Hey remember that criminology thread I did on why sexual misconduct victims/survivors come forward during elections? Recently people have tried to justify police violence by shouting "Resisting Arrest!" So here's why that's racist nonsense. [Thread]

So here's the thing, most people see themselves as law abiding citizens. They do not expect to be subjected to a forceful response in the presence of law enforcement.

This means that arrest, or physical treatment, is going to be met with everything from cognitive dissonance, to anxiety. Most people will feel ambushed and threatened. So the default response is to, guess what? Resist.

The moment between realising you're getting arrested, and being arrested is usually an increment of seconds. During these seconds most people won't be able to rationally process their fight or flight response.

This is why, in a lot of places, police are taught to de-escalate violence as opposed to ganging up on people who already feel cornered and aggressed upon. Usually through things like gentle body language, or reassurance.

And I know what the ACAB crowd is gonna respond with, and it's a valid concern:

"Why would cops care about others?"

And in most cases the institution of police doesn't... HOWEVER

You do not want to risk getting stabbed, or shot, or suckerpunched every time you're physically intervening during what is often a civil violation. It's a good way to produce a lot of injured and dead cops. So even cynical self interest prompts this as risk reduction.

So when police actively go out of their way to pick fights with black people, then yeah, that's racism. They are intentionally putting themselves at risk in order to gain the sanction of inflicting violence upon an innocent person.

(People are innocent until proven guilty btw)

So while it's nice and all to be a sideline racist, who shouts ''Resisting arrest!'' at every video of police misconduct, truth is that you're not an appointed judge, and for all you know this treatment is completely unjustified.

So to put it concisely: Fuck that static. Don't defend police brutality. And remember that law abiding citizens with zero police interaction experience are MORE LIKELY to resist arrest than people who are used to it.

Thank you, and please don't enable to the decline of democracy

I realise now that I was being a bit of a "thread-tease" as the youngsters are calling it, by referencing my other thread without linking it.

So, if you are indeed curious about it, then fear no longer, your intellectual frustrations are no more: https://twitter.com/thumblesteen/status/1243376786995585024