Anarchy!
I'm hanging out at a very fancy rest stop building on I320 from Iowa City to Cedar Rapids, waiting for my cell phone to get enough charge to googlemap me into the Y at Cedar Rapids. It''s been sooooo gloomy and my solar is challenged anyway, with one cracked battery, so I'm unable to even charge my phone - first time ever in 10 years!
A tall, chubby older white man in shorts and baggy t-shirt stretched tight over a huge belly is circling around me when I notice he stops and waits until I turn and smile hello.
He asks me, incredulity spreading wider than shirt, "You really believe that?" He's indicating the back of my shirt. I know the front of my shirt says "Abolish Prison" but I can't remember what the back says.
As I painted it, he should know I believe it but I ask him what it says. "Abolish Police"
I treat him to my shortened version of absofuckinlutely. We do not need armed men walking around amongst us.
He can hardly speak, and I don't think he's a man who normally stutters much.I take advantage of his void and say "The police only kill people - especially Black and brown people - and throw them and poor white people into jail."
He finally has found his voice, a sound that echos loudly in the great acoustics of the center. "We need the police." I immediately interrupt him with "Rich and white people need the police to keep everyone else poor and struggling."
"But there'll be anarchy without the police," he shouts, desperation displacing his incredulity.
I ask him what does that even mean. But then I don't even want to know. Instead I say, "I know, you think people will go around killing each other, and setting up gated communities to keep their riches in and the poor without. And the rich will hire private security guards to patrol their grounds, or landlords will hire private security guards to protect their property..."
"We need the police to keep order," he retorts. I tell him no we don't, there is another way, other ways. We know there are other ways. I see a shiny gold cross hanging on a heavy chain dangling over the collar of his t-shirt.
"So you're a christian," I acknowledge. "You above all others in this country should know that police killing people is wrong; guns are wrong; taking life is anti-christian."
He abruptly walks away then, probably sorry he asked!
A tall, chubby older white man in shorts and baggy t-shirt stretched tight over a huge belly is circling around me when I notice he stops and waits until I turn and smile hello.
He asks me, incredulity spreading wider than shirt, "You really believe that?" He's indicating the back of my shirt. I know the front of my shirt says "Abolish Prison" but I can't remember what the back says.
As I painted it, he should know I believe it but I ask him what it says. "Abolish Police"
I treat him to my shortened version of absofuckinlutely. We do not need armed men walking around amongst us.
He can hardly speak, and I don't think he's a man who normally stutters much.I take advantage of his void and say "The police only kill people - especially Black and brown people - and throw them and poor white people into jail."
He finally has found his voice, a sound that echos loudly in the great acoustics of the center. "We need the police." I immediately interrupt him with "Rich and white people need the police to keep everyone else poor and struggling."
"But there'll be anarchy without the police," he shouts, desperation displacing his incredulity.
I ask him what does that even mean. But then I don't even want to know. Instead I say, "I know, you think people will go around killing each other, and setting up gated communities to keep their riches in and the poor without. And the rich will hire private security guards to patrol their grounds, or landlords will hire private security guards to protect their property..."
"We need the police to keep order," he retorts. I tell him no we don't, there is another way, other ways. We know there are other ways. I see a shiny gold cross hanging on a heavy chain dangling over the collar of his t-shirt.
"So you're a christian," I acknowledge. "You above all others in this country should know that police killing people is wrong; guns are wrong; taking life is anti-christian."
He abruptly walks away then, probably sorry he asked!
posted by Xan @ 9:18 AM
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