by Miki Kashtan

“The belief that if you don’t do “anything wrong” you would never be bothered by the police is deeply entrenched in many places, especially in those countries where the dominant population believes that country to be democratic, which many do. It’s extremely difficult to show: anyone who is not in continual clash with a normative society won’t have any way to know that the police can be brutal. This is what has been shattered recently: it’s become too difficult not to know this.”

This is a quote from an article I recently published on Medium. In the article I examine the deep historical roots and social factors that have led to the creation of police forces in capitalist states. I speak of the need for a legitimation story and how such a story justifies violence against disadvantaged groups and makes possible divide and conquer techniques in the name of maintaining order. Beyond analysis, I offer this article as an invitation for each of us to feel the impact of systemic oppression on an individual and on a societal level. The final part of the article is the story of how one white person leveraged her privilege to create compassion in action.

To keep reading, visit the full article on Medium read more

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