Manuel Terán and Tyre Nichols: What Should We Do When Cops Kill? and DeSantis' Week of Madness: He Wants to Kill for Votes (Really!)
Destroy a College, and Release the COVID Kraken; and More
Today there was only enough room to deal with two major issues: the police killings of two men that have caused anguished protests—and a series of Ron DeSantis decisions that need to cause anguished protest.
I tried to do a deep dive into the police shootings so I could do more than express anger and frustration. I wanted to look at the causes.
DeSantis is like a grenade thrown in the middle of American culture, shredding our beliefs and values, all for his personal ambition. Where Trump was a bumbling idiot, DeSantis charges forth with robotic disregard for the Constitution and human compassion. Every choice he makes reduces health, safety, and individual freedom. He is Voldemort with a fancy haircut.
I do have a funny video break and a lovely musical surprise at the end as a palate cleanser. Listen and let the music cleanse you.
Cops Killing POC: Welcome to Black History Month
Two men were recently killed by police: Manuel Esteban Paez Terán in Atlanta and Tyre Nichols in Memphis. Both made headlines that brought about outraged public protests, firings, murder charges, and the calling out of the National Guard.
These killings don’t celebrate the joys of Black History Month, but they certainly reflect the reality of Black history.
A little over a year ago, I wrote an essay/e-book for Amazon called Black Cop’s Kid, explaining what it was like growing up in New York City during the tumultuous fifties and sixties as the son of one of the relatively few Black cops on the NYPD. I was torn between supporting my dad’s law-and-order philosophy and my own growing commitment to the civil rights and anti-war protests. (Here’s an excerpt I posted on Substack in October of 2021.) That internal conflict has helped shape me throughout my life, making me examine both sides of cop-related issues before reaching an opinion.
It is with that same personal affection for, and political suspicion of, the police that I approach the two recent killings of People of Color by police. That is why this has been one of the most difficult articles for me to write. It’s not enough to mourn the tragic losses—over and over and over again. We need to address the causes.
5 Officers Charged With Murder in Memphis Police Killing (The New York Times)
SUMMARY: “‘This was wrong, this was criminal,’ said a state investigator. Five fired Memphis police officers have been charged with murder in the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man hospitalized after a confrontation with police during a traffic stop this month. The officers were fired last week and accused of using excessive force in an encounter that was captured on video, including police body cameras. The city’s police chief, Cerelyn Davis, described their actions as ‘a failing of basic humanity.’”
RELATED ARTICLES: “The Police Folklore That Helped Kill Tyre Nichols” (The New Yorker); “White Cop Who Wanted Colleagues to ‘Stomp’ Tyre Nichols Is Suspended” (The Daily Beast)
Georgia governor declares state of emergency, activates 1,000 National Guard troops amid Atlanta protests (CBS News)
SUMMARY: “Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency Thursday and activated 1,000 National Guard troops in response to ongoing violent protests in downtown Atlanta following a shooting last week near a controversial future law enforcement training site in which a Georgia state trooper was wounded and a man was killed.
“The state of emergency is in effect until Feb. 9, according to the document, unless renewed by the governor.
“The Atlanta protests center around the building of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, nicknamed "Cop City." Protestors have been at the site for months, but on Jan. 18, a protestor identified as Manuel Esteban Paez Teran was shot and killed by law enforcement after authorities said he shot and wounded a Georgia state trooper during a planned multi-agency operation to remove protestors from the area. The trooper was hospitalized and survived.
RELATED ARTICLES: “Protesters question circumstances surrounding ‘Stop Cop City’ activist’s death” (PBS)
