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A handgun in your pocket might also help.
As part of Chicago's effort to have police in the community, and keep city funds within the city, cops (and firefighters and teachers and bus drivers and all other city employees) are required to live within the city limits. Those city positions also tend to be much higher-paying than private-sector work.
For a long time, city workers would group together and rent an apartment in the city, to have their checks mailed there, and then live in the suburbs. But the city cracked down on that in the 80s and 90s.
Since then, there has been a different phenomenon: entire neighborhoods full of city workers, as they group together, usually as close to the edge of town as possible. Those neighborhoods tends to be much, much nicer than the city at large. For my fellow Chicagoans - drive through Sauganash sometime and you'll see what I mean.
I'm sure we're all familar with the term "white flight". I think the more relevant term now would be "success and resource flight". Once people get the high-paying city jobs, like cops, they move to better neighborhoods. All that's left are the people who can't afford to move. As the income gap widens, this will only get worse.
SOLUTION: digital cameras keep getting cheaper, smaller, and more reliable; we can pass laws that all police officers must wear body cams while on duty. Please sign the petition at WhiteHouse.gov :-) I did: http://wh.gov/iCLva
Till then, everyone who can afford it should keep web cams in their pockets.
NO
Crime Prevention for the 21st Century
Community Policing
“by Arthur A. Jones and Robin Wiseman - international human rights lawyers with legal educations in the United States and Europe. They are consultants and authors on international policing, social policy and human rights, and regular contributors to the forum here at LA Community Policing.
The article originally appeared in the Fulbright Commission's "Funnel Magazine" as an article in the Winter 2006 edition: http://www.fulbright.de/funnel/index.shtml (page 35 - 37)”
This article details how Palermo, the home of the MAFIA had experienced escalating crime and violence at the hands of gangs and was one of the most dangerous cities in Europe. They tried the strong armed tactics like those employed by American police today and in 1997 they had 200 homicides. By 1999 as the result of the change to their community policing, their homicides were reduced to eleven and they are now one of the safest cities in Europe. Human nature is human nature - if it can work in Sicily, it can work here.
The article is worth a look see - simple solutions for a complex problem.
I think our media also needs to be policed with some oversight. Just look at the field day they had with this particular story. I'm not just talking about Faux News, either. All in the name of ratings our nation has been whipped up into a hate fever. Friends and family attacking each other for no reason. Reputable sources of news reduced to tabloids peddling all manner of lies and misinformation. And lets not forget about the riots.
Yes, I agree that our police are a force in need of oversight; however, let us not forget just how dangerous our media can be. Let's get a little oversight to haul in their reigns too. Lets remember that as a functioning society we are no better than the information we receive. As the saying goes, 'garbage in, garbage out.' Time to take out the garbage.
How can a majority black community allow white leadership for so long??? They are too lazy to organize and vote for change.
I believe much of the police - race problems are based on fear ( on part of many cops. ) Thats no excuse but is a factor.
I agree Younger Rich Daley left massive debt in his wake as well. Parking meter sale - road selling was a financial disaster. Its almost impossible to park in some residential areas .. The City puts up ' NO parking Street cleaning signs' but NO street cleaning occurs in many cases. Red light camera scam is another reason NOT to go to Chicago . I grew up when the city had lots more to offer families who were not well off. Seems Mayor only cared about downtown and north side / north shore communities.
I think the constitutional insight is addressed in the first clause of the 2nd amendment. That is, our city and state police are the modern day state militias that our Founders insisted must be well regulated. We allow them arms and are responsible for keeping them civil. When an officer abuses our trust he should at the very least lose his commission.
Back in Chicago, I lived in 1 of the community policing pilot districts. My Alderman asked me to join the committee that was designing the community side of the program. The program had some limited success, but there were 2 major failings.
Mayor Daley (the younger) was in such a hurry to begin the pilot that he started it without many of the trianing processes, procedures, etc. being in place yet. & more importantly, the CPD did not handle the assigning of officers very constructively. As a result, the police viewed beat cops as a "being sent to Siberia" assignment. What they should have done was establish standards for beat officers that made it a plum assignment, available only to the highest performing, best educated officers. Not doing so drastically undermined the program.
From what I know, police are not supposed to shoot in a one-on-one situation until the other person gets within 21 feet--7 yards or approximately 4 body lengths. If Brown was killed at over 50 yards--7 times that distance--then logically either Wilson was not following procedure, or it wasn't a one-on-one situation, or he shot because Brown was committing violence against someone else. It must have been a one-on-one because Brown is the only person Wilson fired on. By Wilson's own testimony, the worst Brown was doing when Wilson showed up was jay-walking, hardly a violent crime. Therefore, Wilson didn't follow procedure.
David Eddings also gave the "million words" advice, in the form "Write a million words. Now burn them." He said his first novel was so bad even he couldn't read it. But he was eventually a #1 best-selling author.
Great interview. But I must pick a bone with you where you insist that atheism is a belief system. The truth is put well here: https://m.facebook.com/eric.hamell#!/photo.php?fbid=725361407558666&id=100002544416468&set=a.182869355141210.43006.100002544416468&source=57
We're all born atheists. Some of us never change, except for learning a name for what we already were.
Also, while I'm not an antitheist and generally agree with Dr. Aslan's criticism of that position, contra his statement I haven't heard any of them advocate "forcible" eradication of belief.
If you're interested in the possibility of mystical experience without theism or metaphysics of any kind, you should look into the writings of Susan Blackmore. She's my favorite rationalist because she has a very engaged, sympathetic interest in anomalous experience even while rejecting naïve interpretations thereof. You'll get a sense of why if you look at her intellectual biography.
Great interview. But I must pick a bone with you where you insist that atheism is a belief system. The truth is put well here: https://m.facebook.com/eric.hamell#!/photo.php?fbid=725361407558666&id=100002544416468&set=a.182869355141210.43006.100002544416468&source=57
We're all born atheists. Some of us never change, except for learning a name for what we already were.
Also, while I'm not an antitheist and generally agree with Dr. Aslan's criticism of that position, contra his statement I haven't heard any of them advocate "forcible" eradication of belief.
If you're interested in the possibility of mystical experience without theism or metaphysics of any kind, you should look into the writings of Susan Blackmore. She's my favorite rationalist because she has a very engaged, sympathetic interest in anomalous experience even while rejecting naïve interpretations thereof. You'll get a sense of why if you look at her intellectual biography.
Great interview. But I must pick a bone with you where you insist that atheism is a belief system. The truth is put well here: https://m.facebook.com/eric.hamell#!/photo.php?fbid=725361407558666&id=100002544416468&set=a.182869355141210.43006.100002544416468&source=57
We're all born atheists. Some of us never change, except for learning a name for what we already were.
Also, while I'm not an antitheist and generally agree with Dr. Aslan's criticism of that position, contra his statement I haven't heard any of them advocate "forcible" eradication of belief.
If you're interested in the possibility of mystical experience without theism or metaphysics of any kind, you should look into the writings of Susan Blackmore. She's my favorite rationalist because she has a very engaged, sympathetic interest in anomalous experience even while rejecting naïve interpretations thereof. You'll get a sense of why if you look at her intellectual biography.
Great interview. But I must pick a bone with you where you insist that atheism is a belief system. The truth is put well here: https://m.facebook.com/eric.hamell#!/photo.php?fbid=725361407558666&id=100002544416468&set=a.182869355141210.43006.100002544416468&source=57
We're all born atheists. Some of us never change, except for learning a name for what we already were.
Also, while I'm not an antitheist and generally agree with Dr. Aslan's criticism of that position, contra his statement I haven't heard any of them advocate "forcible" eradication of belief.
If you're interested in the possibility of mystical experience without theism or metaphysics of any kind, you should look into the writings of Susan Blackmore. She's my favorite rationalist because she has a very engaged, sympathetic interest in anomalous experience even while rejecting naïve interpretations thereof. You'll get a sense of why if you look at her intellectual biography.
Great interview. But I must pick a bone with you where you insist that atheism is a belief system. The truth is put well here: https://m.facebook.com/eric.hamell#!/photo.php?fbid=725361407558666&id=100002544416468&set=a.182869355141210.43006.100002544416468&source=57
We're all born atheists. Some of us never change, except for learning a name for what we already were.
Also, while I'm not an antitheist and generally agree with Dr. Aslan's criticism of that position, contra his statement I haven't heard any of them advocate "forcible" eradication of belief.
If you're interested in the possibility of mystical experience without theism or metaphysics of any kind, you should look into the writings of Susan Blackmore. She's my favorite rationalist because she has a very engaged, sympathetic interest in anomalous experience even while rejecting naïve interpretations thereof. You'll get a sense of why if you look at her intellectual biography.
When today's teens hit their 80th birthdays, in postmodern dark age America, the Kochs will be well known as major players," Fascists," in the political movement that thwarted efforts to reduce carbon emissions . In other words their names will be synonymous with the likes of Hitler, Caligula, Manson, Berkowitz, Bundy ......the criminally insane! The Koch's legacy will shatter all the mass killing records by far. Hard to beat destroying an entire planet.
There's also a very good chance that history will record an ending to the Kochs very similiar to their peers from the past...only the names change....evil souls will always be amongst us, which is precisely why we need good government.
Anytime, ole buddy. Great posts, by the way!
This is a crucial problem (the environmental deterioration) and I wonder if there is enough time left to reverse what has been done. Just like a human life cycle which goes through birth, maturation, and death a society/civilization does so as well. Ours appears to be in the latter phase. Should we try to resurect a structure that is falling apart (perhaps because it must) and what would replace our modern American way of life that would possibly create a safe world for future generations? Like Thom has written in the past, we need to create new stories and perhaps the best way is to borrow ideas from cultures that lived in harmony with the Earth. That is what people like Tom Brown, Jr. and Thom Hartmann are trying to do. But will we listen and act in time....As a father I am very scared for what lies ahead. Still, we must act as if it is possible.
Somehow we need to make your shows more popular
Going to the source of the problem and exhibiting the absurd messages and thinking of the people in power along with a scandal of some sort could possibly be worth your efforts in saving our beloved home.
A Lot of credible help goes a long ways.
Talking about and crafting the messaging of the current populous oppression will hopefully develop into a more democratic rule that benefits the general population.
Business people are brainwashed to build a bigger better bottom Line profit without regard for anything or anybody else
Bribery and corruption has been a crime many times during civilization because it creates uncivilization
Aliceinwonderland ~ How very perceptive of you! For the record, water under the bridge and pee in a cup is exactly the same thing. Also, for the record, water under the bridge is meaningless. Thanks so much for asking!
The more things change, the more they seem to remain the same. The society that trains its policeman like it trains its soldiers, as with South Africa under apartheid, is living on a very short rope. The phrase " Protect and Serve," must apply to the whole of that society and not one color of it only.