In a healthy, moral and civilized society defined by the rule of law, police can play an important role. They should be people who come from the communities they promise to “protect and serve.” They should view themselves as a part of these communities, not as something separate and distinct. Police should see their jobs as having a great degree of risk, and must be willing to accept that risk. This means not pretending to be a solider at war, not choosing the most violent solution to every problem, and not viewing the citizenry as milk cows ready and willing to be drained of their assets via civil forfeiture.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the state of the police in America in 2014, and it’s quickly becoming obvious to everyone. Ferguson was a key moment in this awakening, when white pundits and others typically confined to less distraught communities, witnessed the militarized police in all its SWAT team horror for the first time. In the piece, “A Good Time Was Had By All” – The Obamas Dance the Night Away as Ferguson, Missouri Burns, I wrote:
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