First and foremost, there are no blue lives, this ain’t Avatar. Being a cop is hard, it is also a job. A job that is built on and out of white supremacy – upholding laws and status quo for and by white cis hetro men, for the most part. Therefore, if you choose to become a police officer, you are choosing to join a white supremacy organization. White supremacy is what allows police officers to think they are separate from society. They believe they are the thin blue line that separates society from chaos and order (note they are not part of society then). Well, they are doing a pretty bad job. I don’t really know anyone who feels better when armed police officers are around.
Cops like to argue that they put their life on the line every day. They put citizens’ lives on the line every day with a license to harass, profile, assault, confiscate, and kill. As it has been said by many, we are supposed to comply with officers, yet they are allowed to make lethal mistakes with virtual impunity.
What about the thin line of mental health access, or quality education for all no matter your zip code or test scores. What about the thin line affordable housing, food deserts, segregated schools, and redlining. Abolish the police. Pay teachers. Abolish the military. Pay poets.
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