vnarek @vnarek@qoto.org

If you never watched the clip about Dr. Feynman explaining the nature of a "why" question please watch this. It is probably one of the most important things a critical thinker could ever know if they dont already:

https://youtu.be/36GT2zI8lVA

#Science #Physics #Feynman #QOTOJournal

Since everyone is going around complaining about cops or rioters (and rightfully so) I thought I'd take an opportunity to offer actual solutions. These are the solutions I would impose to solve the problem.

Most of the solution centers around just one important problem that is the root of the whole issue. Police are above the law. They tend to get leniency for crimes due to be officer, especially when it is the result of carrying out their "duty" and even when there is an attempt to hold them accountable they cover up each others mistakes in various ways that get them out of it. This is where all the solutions lie.. so here they are:

1) eliminate all police unions, I'd say any government job that makes or enforces policy of any kind should not be allowed to unionize. Unions generally use theie collective bargaining power to wipe police officers with bad records clean and thus allow them to avoid getting in trouble.

2) Ensure the law has just as strict a consequence for an officer as it does a citizen and that them being an officer doesnt give them any greater latitude in that regard. If anything their consequences when on duty should be stricter. If they shoot someone because of a mistake because they thought they had a gun when they didnt, murder, no exceptions, no different than a citizen.

3) any officer on the scene when #2 happens and a officer breaks the law is expected to immediately stop the incident if they can and at a minimum arrest the officer immediately. If any officer fails to arrest another officer they will be consider an accomplice and equally as guilty as if they carried out the offense themselves

4) retroactively apply the #2 and #3 to all officers currently on the force to serve as an example. Give a 2 week grace period so any officers who would fall under the category of #3 have a chance to arrest their fellow officers who have in the past commited a crime under #2. After two weeks any officers guilty of #2 or #3 will be arrested with no forgiveness. Resigning from their position will not grant them immunity.

5) Require body cams, ensure the body cams can not be turned off

6) Any officer intentionally hiding their body cam during an incident will immediately loose their job and be fined one year back pay. If there is evidence of wrong doing they will be tried and this action held against them as evidence.

7) officers are always required to be in pairs or more.

8) Reverse broken-glass policying policies from the top down. Have officers focus on real crime as a priority and deprioritize non-violent crimes.

#GeorgeFloyd #Protests #protest #riots #PoliceBrutality #UsPol

Just gonna use this toot to spread this reminder to those who feel like they can't be involved in the BLM protests because of accessibility/mobility/health/immunocompromisation/fear of COVID, that there are more ways to contribute than just getting your feet on the ground out there:

Sign petitions:
Justice for George Floyd: http://chng.it/zjhPntDGq4
Justice for George Floyd 2: http://chng.it/9NPvpRjCwR
Justice for Belly Mujinga: http://chng.it/rHrW7GysN6
Make Black British History Compulsory in Schools: http://chng.it/FpPH65Ydb6
Justice for Shukri Abdi: http://chng.it/TsmzbdzLX9
Justice for Elijah McCain: http://chng.it/zb7BBqZR5B
Justice for Matthew Tucker: http://chng.it/rdHzBfJ4x8
Justice for Dion Johnson: http://chng.it/NnzLfqGmJR

Share these things to Social Media. Make sure people can't get away with ignoring what's happening.

Donate:
(US) National Bail Fund: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory
(UK) UK BLM Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ukblm-fund
(UK) National Campaign for Fair and Accountable Policiing: https://www.gofundme.com/f/StopWatch-Campaign-for-Fair-Accountable-Policing

You cannot be anti-racist silently.

I'm not explicitly *against* capitalism, but sometimes I just feel like...

"Everyone can make a living, so long as you're better than everyone else in your field"

And even then, you don't actually have to be great at your job. You have to be "ok" at your job, and be great at self-marketing.

And the optics on this are frankly TERRIBLE for the left.

This is what Middle America is now thinking:

"Oh, so NOW it's okay to congregate in large crowds? So there never was a COVID-19, was there? There never was a need to burn down the economy. All the right-wing conspiracy types were saying that public health experts' support for a lockdown would magically evaporate when it was politically convenient, and that seemed stupid. But well, looky here. Exactly that is happening."