Interesting perspective on US Policing
Posted: 28th September 2021
If there is one thing that rings true to me it is, “if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” When we pour billions of dollars into nuclear and other weapons, problems that actually require diplomacy suddenly seem like they need military solutions. As we pursue a world without nuclear weapons we need a culture shift away from militarism writ large. This starts at home in our communities.
NO MILITARY WEAPONS FOR THE POLICE!
Police departments receive surplus military equipment through an obscure Pentagon program—called the “1033 Program,” which has enabled the transfer of more than $7.4 billion in surplus military equipment to more than 8,000 law enforcement agencies around the country.
Research has shown that outfitting police in military-style armor and weaponry can alter their mentality towards civilians, causing them to see community members as enemy combatants and act accordingly. Hammer and nail.
You saw the results of this last summer when police showed up decked out in military equipment and used unnecessary force against protesters. But this is something that Black and brown communities experience regularly. From over-policing to nuclear weapons, this militaristic culture needs to stop.
For our future,
Yasmeen and the Beyond the Bomb Team