Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
In a recent speech to students at the University of Chicago Law School, FBI Director James Comey did not sugarcoat his thoughts on the escalating tensions between police and the black community, and their impact on cities across the country. He believes an environment has been created that makes police officers wary of doing what it takes to make the streets safer.
Part of being clear-eyed about reality requires all of us to stare—and stare hard—at what is happening in this country this year. And to ask ourselves what’s going on. Because something deeply disturbing is happening all across America. I have spoken of 2014 in this speech because something has changed in 2015. Far more people are being killed in America’s cities this year than in many years. And let’s be clear: far more people of color are being killed in America’s cities this year. And it’s not the cops doing the killing.
… Maybe something in policing has changed. In today’s YouTube world, are officers reluctant to get out of their cars and do the work that controls violent crime? Are officers answering 911 calls but avoiding the informal contact that keeps bad guys from standing around, especially with guns?
… Lives are saved when those potential killers are confronted by a strong police presence and actual, honest-to-goodness, up-close “What are you guys doing on this corner at one o’clock in the morning?” policing.
Read the rest at The Wall Street Journal here.
He has a point- its almost impossible to do your job in any industry if you are constantly walking on eggshells. The real tragedy here is that homicides in the black community are going up when police activity goes down. When you look at these numbers, what are the angry and divisive tactics of the Black Lives Matter movement really accomplishing now?
