The Venn diagram of Americans who lionise cops because "they risk their lives every day!" and Americans who think cops are justified in lethally shooting first because "their life might've been at risk!" is a circle.
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Like, I'm sorry, but if a cop's first reaction to perceived risk - not even actual risk, just *perceived* - is to open fire in the knowledge that they'll likely face little or no consequences for a mistake, then the only *actual* risk is to the civilians they encounter, not THEM.
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"But cops are TRAINED to shoot first!" YES WELL DONE, THIS IS INDEED A MAJOR PART OF THE PROBLEM, CONGRATULATIONS ON IDENTIFYING ONE OF THE MANY FLAWS IN THIS DEEPLY FUCKED-UP SYSTEM!
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There is no part of American policing that sits well with me, but the thing I find absolutely wild is that, in a context where cops are allowed & expected to use guns, why is there is zero importance placed on shooting to wound?? LIKE?? EXCUSE ME?? WHAT??
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"I thought the perpetrator was reaching for a gun so I shot his hand, then rushed in to subdue him while doing first aid" vs "I thought the perpetrator was reaching for a gun so I emptied five rounds into his chest and let him bleed out in the street" MOTHERFUCKER *WHAT*??
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The extent to which so many Americans accept that shooting to kill is justified on the basis of suspicion, because the cop - the person PAID TO RISK THEIR LIFE - might've been in danger from a civilian - the person THEY ARE OSTENSIBLY MEANT TO PROTECT - is just nuts to me.
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Don't get me wrong, USian policing is a racist-ass failed system that can't be reformed, but a case in point as to why that's so is the hostility with which even reasonable reforms like "officers must demonstrably attempt non-lethal force or face meaningful consequences" are met
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Also to be clear, policing in other countries like Australia and the UK is also flawed and racist as hell, because the entire *concept* of policing and carceral "justice" is backwards to a medieval degree, but there is markedly less state-sanctioned gun murder.
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not to be a fantasy writer on main but when I read or write about city guards in fictional pre-industrial societies and those guards are exactly as corrupt as cops now, which is in keeping with quote-on-quote historical accuracy, One Wonders when we're gonna like... change stuff.
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