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Drug War Root Cause Of Police Shootings


t-pain

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http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/gary-johnson-dallas-shooting-225294

 

 

“The root is the war on drugs, I believe. Police knocking down doors, shooting first,” Johnson said in an interview Friday in Washington. “If you are (black and) arrested in a drug-related crime, there is four times more likelihood of going to prison than if you are white. And shooting is part of the same phenomenon.”

 

“That’s the common thread. Shootings are occurring with black people, black people are dying,” he added. “This is an escalation.”

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Yea I think the issue is a little more complex than claiming the war on drugs is the root cause. Considering the war on drugs was racially and politically motivated in the first place, it isn’t really the ‘root’. But racism is not the only reason for police shootings. Yes, the African American community and other minorities are profiled more often and racism is a contributing factor. However, these shootings affect all races, ages and nationalities. One innocent person being shot dead is enough for me, it doesn’t matter who they are.

 

Racism and social factors are likely involved in profiling and detaining individuals, while improper training, police militarization and escalation (rather than de-escalation) results in shootings. This appears to be what at least one of the linked articles also concludes, that minorities are having increased interactions with LEO in the first place. However, I would like to see some numbers for the relative amount of LEO encounters versus shootings between races before making any conclusions; i.e. what the relative chance of being shot per each encounter is. From various scientific articles on this subject, it appears that this information does not exist. What does appear to be clear is that this is not a uniform phenomenon, but instead varies widely across states and counties (http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0141854).

 

Regardless, we are definitely bordering on widespread racial violence that is obviously misguided and wrong. Even though racism is involved in many of the horrible things going on including the prison system, the shooting discrepancies likely began as an indirect result of racial profiling. Now with some individuals turning to violence rather than trying to peacefully change how our police function, it is possible that racism will play a larger and direct role in future shootings due to fear. Just like the 'war on terror', this is a self-amplifying issue that is going to get worse with misinformation and better only if everyone unites.

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While I believe that the war on drugs has created a fertile environment for leo's behavior, I do not believe it is the root.

The root cause/s goes back so much further into history, it is much deeper and is also multi faceted.

 

A Rose by any other name still smells like a rose... LikeWise my favorite buds by any other name still smell like a skunk! ...and I do miss 'em. Also Im pretty sure we're talking about 'White Supremacy' here. This was the underlying premise this country was founded on. 

 

As the Civil Rights movement garnered momentum back in the 60's a new Battle Line was drawn. We saw its start in Detroit in the 1950s as the Big 4, culminating in the 1967 Riots then to counter this unfortunate reaction was born SWAT teams. As Civil Rights were given some ground a new Battle line was drawn, the one we are all too familiar with: The War on Drugs. How about a new Militia too: we'll call it the DEA. 

 

   As this battle became more entrenched it began to grow tentacles. Infiltrating our former Peace Officers and Militarizing them into what we see today in MI as the no less than 20 specialized Drug Enforcement units known by such acronyms as FANG, BAYANET, HUNT, STING, DRANO, TNT, etc.

 

  We need to understand what's going on here and also that "...we will never miss them..." (>> 00:57 >>)

 

edit to correct 687 Riots: see link & hear about Big 4 @ 04:00 mins

Edited by solabeirtan
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It is most def a profiling thing!  It has been going on for yrs,  Didnt our government allow crack/cocain to be sold in L.A to support the war that ollie north dont recall?

 

our gov allowed drugs to be sold in mostly black neighbor hoods to support the drug war in columbia!

 

That is the truth!  Why didnt they just allow the crack to make it to the suburbs and rich neighbor hoods?  oh maybe they wouldnt have been able to fill our prisons with young black men if they did that!  all of our federal day camps with golf courses would have only been filled, that would have cost to much too make rich white folks comfortable in white collar fed prison's!

 

It is a race and profiling thing!  You couldnt pay me enough to be a cop in this day and age, Im suprised more cops have not been targeted upto this point!

 

Peace

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The war on terror and patriot act made the issue worse after the war on drugs. There are also economical and social factors that play a role, not necessarily any actions taken by individuals or communities. Ask yourself this though, if we ended the war on drugs would these shootings stop? If we somehow fix the social, economical and racial disparities, would that stop the shootings? As important as these things are, no they will not stop shootings because there are additional factors causing them beyond racism and the war on drugs. I would have to think that some of these issues are arising due to who is training these officers and writing their policies. But I think it is important to realize we are dealing with multiple problems here, not just racism, not just police brutality, but a whole host of issues. If we really want to focus on just the shootings then that's up to the media and activists, but we are not going to fix the problem by jumping to conclusions or dividing ourselves based upon race. I agree that minorities are doing nothing wrong and racism is indirectly increasing the amount of shootings through increased interaction with LEO. I don't agree with those claiming this is because some races commit more crimes or are more dangerous than others. But there is a difference between direct and indirect causation, which is crucial for finding a proper solution to unnecessary police shootings and brutality.

 

Remember that teen in Michigan who was shot seven times, which began from him flashing his lights due to the officers improper headlights? That the officer knew his headlights were an issue and he was using them to illegally pull over half-a-dozen other people? That situation involved no drugs or racism yet still happened... it happens all the time.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/16/us/michigan-sheriffs-sergeant-teen-shooting-lawsuit/

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34754889

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3679705/Horrific-new-video-shows-police-shooting-dead-unarmed-California-teen-19-lay-ground.html

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/06/us/seneca-teen-dead-police-shooting/

 

I pulled some stats from http://killedbypolice.net/ for last month (June) to show what is going on.

 

Sex:
Males: 97.8%
Females: 2.2%

 

Age:
Average Age: 34.9
Median Age: 31.0

 

Race:
Asian: 1.3%
Black: 31.3%
Latino: 21.3%
White: 40.0%
Other: 6.3%

 

Situation:
Drugs: 3.8%
Domestic Disturbance: 30.8%
Active Shooter: 11.5%
Mental Health: 7.7%
Traffic Stop: 17.3%
Road Rage: 1.9%
Wanted: 9.6%
Homicide Investigations: 5.8%
Burglary/Robbery: 11.5%

Edited by Alphabob
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Gary Johnson was the CEO of a cannabis business.

 

Gary Johnson named marijuana company CEO
By Russell Contreras - Associated Press - Tuesday, July 1, 2014
 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Nevada-based startup that plans on selling medical and recreational marijuana products named former New Mexico governor and U.S. Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson as its CEO and president, the company announced Tuesday.

 

The announcement came as Cannabis Sativa Inc. said it had acquired marijuana research business Kush while company officials work to navigate changing state laws on marijuana and potential challenges from the federal government, which still views marijuana as a controlled substance.

 

Johnson said he hoped to expand Cannabis Sativa into a major marijuana business and intends to work out of New Mexico to help develop products that are legal in states like Colorado and Washington.

 

“I generally believe this is changing the planet for the better,” said Johnson, who will be paid $1 a year and receive equity in the company. “It also is a bet on the future … We think we have the creme de la creme of marijuana products.”

 

Johnson, who owned a construction company that helped build Intel Corp.’s Rio Rancho, New Mexico, plant before entering politics, said the company will make marijuana-based oils aimed at helping children with epilepsy. The two-term governor also said it will make cough drop-like products for recreational use.

 

“Couple of things hit you when you try the product. One is, wow, why would anybody smoke marijuana given this is an alternative?” Johnson said. “And then secondly, it’s just very, very pleasant. I mean, very pleasant.”

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While I believe that the war on drugs has created a fertile environment for leo's behavior, I do not believe it is the root.

The root cause/s goes back so much further into history, it is much deeper and is also multi faceted.

Power and control, ultimately is what it comes down to, with money as the primary tool used.

 

Abuses we see here against one group of people against another is done in every country of every race, all onto themselves. Doesn't matter which race, which country, which time period in our history... We enact power and control of one group against another. Race is just but one facet of this plays out.

 

Power, control, greed and money. Look there for the root.

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Power and control, ultimately is what it comes down to, with money as the primary tool used.

 

Abuses we see here against one group of people against another is done in every country of every race, all onto themselves. Doesn't matter which race, which country, which time period in our history... We enact power and control of one group against another. Race is just but one facet of this plays out.

 

Power, control, greed and money. Look there for the root.

 

Root (?)    noun

 

2.       the basic cause, source, or origin of something.

     

   "love of money is the root of all evil"

   

         synonyms: sourceorigingerm, beginning(s), genesis

           causereasonbasisfoundationbottom,seat

           coreheartnubessence

       informal  ground zero

 

   "the root of the problem"

 

   There are very few countries (really only one) on the planet that has not suffered the dominating effects of Colonialism. Even they had to fight several wars (with, guess who?) to maintain this status as well as give up some territory.

 

Perhaps this might have something to do with your assertion?

 

Can you guess which country?

Edited by solabeirtan
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I agree that it started as a power grab and evolved into greed and control. That power grab was part racially motivated, although there were many groups targeted. Mostly the poor and those open minded enough to be against the types of wars we were waging. It has evolved into a police state that protects those in power, not the public. When troops sent to the Middle East are being trained by SWAT teams and police departments, there’s a problem. They like to bust into people’s houses like its bin laden’s compound, but all they find is nothing, a gram or two of bud or a few plants.

 

It’s this type of mentality where you’re a soldier rather than police officer. That instead of backing up from a suspect trying to drive away, you run up to their door with your gun pointed at them. Really? They almost ‘ran you over’ so you had to kill them with a shot to the back? The vast majority of these cases go unreported, the video’s never get released and the officers get away with murder. Then the police ‘investigate’ the shootings, which of course always come back clean just like the MSP lab fraud.

 

The war on drugs is only one aspect of what made this issue. But if we want to draw conclusions lets look at the actual data and statistics instead of relying on emotions or claims of activist. The shootings are a problem of police training, brutality and militarization, not racism or drugs.

 

Surprising New Evidence Shows Bias in Police Use of Force but Not in Shootings

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/12/upshot/surprising-new-evidence-shows-bias-in-police-use-of-force-but-not-in-shootings.html?_r=0

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History

The term "police brutality" was in use in the American press as early as 1872, when the Chicago Tribune[3] reported on the beating of a civilian under arrest at the Harrison Street Police Station.

The origin of 'modern' policing based on the authority of the nation state is commonly traced back to developments in seventeenth and 18th century France, with modern police departments being established in most nations by the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Cases of police brutality appear to have been frequent then, with "the routine bludgeoning of citizens by patrolmen armed with nightsticks or blackjacks."[4] Large-scale incidents of brutality were associated with labor strikes, such as the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, the Pullman Strike of 1894, the Lawrence textile strike of 1912, the Ludlow massacre of 1914, the Steel strike of 1919, and the Hanapepe massacre of 1924.

Portions of the population may perceive the police to be oppressors. In addition, there is a perception that victims of police brutality often belong to relatively powerless groups, such as minorities, the disabled, the young, and the poor.[5]

Hubert Locke writes,

When used in print or as the battle cry in a
rally, police brutality can by implication cover a number of practices, from calling a citizen by his or her first name to a death by a policeman's bullet. What the average citizen thinks of when he hears the term, however, is something midway between these two occurrences, something more akin to what the police profession knows as "alley court"—the wanton vicious beating of a person in custody, usually while
, and usually taking place somewhere between the scene of the arrest and the
.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_brutality

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It isnt in the mainstream consciousness, but there is that experiment conducted regarding the roles a person assumes, and the effect these roles play on ones perceptions, attitudes and behaviors... The whole jailer vs inmate study. Short of it is, once placed in a position/context/role, it is almost as if individual slef determination of behaviors gets silenced, and we begin to take on bahaviors that we would otherwise find reprehensible. Same type of validation of this idea comes from the experiment they did where a person assumed the role of administering a test over a subject they would pubish for giving incorrect responses... Those people assumed the role, and followed instructions that pained them personally to execute.

 

We can find similar psychological conditioning and outcomes in the greater community of le. We condition them in a belief that they are good, others are bad, and despite the tactics being distasteful, they are necessary and compulsory... Even good, true and just. Same thing goes for the ethos created in the military... Getting ordinary people to do horrible things, and to justify those bahaviors and outcomes in a cloak of the good.

 

Thing that gets me a little, is that we know all of this, but rather than guard against it, we institutionalize the process and extend the impacts. And this is done, as others have noticed, to the benefit of a select few, and at the harm to the greater majority. Cops and soldiers really are the common person... Just over broke. They come from the middle and lower classes in america, yet act on behalf of the privileged few that privately own most of our national wealth. What needs to happen is a break w the false ethos that the cops and soldiers serve the public good and are the defenders of justice. They have been brainwashed in other words. They are the slaves themselves, enforcing the policy of the slave owners.

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It isnt in the mainstream consciousness, but there is that experiment conducted regarding the roles a person assumes, and the effect these roles play on ones perceptions, attitudes and behaviors... The whole jailer vs inmate study. Short of it is, once placed in a position/context/role, it is almost as if individual slef determination of behaviors gets silenced, and we begin to take on bahaviors that we would otherwise find reprehensible. Same type of validation of this idea comes from the experiment they did where a person assumed the role of administering a test over a subject they would pubish for giving incorrect responses... Those people assumed the role, and followed instructions that pained them personally to execute.

We can find similar psychological conditioning and outcomes in the greater community of le. We condition them in a belief that they are good, others are bad, and despite the tactics being distasteful, they are necessary and compulsory... Even good, true and just. Same thing goes for the ethos created in the military... Getting ordinary people to do horrible things, and to justify those bahaviors and outcomes in a cloak of the good.

Thing that gets me a little, is that we know all of this, but rather than guard against it, we institutionalize the process and extend the impacts. And this is done, as others have noticed, to the benefit of a select few, and at the harm to the greater majority. Cops and soldiers really are the common person... Just over broke. They come from the middle and lower classes in america, yet act on behalf of the privileged few that privately own most of our national wealth. What needs to happen is a break w the false ethos that the cops and soldiers serve the public good and are the defenders of justice. They have been brainwashed in other words. They are the slaves themselves, enforcing the policy of the slave owners.

And as long as the lower class is subject to little opportunity, unstable employment, and low wages, the military becomes an attractive option. It almost seems that has been planned that way.

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It seems to me that the practice of hiring ex-soldiers that were in combat situations as police officers should be stopped immediately ( I know this is going to be quite unpopular). War time veterans will revert back to their military training at the drop of a hat when faced with what may seem like a combat situation, they cannot help it, it is so ingrained in them with the type of psychological warfare "training" they receive in the military, it is an automatic response. We have way too many ex-war veterans as police officers today, it makes it very unsafe for the general population. FYI, the war experience never left my father, you never touched him while he was sleeping, automatic response without thinking!!! We need peace officers, not a militarized police force, if we need a military answer to some situation that may arise within our borders, we have the National Guard to respond to that!!! Violence begets violence!!

                                                 Farmer Brown

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I think most of the police traffic stops for tail lights being out are basically police fishing expeditions.  I don't have statistics so am not really sure but I've long suspected these are a part of the war on drugs.  The officer gets to shine the flashlight inside the vehicle and look for other violations.  Let's face it, a burned out tail light is not all that dangerous to the public.  I am sure their in-car software could be altered to simply generate a postcard with a warning.

 

Maybe it would be a good idea to curtail these types of stops.  Might it be time to create fewer of these interactions with guns so available and officers so edgy?  I am not advocating for not stopping suspicious vehicles, but perhaps it is not the best atmosphere for fishing expeditions

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It isnt in the mainstream consciousness, but there is that experiment conducted regarding the roles a person assumes, and the effect these roles play on ones perceptions, attitudes and behaviors... The whole jailer vs inmate study. Short of it is, once placed in a position/context/role, it is almost as if individual slef determination of behaviors gets silenced, and we begin to take on bahaviors that we would otherwise find reprehensible. Same type of validation of this idea comes from the experiment they did where a person assumed the role of administering a test over a subject they would pubish for giving incorrect responses... Those people assumed the role, and followed instructions that pained them personally to execute.

 

We can find similar psychological conditioning and outcomes in the greater community of le. We condition them in a belief that they are good, others are bad, and despite the tactics being distasteful, they are necessary and compulsory... Even good, true and just. Same thing goes for the ethos created in the military... Getting ordinary people to do horrible things, and to justify those bahaviors and outcomes in a cloak of the good.

 

Thing that gets me a little, is that we know all of this, but rather than guard against it, we institutionalize the process and extend the impacts. And this is done, as others have noticed, to the benefit of a select few, and at the harm to the greater majority. Cops and soldiers really are the common person... Just over broke. They come from the middle and lower classes in america, yet act on behalf of the privileged few that privately own most of our national wealth. What needs to happen is a break w the false ethos that the cops and soldiers serve the public good and are the defenders of justice. They have been brainwashed in other words. They are the slaves themselves, enforcing the policy of the slave owners.

 

The Milgram Experiment 1962 Full Documentary

 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=1HcMWlnTtFQ

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It seems to me that the practice of hiring ex-soldiers that were in combat situations as police officers should be stopped immediately ( I know this is going to be quite unpopular). War time veterans will revert back to their military training at the drop of a hat when faced with what may seem like a combat situation, they cannot help it, it is so ingrained in them with the type of psychological warfare "training" they receive in the military, it is an automatic response. We have way too many ex-war veterans as police officers today, it makes it very unsafe for the general population. FYI, the war experience never left my father, you never touched him while he was sleeping, automatic response without thinking!!! We need peace officers, not a militarized police force, if we need a military answer to some situation that may arise within our borders, we have the National Guard to respond to that!!! Violence begets violence!!

                                                 Farmer Brown

 

I tend to agree dutch, hiring ex military as peace officers is not a reasonable nor responsible policy, as they are not trained for such duty.

I believe also that hiring ex military is part of the 'plan' towards a militarized state.

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I can't like your post, imiubu, because I hate it, but thank you for posting so we can understand the psychology of drug war enforcement better.

 

Thanks Zap.  I delve into those types of yt gems often.  While they are very disturbing, they do aid in my understanding.

 

That 'like' button is a tricky little tool me thinks.  I 'like' things often only to let the poster know that I appreciate them taking the time to post

a piece of information whether I actually agree or 'like' what was posted.

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There will also be negative social outcomes from these activist movements as we have already seen. We are focused on the one issue that isn’t really the issue, while the important ones have been swept aside. How convenient is that for the police state and its supporters to distract everyone from the real issues at hand? There are claims by the mainstream media that George Soros and others have been funding some of these activist groups. When I google ‘George Soros’ and ‘Police state’ I find many headlines with “George Soros Predicts Riots, Police State and Class Warfare” from 2011-2012. Seems like this is what he wanted to happen.

 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/14/george-soros-funds-ferguson-protests-hopes-to-spur/

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/major-donors-consider-funding-black-lives-matter-215814

 

Making these shootings appear racially motivated will only tear this country apart while increasing police brutality, rioting and violence out of fear. There is zero evidence that shootings are racially motivated, only strong evidence to the contrary. According to the available data, Caucasians are more likely to be shot at after adjusting for suspect, officer and encounter characteristics. The difference was 22% more likely for Caucasians, and this study was produced by an African American from Harvard… The study also shows that minorities are being physically harassed more often, so there is clearly racism involved overall and a different perception on their part. But the idea that officers wake up one day wanting to kill minorities is a horrible thing to say or propose without clear evidence. I see the same type of executions, poor training and erroneous decision making happening against all races and it needs to stop. You expect that someone might be shot in a robbery or active shooting, but there is vast room for improvement when handling traffic stops, mentally ill individuals and domestic disputes.

Edited by Alphabob
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I think most of the police traffic stops for tail lights being out are basically police fishing expeditions.  I don't have statistics so am not really sure but I've long suspected these are a part of the war on drugs.  The officer gets to shine the flashlight inside the vehicle and look for other violations.  Let's face it, a burned out tail light is not all that dangerous to the public.  I am sure their in-car software could be altered to simply generate a postcard with a warning.

 

Maybe it would be a good idea to curtail these types of stops.  Might it be time to create fewer of these interactions with guns so available and officers so edgy?  I am not advocating for not stopping suspicious vehicles, but perhaps it is not the best atmosphere for fishing expeditions

The last time I got stopped by LEO was about six years ago. I had some meds in my car and my back seat was loaded with hydro growing equipment. It was a cold January night. I put my driver's side window down about an inch and slipped my DL, registration, and proof of insurance to the cop. The cop came back to my car and gave all the paperwork back. He said that their was a crack in my tail light and he saw white light shining through. I asked him if I'd be OK if I just got some red tape from Autozone. He said, "Don't worry about it. I'm just looking for people with guns and illegal drugs." I said, "I don't have either." This was in Flint Township.

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