we have witnessed in
> "other countries" with authoritarian leaders: a strengthening of police for
> surveillance, monitoring, and control of the citizenry. When you look at
> the video of George Floyd or Eric Garner, or others being shot in the back,
> etc. you should instead think, "THAT is me, unless I do something about
> it."
>
> Do you want to live in a world where your neck has a police officer's knee
> upon it? Because that is what is coming for you but only unless you decide
> to do something about it.
>
> Here is something that is appropriate:
>
> "They came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I
> wasn't a Communist.
>
> Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
>
> Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I
> wasn't a trade unionist.
>
> Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a
> Protestant.
>
> Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."
>
>
>
> Niemöller backed Hitler at first, remember.  His "criminal element" was
> that he thought he was better than the others, he thought he was protected.
> He thought he was privileged. That he would never be taken away.
>
> What kind of world do you want anyway?
>
> What are you willing to do for change?
>
> What is *your* imagination on that?
>
> Have you any ideas at all?
>
> Or are we just chatting as something to pass time while in shelter?
>
> How do you plan to take action.
>
> Meaningful action.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Annalisa
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu>
> on behalf of Anthony Barra <anthonymbarra@gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Sunday, June 7, 2020 1:33 PM
> *To:* eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu>
> *Subject:* [Xmca-l] Re: My Hometown Minneapolis
>
>
> *  [EXTERNAL]*
> Thank you, Annalisa.  I think what you say here about the real costs of
> 'waiting around for data' is quite beautiful:
> "I feel that this is a perhaps unintended reaction that has a consequence
> to prolong the lack of care our communities need. That is, to leisurely sit
> and debate about causes while the injured bleed to death.
>
> Maybe it's not appropriate to get "academic" about this right now. Maybe
> there is an emotional bypass going on.
>
> There's something very Cartesian about trying to solve a problem into
> parts as if doing so will provide clarity of cause. The worth of African
> American lives is not a mathematical proof. I feel this numbers talk
> dehumanizes people.
>
> At the same time, I'm not attempting to censor anyone. We need to talk. It
> is good."
>
> Talk is good, and as far as I'm currently aware, the so-called "Ferguson
> Effect" has turned out to be real. Unfortunately and terribly so, with its
> own real costs.
>
> So, as I believe you implied, there is indeed a balance to strike between
> the proverbial heart and head.
>
> Anthony
>
>
>
> On Sunday, June 7, 2020, Annalisa Aguilar <annalisa@unm.edu> wrote:
>
> Hello fellow gardeners of Us and Them,
>
> I have to agree with Michael, without meaning to put words in his mouth,
> but I feel his meaning is, getting into arguments about statistics, when it
> is well known there is injustice of profiling African American men and that
> there are too many being murdered by police for no reason, doesn't mean
> that murder of other colors is any less unsavory. Murder is murder,
> corruption is corruption, injustice is injustice.
>
> Let's not get into suffering contests that go no where, "My suffering is
> worse than yours," or "their suffering is worse than ours". That really
> doesn't speak to the issue that clearly quacks like a duck. Or should we
> argue whether it is a duck or not?
>
> Another problem I'm having in this reading to this discussion (not just on
> this list), is to debate about the cause. Clearly the issue of any sort of
> injustice doesn't have a neat and clean cause-and-effect rhythm. Oh, if
> only we can change the cause we can alter its effects. But when something
> happened (or didn't happen as the case may be) ~250+ years ago, it's hard
> to time travel and change the history. Yes, we should understand it.
>
> Yet, when someone is bleeding from a gunshot wound, does it help at that
> moment to ask "Who pulled the trigger?"
>
> I feel that this is a perhaps unintended reaction that has a consequ
>
>
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