A.R. Moxon, Verified Duck 🦆Jan 28, 2023
It's extraordinary how brutal police are willing to be, the lengths to which they are willing to go, the solidarity they are willing to show, in order to deliver to Black U.S. citizens—the protection of whom is their ostensible jobs—the clear message, "we are at war with you."
Show threadA.R. Moxon, Verified Duck 🦆Jan 28, 2023

Even more extraordinary how patient Black citizens have been, staying so peaceful, despite having been given the message "we are at war with you."

Even more extraordinary how aggrieved police & those who align w/them are, when citizens finally agree "yes, you are at war with us"

Show threadA.R. Moxon, Verified Duck 🦆Jan 28, 2023

I'm told that the most important thing in the wake of this latest in an unbroken string of brutal state sponsored murders of citizens by police is that the situation does not become violent.

It's a telling response to a string of brutal state-sponsored murders of citizens by police.

Specifically, it's telling that some people see violence as their exclusive property, and that they consider the police to be institutionally entrusted with its proper administration.

Show threadA.R. Moxon, Verified Duck 🦆Jan 28, 2023
To say "the situation must not become violent" is to suggest that an endless string of state-sponsored murders of citizens by police does not represent a violent situation; that the application of violence so far has been appropriate, or at least undisruptive to the normal order.
Show threadA.R. Moxon, Verified Duck 🦆Jan 28, 2023

Police exist, ostensibly, to keep the peace, but they have scorn for peace. It's those the police wage war upon who believe in peace.

The peace won't be broken by protesters this week. It's been broken all along. Protest simply breaks it in ways comfortable people can't ignore.

Show threadA.R. Moxon, Verified Duck 🦆Jan 28, 2023

If a protest becomes violent, that is the failure of our ostensible peacekeepers. If police are unable to meet riot with any means beyond violence, that is a double failure. If they never even make the attempt, that is utter failure.

Every riot is a police riot.

Show threadA.R. Moxon, Verified Duck 🦆Jan 28, 2023

Policing is a failed institution, if what you want is an institution that keeps peace.

Police behave and talk and carry themselves in society exactly as if they think they were hired to wage war, not keep peace.

Who hired them? We did. I did.

We should fire them

IsaidhiJan 28, 2023
Show threadA.R. Moxon, Verified Duck 🦆

We don't need—shouldn't want—an army to wage war on our fellow citizens. We need peace. We don't have it. So, our keepers of the peace have failed.

So they are a failed institution.

So we should end it. and re-imagine.

If we don't want that, we can't be thought to want peace.

Jan 28, 2023 at 12:12pmWeb
Show threadA.R. Moxon, Verified Duck 🦆Jan 28, 2023
My mission shouldn't be parsing the increasingly muddied report of violence, to assign blame to fellow citizens rising up against systemic generational oppression. It should be recognizing that ALL violence belongs to this ostensible peacekeeping institution, that insists on war.
Show threadTAIJan 28, 2023
@JuliusGoat I think change never comes if this is the counter to it. They will always triumph with brutality in the face of this. A child's logic seems to go better at the root of the problem, skin in the game (war) . let the leaders fight. More realistically, make them the primary targets 1st, watch how quick the desire for war fades. What mythical rule protects them. makes them untouchable. Meanwhile entire population, innocent , powerless....even children are fair game. leaders are safe??/