Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

merrily

(45,251 posts)
Tue Nov 25, 2014, 03:14 AM Nov 2014

Police violence. We must do what we can to help prevent it.

Even if you are in a blue town in a blue state, let your Mayor and town or city council members and town meeting members know that you want police trained differently and will hold local leaders accountable for how police behave. (Cambridge is a blue town in a blue state, and look what happened to Professor Gates, an older man who walks with a cane, guilty of returning home tired--and at the hands of the cop who teaches classes on racial sensitivity, no less.)

Write your newspapers, too, whatever is left of them.

Organize a peaceful demonstration outside your city hall.

If your city or town has a local cable access station, see if you can get on one of the shows to urge people in your area to contact their local government to insist on different kinds of training for law enforcement.

I am having trouble thinking of more suggestions right now.



Here is a link to an organization that is active and will remain active around the issue of police killing people of color.

http://www.handsupunited.org/join-the-movement/

On edit: Michael Brown's mom asks that we join the Brown family to fight for every cop in the country to wear a body camera.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/25/us/ferguson-darren-wilson-shooting-michael-brown-grand-jury.html?_r=0

I would still push for re-training, too, because a film of a dead person is not ideal. Though it should help bring the trigger happy to justice, preventing a death is preferable.

It also occurs to me that you can contact a state legislator that you think will be friendly to the causes mentioned in this post and ask him or her to sponsor a bill. And/or, you can google how to file a citizen's bill in your state.

If you know of other organizations working on this, please post the links on this thread. Please also post your suggestions for ways to be pro-active to prevent more deaths.

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Police violence. We must do what we can to help prevent it. (Original Post) merrily Nov 2014 OP
Well, you and I may disagree ... NanceGreggs Nov 2014 #1
Thank you, Nance. merrily Nov 2014 #2
Great post. Jeff Rosenzweig Nov 2014 #3
You're welcome and thank you. merrily Nov 2014 #4
Kicking for early risers. merrily Nov 2014 #5
Kicked and Rec'd KMOD Nov 2014 #6
Appreciated! merrily Nov 2014 #7
Kicking in the hope of gathering more suggestions. merrily Nov 2014 #8
Yes, we need to act in our own communities. MineralMan Nov 2014 #9
Yes. Police are a local issue, not a "federal case." merrily Nov 2014 #13
We started putting body cams on cops two years ago. Bluenorthwest Nov 2014 #10
LAPD is currently conducting a public survey about the use of body cams Bluenorthwest Nov 2014 #11
Thanks! merrily Nov 2014 #12
rec & kick MerryBlooms Dec 2014 #14

NanceGreggs

(27,815 posts)
1. Well, you and I may disagree ...
Tue Nov 25, 2014, 03:35 AM
Nov 2014

... on a whole lot of things, merrily. But everything you have suggested here has a great deal of merit, and the makings of actually effecting change, rather than just talking about it on a website.

Well said, and well done.

 

Bluenorthwest

(45,319 posts)
11. LAPD is currently conducting a public survey about the use of body cams
Tue Nov 25, 2014, 01:43 PM
Nov 2014

I'm posting a link so that people can chime in, no matter where you live.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LAPDBodyWornVideo

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Police violence. We must...