April 18, 2021
Giving the benefit of the doubt is a recent thought that I think deserves some study. In the news are continued reports of mass shootings across the nation with assault weapons mentioned. Police killings continue at an alarming rate with rioting and demonstrations occurring. Recently teenage black victims are some of the victims. Today I read an article of how the police were assaulting reporters covering these events with one report of the reporter since he was black he was viciously assaulted by police until some of his fellow reporters vouched for him. The George Floyd trial has been interesting in a good way to follow since many of his fellow police officers broke ranks and testified against Chauvin's policing calling it murder. The officer who allegedly mistook her gun for a taser killing a black person at a routine stop makes giving the benefit of the doubt in these times hard to swallow for me. Malpractice cases in my profession comes to mind so that if I administer the wrong medicine to my patient and that person suffer some dire consequence I'm in deep trouble while if the police officer "mistakes" his or her taser and fires and kills someone with their gun can be absolved of any responsibility.
In other words, giving the benefit of the doubt is a way to obfuscate the reality of behavior and laws passed. I'm thinking of the rationale used in the passage of the Georgia new voter restriction laws which was passed while a legislator was arrested for wanting to watch the governor sign this distasteful wrong law passed to restrict access to voters during elections (mostly voters who tend to vote Democratic party candidates). The rational reported is to prevent voter fraud but the underlying rationale in my view is to restrict non Republicans from exercising their voter rights. So after losing the civil war the southern segregationist continued to today to keep minorities and people of color from voting and benefiting from government programs. Slavery continues in our prison systems now more privatized to exploit the prisoners labor. So policing and penal laws with prison penalties affecting mostly minorities and people of color continue to be laws supported affecting communities marginalized with little political clout. Well, so far you can gather I'm not prone to give the benefit of the doubt in these issues.
So a bunch of radicalized middle eastern people flies three planes two of which caused serious devastation September 11, 2001. We went into Afghanistan then and only this month our President Biden decided to pull all of U.S. troop out 20 years later. The longest and most expensive war resulting in serious devastation in our troops and civilians in Afghanistan with no clear winner like Vietnam. The Taliban there remain strong and threaten a weak government.Our returning troops remain scarred and impaired with physical injuries and psychological trauma. Like all wars atrocities committed on both sides continue a legacy associated with war. Recently Israel has attacked the nuclear industry of Iran since Iran continues to call for the destruction and elimination of Israel. Putin is massing troops on the Ukraine border. He has imprisoned a rival who he tried to kill with poisoning and is now reported near death in a labor camp with poor medical care. Saudi Arabia continued to support the Sultan's son who is serious;ly implicated in the murder of a political opponent and journalist. The North Korean dictator has murdered his brother and other opponents. The Uyghurs in China are incarcerated and in thought control camps. Minamar troops are murdering their ethnic minorities and killing their citizens after a coup. I can go on to show that the world is in trouble with cruel and oppressive governments. Don't forget January 6th at our U.S. capital.
On the other hand is another trope like benefit of the doubt. So many states have enacted laws to improve our policing and remove barriers to sanction officers who have been protected in the past. Removal of no knock laws to prevent what happened to Briana Taylor. Require body cameras to be on during policing. Eliminating choke holds. Remove drug possession, expired license violations, tail light violations, high beam driving, safety inspection expirations as reasons to pull a driver over for a stop lowers the confrontations especially for minorities and people of color who had been the recipients of such policing in the past. Limiting police efforts to suppress peaceful demonstrations is more recognize and causing some changes.
On the other hand, President Biden has commented on the murderous behaviors of Putin, the Saudi prince, and the Chinese and Myanmar policing. He has stated the obvious science that shows that assault weapons in the hands of ordinary citizens leads to more shooting, mass murders, and suicides. I am aware that the scientific study of assault weapons and gun violence has lost significant funding under Republican administrations but hopefully now we can have better research into the epidemiology and causes for such mayhem since funding should be restored.
Our pandemic continues with some hope for some day herd immunity but continued resistance in social distancing, mask wearing, and vaccination acceptance especially amongst former Trump acolytes and supporters continues. New variants of the virus may require booster shots. One of the vaccines (Johnson and Johnson) has had a few very rare blood clotting complications which has caused some anxiety about vaccinations in general. My new Jehovah Witness family members tell me that their church has limited door to door interactions, encouraged zoom meetings, and leaves vaccination decisions to each family. So for example Hawai'i has an uptick in daily cases while our country plays a dance between listening to the scientific information and advice and ignoring it.
Our politics remain confrontational and divided with each side at times characterizing each other as odious, ill informed, miscreants. Insurrection remains on the table with our law enforcement investigating various groups. Foreign governments remains suspect with Russia recently sanctioned severely for their interference in our elections. Our government remains divided so the Senate is hamstrung with the threat of filibuster blocking legislation and only one vote majority in the Senate. Our Supreme Court continues to declare very partisan outcomes to some cases with more cases coming to the fore that limits our liberal impulses to govern.
You may wonder what's up with Leonard! Me too! Maybe it's the Beta Blocker I'm on (Metoprolol) which does seem to make me tired. Or the blood thinner (Eliquis) which puts me at risk for bleeding if I fall while hiking (still twice per week). I did consult with my cardiologist and friends who also have atrial fibrillation and I won't have cauterization of my left auricle or a Watchman procedure. I'm approaching 82 so maybe I'm beginning to lose it as have a few of my friends who have unfortunately gone way down that path and seem lost. I have a good appetite for food and get spoiled from time to time with great home cooking from Rebecca and friends such as Simin. I enjoy my hiking with our small group, taking pictures and processing them for group viewing (https://www.flickr.com/photos/leonardsjacobs/albums/72157603520494610). I continue a variety of reading both technical, science fiction, and contemporary. My piano playing is varied though I do enjoy struggling with some jazz pieces and classical music. Some friends and Rebecca who hear my playing do applaud the attempts at the more melodious passages. I try to work on my part of home tidying up and more enjoy just hanging out with Rebecca. Soon since vaccinated we'll take a trip to visit Ruth my sister and have some adventure on the west coast.
Yes climate change is upon us. Yes a meteor came close to slamming into our earth a few months ago. Yes we continue to pollute, deforest, and invent new ways to trash things. We are no closer to nuclear disarmament but closer to nuclear free for all. The aliens haven't come but psychology predicts they won't be friendly if they do.
On the other hand, we continue to do research and use innovations to expand our capabilities. Our friend has now choices to down size from a larger vehicle to an electronic car with at least six good choices now and many more to come next year. Newer medications are coming with the boundaries between science and traditional "natural" compounds being blurred. Ibogaine from the shrub Tabemanthe Iboga native to central Africa is now showing some promise for people with PTSD. We have made tremendous scientific progress in developing some very effective vaccines in record time. We're changing our policing practices. Evidence of our racism practices are now publicized to the embarrassment of some. Politicians who espouse conspiracy theories as facts are called out more.
So Rebecca just visited and I read her this blog up to here. She left feeling my black cloud. I'm sorry to trouble her yet if I don't look at these troubles then the troubles may influence me anyway.
Last evening I watched a movie Syncronic with Anthony Mackie (Netflix). This dystopian movie had some interesting lines and through the science fiction lens the messiness of our present is juxtaposed with the past going back to prehistoric times, beginning colonization period, civil war times, etc. Though our present is messy and very flawed we're better off now than the past. Kate Atkinson in her book Life After Life also highlights this point of on the other hand. In her book, she gives a great description of spouse abuse and terror and the horror of the bombing of Britain during WWII. We can not avoid looking at our past and studying our history since there is a part of us striving for improvement requiring change. Hard wired in our brains some of us are traditionalists wanting the good old days (a myth), loyal to traditions that keep them comfortable but cause suffering to others, and highlight loyalty to groups resistant to change and progress. The obsessive-compulsive natures of some of us resist change and when change happens it feels forced causing anxiety. They can not identify the source of the anxiety as being generated by their own nature but instead project the cause externally. Conspiracy thinking comes then naturally a result of our insecurity living our lives. Demagogues capture these insecurities promising security through loyalty and group think.
Well, on the other hand if we can show the true colors of these regressive forces and give the alternatives that progress and problem solving solutions matter we have a chance for a brighter future.
Leonard
Comments
Post a Comment