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I remember a conversation my Social Psych prof started with a group of students about why capital punishment doesn't work.
The idea behind capital punisment (or any kind, really) is that the consequence is so terrible, no one would commit the crime.
The idea behind capital punisment (or any kind, really) is that the consequence is so terrible, no one would commit the crime.
The problem, as the prof pointed out, is that consquences don't account for acts of passion or high emotion - where reason does not rule.
So, despite several states/countries having capital sentencing, there are still murders, manslaughter, etc, happening in those places.
So, despite several states/countries having capital sentencing, there are still murders, manslaughter, etc, happening in those places.
This is why, while we can celebrate that a justice system saw that what happened to George was unjust, and illegal/outside the law, it won't serve to deter any future instances.
To believe it will, means we're assuming that the officers who perform these acts are in a state where reason can convince them not to do the thing.
Yet we know that these officers have been trained in, entrenched in, stereotypes that cause a high level of emotion.
Yet we know that these officers have been trained in, entrenched in, stereotypes that cause a high level of emotion.
Reason is not available in these states.
We need to focus on deprogramming the stereotypes and white supremacy so when these folks get hired into new lines of work (when police are abolished), they aren't carrying those things with them into new spaces.
We need to focus on deprogramming the stereotypes and white supremacy so when these folks get hired into new lines of work (when police are abolished), they aren't carrying those things with them into new spaces.
