The legacy of Anglo-American law enforcement

Dear Mr. Se(ce)ssions,

It came to my attention yesterday, that you had made a speech to a congress of sheriffs and had thought it appropriate and right to use the phrase "Anglo-American heritage of law enforcement" and remind us of American policing's great past. Since you went there, I thought I'd write and add something to your book learnin'. 

So, without further ado, here is some of the great legacy to which you alluded.....

Slave catching

Even as you alluded to a great and glorious law enforcement past, did it occur to you consider the ugly and inglorious parts of it? I'm guessing no so let me help you there, 

"In the South, however, the economics that drove the creation of police forces"were centered not on the protection of shipping interests but on the preservation of the slavery system. Some of the primary policing institutions there were the slave patrols tasked with chasing down runaways and preventing slave revolts, Potter says; the first formal slave patrol had been created in the Carolina colonies in 1704. During the Civil War, the military became the primary form of law enforcement in the South, but during Reconstruction, many local sheriffs functioned in a way analogous to the earlier slave patrols, enforcing segregation and the disenfranchisement of freed slaves."

 [emphases mine] From How the US Got Its Police Force.

I'm going to guess that this isn't the past to which you were referring. But it would seem that when we celebrate a thing, we should celebrate its totality no? Or should we pick, choose, and refuse (P, C, & R) aspects of the past? Oh I'm forgetting myself! P, C and R is wholly American. That's how we do history ain't it? eg We celebrate Jefferson and pretend he wasn't a slave-raping brute......

Rape ignoring

Years later, more of the same. The story of Recy Taylor refers. Relevant to your "legacy of Anglo-American law enforcement" in her story is this nugget: 

"Despite the rapists being identified, and at least one man's confession to the crimes, none were ever punished." 

But yes, do let's talk about the great legacy of Anglo-American law enforcement shall we?

Depravely indifferent to Black life

Apart from coddling murderers and rapists, law enforcement also has a sad history of doing various dirty deeds themselves. We all know the stories of Sandra Bland, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Ramarley Graham, Tamir Rice and Jordan Edwards. How do these stories square with that proud history of Anglo-American law enforcement of which you spoke? What about Khalief Browder, who spent three years in Riker's for allegedly stealing a bag? The case was eventually dropped but before that could happen, the law enforcement and judicial systems worked in concert to keep him incarcerated for three years. Three years, much of that time in solitary confinement. 

In many of the cases listed above, the officers involved in the shootings either faced no charges or faced charges and were acquitted. Rare is the instance where an officer is criminally indicted and found guilty of killing an unarmed civilian. Walter Scott's killer is a rare breed. The legacy is a proud one indeed.  /snark font/

And lest we begin to think that the 'legacy' stops with sheriffs and police officers, there's also this.....

Willfully using the power of office to incarcerate and kill the innocent
The story of Rodricus Crawford 

From the linked story:

"Despite autopsy results and credible expert evidence showing the child died from pneumonia and sepsis, Caddo Parish prosecutors alleged that Rodricus Crawford, a 23-year-old black man, smothered his one-year-old son, and charged him with first-degree murder.

Prosecutor Dale Cox improperly removed black jurors from Mr. Crawford's jury, and in his closing statement, he told jurors that Jesus Christ commanded the death penalty for those who killed a child. Mr. Crawford was sentenced to death that evening." 

Despite compelling evidence, a death penalty verdict was handed down by an all White jury. Tell me again about your legacy Jeff. Tell me again.  

So yeah, let's talk about the great and proud history of "Anglo-American law enforcement" why don't we? Let's talk about how Justice Taney once said that "the Black man had no rights that the White man was bound to respect". Let's talk about the lack of law enforcement response to the brutality in Tulsa and the costs in lives, property and psychic balance to that community in particular, and Black communities in general. Let's talk about COINTELPRO and how that was used to terrorize Black folks.  What about the FBI's attempts to get MLK to commit suicide, the MOVE bombing, the war on Blackness as evidenced by the recent declaration of a war on Black Identity Extremists (whatever those might be) even as White identity extremists have actually killed folk but continue to be treated with kid gloves? Yeah Jeff, let's talk about the long and proudly brutal legacy of Anglo-American law enforcement with respect to Black and brown communities. This should be instructive.

When I see comments like this coming from people with histories like yours, I can only sigh and wonder what it might take to get you  to not be so publicly and smugly racist? 

When I hear things like this I want to give folk like you the benefit of the doubt, after all, the nation's history texts and curricula ain't exactly completely truthful. Many school books do an excellent job of obfuscating (read: omitting completely) the uglier facts of American history, cuz yunno, no room for truth telling, acknowledgement or mea culpas.  But there are other books. And Lord knows the internet is still free. So no, no benefit of the doubt for you. Read. Learn. Grow. Choose to end your ignorance. 

When Coretta Scott King put pen to paper to resist your elevation to the federal bench, it was because she knew who you were. Thirty some years later, when Elizabeth Warren tried to read Mrs. King's letter into the record, it was because she too knew who you were. And now, thanks to your speech on Monday 12 February 2018, even more know who you are.

In the intervening span of 30-some years since Mrs. King's writing, you have read no book, no article, had no conversation that caused you to rethink your approach or consider anew the equality or humanity of folk who don't look like you. So compelling is the supremacist koolaid, that you have spared no thought for how you might move differently in the world.

With your smug I-got-the-power-to-put-you-in-your-place smile, you continue to show up in the world spewing a brand of old-fashioned ignorance that does your name proud. Is it any wonder I've renamed you Se(ce)ssions? The universe sho nuff named you right! And despite all we knew beforehand, perhaps because of it, here we are: you're the chief law enforcement officer of the land. And you outchear talkin' 'bout the Anglo-American tradition of slave catching pardon me, I mean law enforcement. 

Some days, scratch that, most days, I can't even believe this is real, that you really are the AG but hey, elections have consequences. You are ours.

Carry on.