I have an opinion piece over on the website of The Oregonian newspaper, Oregon Live. In it, I argue that, since the police insist on misusing their weapons, perhaps we should take them away.
The comment section, following the essay, is crowded with attacks focusing on my employment-status, gender, reading habits, and my alma mater — which is, you know, pretty much what one expects.
The irony here is that disarming the police is actually my attempt at a moderate compromise position. As I’ve made clear elsewhere (for example, in Our Enemies in Blue), I’d rather just not have cops at all.
Update: The moderator seems to be removing most of the ad hominem attacks. The conversation has shifted, instead, toward naked racism. (I must say, I hardly consider it an improvement.)
One commenter, “Gargleblaster,” is working hard to prove (as he puts it) “More black people equals more murders.” Adding to the absurdity, he seems to believe that this generalization, on its own, justifies Officer Ron Frashour’s shooting of Aaron Campbell. But not only was Campbell unarmed, and trying to surrender — he wasn’t even a suspect. The police were there to check on him because his family worried he might be suicidal.
It’s revealing to see who the Police Bureau’s defenders are and the kind of arguments they make: When logic fails, they appeal to simple prejudice.