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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Photos From DC Yesterday – caphilldcne

Photos From DC Yesterday – caphilldcne

by Cheryl Rofer|  June 7, 20205:59 pm| 123 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Readership Capture, Trumpery

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Infrequent commenter caphilldcne was at yesterday’s protests in the nation’s capital. He sends along some pictures and a bit of description.

We marched from the Senate office buildings on Capitol Hill passed the White House. I headed back after 17th Street.  The photo of the Washington monument shows how deserted the mall is. A lot of the people at the base of the monument are national guard. It’s a sea of people. Tens of thousands. I was pretty shocked by how big it was. This is just one of many groups marching.  People were polite, well-mannered, friendly and appalled by what is happening to this country. I’m glad to stand with these incredible marchers.

Open Thread!

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Previous Post: «Medium Cool with BGinCHI – needs title Medium Cool with BGinCHI – “The Past Is Never Dead. It’s Not Even Past.”
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Reader Interactions

123Comments

  1. 1.

    WaterGirl

    June 7, 2020 at 6:02 pm

    Thanks for sharing the pictures!

  2. 2.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    June 7, 2020 at 6:05 pm

    I’m so moved by all these marchers. Blessings on them. I seriously get the impression that the country is just fed up with all of it.

  3. 3.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    June 7, 2020 at 6:06 pm

    OT already, but from today in Washington: Mitt Romney is on the march:

    Hannah Natanson @hannah_natanson
    .@MittRomney is marching with a group of nearly 1,000 Christians to the White House. Here he is on video saying why he’s walking: “… to make sure that people understand that Black Lives Matter”

  4. 4.

    James E Powell

    June 7, 2020 at 6:09 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: 

    Got to admit. Didn’t see that coming.

  5. 5.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    June 7, 2020 at 6:10 pm

    @James E Powell: I’m trying to think if he’s the first Republican to march. The first one I’ve seen, certainly the first national figure, no?

  6. 6.

    WaterGirl

    June 7, 2020 at 6:12 pm

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: I LOVED Jennifer Rubin’s title to her piece from today or yesterday.

    Do not underestimate the power of this moment.

  7. 7.

    WaterGirl

    June 7, 2020 at 6:12 pm

    @James E Powell: Perhaps al the mockery of Romney for talking about how his Dad had marched played a part?

  8. 8.

    Ben Cisco (onboard the Defiant)

    June 7, 2020 at 6:13 pm

    Great pics.

    In protest-related news, Mama Cisco reports that her lightly populated, rural Alabama county had a march 100 strong (including a white guy!) – in the county seat. Business owners along the route were out front with shotguns and rifles, and a barricade placed around the Confederate monument at the old courthouse. I’m shocked.

  9. 9.

    Caphilldcne

    June 7, 2020 at 6:13 pm

    Thanks for publishing these, Cheryl!  I wanted to further comment that almost everyone was wearing a mask. People were keeping a bit of space but of course a lot of chanting. There were lots of groups that showed up to provide water, food, And in many cases hand sanitizer to the crowd. The Georgetown Black Law Student group was out there. I really appreciated it. My initial attempt at a post discussed some of the locations – we were marching past the national archives for example. Anyway I’ve lived here nearly 20 years. I’ve marched to protest the Iraq war in 2004. Sadly the last 3 years I’ve felt compelled to go to dozens of these. This time does have incredible energy and I applaud the incredible young people who showed up!!

  10. 10.

    WaterGirl

    June 7, 2020 at 6:13 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Today is the first day of Romney’s 2024 presidential campaign.

    Today is the second day of Romney’s 2024 presidential campaign, the first day being his impeachment vote.

  11. 11.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    June 7, 2020 at 6:16 pm

    Mr DAW had a NASCAR race on today and before the race, they had a Black Lives Matter statement on the PA. Drivers held up “I can’t breathe” t-shirts. NASCAR!

  12. 12.

    db11

    June 7, 2020 at 6:16 pm

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    I seriously get the impression that the country world(!) is just fed up with all of it.

  13. 13.

    Caphilldcne

    June 7, 2020 at 6:23 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Wow. Frankly, I appreciate it.  I’ll never much love Mitt but he’s at least acknowledging this pain.

  14. 14.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 6:24 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    That Romney is the most decent Republican in national politics is proof that we are living in bizarro times.

  15. 15.

    JPL

    June 7, 2020 at 6:25 pm

    @WaterGirl: When graduating seniors organized a protest in my burb north of Atlanta, I knew then it was a big deal.   Also the comments on Nextdoor were positive so what else do you need for proof.

  16. 16.

    Mart

    June 7, 2020 at 6:27 pm

    A Covid-19 explosion worries me, but the huge and diverse participation is moving. Hope to goodness no super-spreaders at Floyd’s funeral.

  17. 17.

    Subsole

    June 7, 2020 at 6:28 pm

    This is uplifting after so much darkness.

    Thanks for sharing it.

  18. 18.

    japa21

    June 7, 2020 at 6:28 pm

    Yesterday was my youngest grandson’s 3rd birthday. Son and DIL had two parties for him. The first was for neighborhood kids on the front lawn.  They had the family groups appropriately spaced so no superspreader would have a chance.  In the afternoon they had family, grandparents, aunts and uncles, about 15 people.  Again appropriately spaced out in the back yard.

    This actually relates to this post, because in between the two parties they participated in a protest march in downtown LaGrange, IL.  The birthday boy was in a stroller and pretty promptly fell asleep, but his 5 year old brother marched holding a sign that read Embrace Empathy.  According to my son, there was a little over 100 people, no real police presence and businesses along the way were handing out water and food to the marchers.

    Son and DIL are trying to help the 5 year old understand racism.  My son is white enough to almost be invisible and his wife is Filipino, son the kids are mixed race. Additionally, many of their neighbors are mixed race so the 5 year old has no real conception of what racism is. He is finding out.

  19. 19.

    japa21

    June 7, 2020 at 6:29 pm

    BTW, did raven report how it went in Athens last night?  Been dealing with other issues here so just able to catch up on most recent posts.

  20. 20.

    Martin

    June 7, 2020 at 6:30 pm

    Huh. Minneapolis City Council will announce their commitment to disbanding the city police department.

    So, the nuclear option for public universities that have departments that have gone off the rails is to disband the department. You aren’t firing the faculty and dealing with the tenure rights problem, you just don’t need them any longer, so they’re layoffs. You then build a new somewhat different department with a different charter and hire new faculty.

    Can be done with courses/instructors where the contract is at the course not program level.

    Sounds like what they may pursue here. The MPD is no more, replaced by a series of alternatives, possibly based on function, much as CA has a highway patrol separate from state police. Set up a  variety of first responder organizations where their metrics are tied to some sort of positive feedback. For instance, if CA had CHP and CalTrans integrated with the goal of reducing highway accidents and deaths. So the lone motorist 8 MPH over the speed limit on an otherwise empty road might not warrant ticketing because the goal isn’t a ticket quota, it’s keeping the motorist safe, and they seem reasonably safe in that scenario already. And in terms of budgeting you can decide whether patrols are more warranted than installing guard rails or restriping, etc.

    Take away the notion of ‘law and order’ which is its own goal, and replace it with public safety, which of course must involve some law enforcement component, but only to the degree that it helps public safety.

    Should be an interesting experiment to watch.

  21. 21.

    Ken

    June 7, 2020 at 6:30 pm

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: Also the NFL. Well, to some degree; Colin Kaepernick still hasn’t been picked up.

  22. 22.

    Ken

    June 7, 2020 at 6:35 pm

    @WaterGirl: There’s a small chance Romney’s hoping this is the second day of his 2020 campaign.

    Hypothetically, what happens if a presidential candidate withdraws or dies between the nomination and election day? Maybe one of those cases where it becomes important that we’re not really voting for the name on the ballot, we’re voting for a slate of electors?

  23. 23.

    dogwood

    June 7, 2020 at 6:35 pm

    @WaterGirl: I don’t think he was mocked because his dad marched, it was because he intimated that he was there.  George Romney did March.  He was a good man.

  24. 24.

    db11

    June 7, 2020 at 6:36 pm

    @Martin: Wow!

    Wasn’t their mayor booed off the stage by protestors last night?Wouldn’t have guessed something this extreme necessary was brewing.

    Will definitely follow with interest to see how it unfolds, and what it teaches us about reform.

    Edited to add: Oh, and I guess that takes care of their insanely toxic Bob Kroll / police union problem :)

  25. 25.

    trollhattan

    June 7, 2020 at 6:36 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: 
    “In really nice bespoke loafers.”

    I kid. Good on Mitt. Do good works while annoying your enemy, seems like a nice tack.

  26. 26.

    prostratedragon

    June 7, 2020 at 6:36 pm

    All these photos are so momentous, to use a word that’s going to get a real workout soon. May we think long and deep so that this doesn’t become just another passing thing.

    Still processing a motet I just heard on radio:

    “The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed,” by Joel Thompson; University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club

  27. 27.

    trollhattan

    June 7, 2020 at 6:37 pm

    @Martin:

    Did not see that coming. They can be a lab for the rest of us.

  28. 28.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 6:38 pm

    @Martin: Oh wow. TBH, more than I expected.  It’ll be interesting to see how it is received.

  29. 29.

    Martin

    June 7, 2020 at 6:39 pm

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: Marketing!

    Good on NASCAR for recognizing where the market is headed, but they have one black driver (Bubba Wallace  – good driver, no less) in a series that draws drivers disproportionately from areas with large black populations.

    They got a long way to go, but it’s a start, albeit not a very credible one.

  30. 30.

    Martin

    June 7, 2020 at 6:40 pm

    @db11: Apparently a veto-proof majority of the city council. Saw the mayor on TV the other day. Wasn’t impressed.

  31. 31.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    June 7, 2020 at 6:42 pm

    @WaterGirl:  If he’s running for president, he’ll have to change parties. There’s no way Mitt can win the party of Dump.

  32. 32.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 6:47 pm

    It’s fascinating how you can never predict the spark that will trigger a sea change in the culture.

  33. 33.

    db11

    June 7, 2020 at 6:47 pm

    @Martin: So maybe the mayor was dragged forward by the council rather than vice versa?

    Good on them for having the courage to address the problem at the root. If they replace the PD with something better (how could they not?), will make it tougher for other cities with similar problems to continue to pay lip service to reform.

    This is really encouraging and reflective of the historical inflection point that we’ve (finally) reached with the events of the past couple of weeks.

  34. 34.

    Mohagan

    June 7, 2020 at 6:47 pm

    @WaterGirl: So young, so cynical.  That was my first (ungracious( thought also, but I’m almost 70 :-)

  35. 35.

    Calouste

    June 7, 2020 at 6:47 pm

    So both the editor in Philadelphia who wrote the ridiculous “Buildings matter too” article and the editor at the FTFNYT who let Tom Cotton’s fascist screed go through are no longer in their jobs. It’s a start.

  36. 36.

    db11

    June 7, 2020 at 6:49 pm

    @Baud: Without COVID and the attending lockdown, I doubt this would have coalesced in anywhere near the same way.

  37. 37.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 6:49 pm

    @David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch:

    Oh God please no.  I don’t want to deal with the tweets about how Romney is better than Biden.

  38. 38.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 6:49 pm

    @db11:

    I had the same thought the other day.

  39. 39.

    lamh36

    June 7, 2020 at 6:51 pm

    Still a chump tho??‍♀️

    Someone is def running in 2024. But hey i’ll give him 0.00000000009999-% credit for this ‬

    https://twitter.com/mittromney/status/1269758561720156160?s=21

  40. 40.

    Kathleen

    June 7, 2020 at 6:52 pm

    @WaterGirl: I thought this one from Friday was a masterpiece as well:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/06/05/how-history-is-made-not-everyone-hops-off-sinking-ship-once/

  41. 41.

    lamh36

    June 7, 2020 at 6:52 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Romney does have a Black grandchild so I’ll give him the benefit of the thought about caring for that grandchild.

     

    Still a weathervane tho

  42. 42.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 6:54 pm

    @lamh36: How old will he be in 2024?

    Re: first tweet under that — I wonder if he will endorse Joe.

  43. 43.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 6:54 pm

    @lamh36: I forgot about that.

  44. 44.

    Martin

    June 7, 2020 at 6:55 pm

    @db11: I don’t think the mayor supports this at all.

  45. 45.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    June 7, 2020 at 6:55 pm

    @lamh36: I sometimes think his father’s ghost haunts his dreams.

    Not often enough, though

  46. 46.

    Subsole

    June 7, 2020 at 6:55 pm

    @Martin:

    Maybe I’m just hypersensitized but I am frankly terrified this defund talk is gonna be just the opening the GOP  needs to wriggle free of an electoral bloodbath. Folks don’t dig anarchy, which is exactly what that phrasing conjures.

    The fact people are already having to roll out flowcharts and 20k word essays to explain what “defund” means does not inspire confidence.

  47. 47.

    Caphilldcne

    June 7, 2020 at 6:56 pm

    @Mart: worries me too. I’m going to get tested and definitely trying to be careful around others!  I guess it’s a calculated risk and others need to make calculations based on their situation, but ending white supremacy has to be a priority right now.

  48. 48.

    WaterGirl

    June 7, 2020 at 6:59 pm

    @Martin: There is still a discussion on the “On the Ground with Laura Too” thread from earlier today.  Laura just returned from the announcement about half an hour ago.  Some good link,s also.

  49. 49.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    June 7, 2020 at 6:59 pm

    @Martin:

    I’m happy to live with marketing as a start. It recognizes how other people judge them, so it punctures the bubble a bit.

  50. 50.

    JPL

    June 7, 2020 at 7:00 pm

    @Calouste: Not enough for me.   Apparently the twenty-five year old editor that worked with Cotton is still at the NYTimes.    Bennet must be so proud of his hires since they outlasted him.

  51. 51.

    trollhattan

    June 7, 2020 at 7:03 pm

    Rut-roh.

    SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 News) – It’s easy to wonder, with the recent easing of restrictions and demonstrators by the hundreds taking to Utah streets…if the trend of more positive cases of Coronavirus in Utah will continue.

    In a tweet, Utah State Representative Suzanne Harrison said “This spike in COVID cases is very concerning & approaching exponential Today’s 18.5% positive test rate is double yesterday’s (9.4%). Please be careful.” This after the Utah Health officials reported 546 additional positive cases of COVID-19 in the state on Saturday, June 6th.

    Tom Hudachko of the Utah department of Health tells ABC4 “we haven’t seen case counts increase like this throughout the course of the outbreak.”

    Hudachko says, people statewide have been doing less of just about everything health officials have urged us all to do. Less social distancing, fewer masks in public and a general relaxing of attitudes toward a very real pandemic.

    “Washing your hands, staying home if you’re sick. This is our new normal, these are things as a society that are going to be with us for a long time. And, just because we’re three or so months past the beginning of this outbreak doesn’t mean that it’s time to start loosening up on those behaviors” said Hudachko.

  52. 52.

    Martin

    June 7, 2020 at 7:03 pm

    CNN has an article up now. 

    Pressed for details on what the dismantling might look like, Bender told CNN police funding would be shifted to other needs, and the city council would discuss how to replace the current police department.

    “The idea of having no police department is certainly not in the short term,” Bender said.
    The nine council members made the announcement at a community rally in Minneapolis. News of the announcement was first reported by The Appeal.

    Calls by some to defund or outright abolish police departments have grown in the wake of Floyd’s death and nationwide protests against police brutality.

    City council members had previously said they would take steps to dismantle the police department, including Bender, who tweeted earlier this week, “Yes. We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a transformative new model of public safety.”

    Jeremiah Ellison, city councilman for Ward 5, tweeted a similar message Thursday, writing, “We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. And when we’re done, we’re not simply gonna glue it back together. We are going to dramatically rethink how we approach public safety and emergency response.”

    So, I think this is smart. They are acknowledging the current system isn’t working, they recognize a different system is going to be difficult to work out. I think this is good expectation-setting. The challenge will be when the MPD decides to stop doing their job, can they rely on the state to help them with that transition, because you fucking know that’s going to happen.

    9 members out of 13 supporting the effort. Doesn’t matter what the mayor thinks of the idea – he’s been outvoted.

  53. 53.

    MattF

    June 7, 2020 at 7:03 pm

    @Calouste: Also, Cotton’s op-ed is now prefaced by a fairly long and detailed editor’s note explaining why the piece should not have been published in its current state.

  54. 54.

    JMG

    June 7, 2020 at 7:04 pm

    @Baud: As a former Mass. journalist, I have some acquaintance with Mitt. He has a deeply cynical view of human nature, notable even by sportswriter standards. But he has a code of honor and he does try to live with it.

  55. 55.

    Kathleen

    June 7, 2020 at 7:05 pm

    @Subsole: I prefer the term “Transform” the police department. Cincinnati Police had inflicted horrible abuse on African American citizens. In 2001 a Cincinnati policeman killed a young unarmed African American man whom he was chasing in a downtown neighborhood. That sparked a riot and subsequent boycotts of the city by African American performers and organizations. I was not optimistic about positive change.

    Long story short, Police and city entered into a Collaborative Agreement (Justice Department was also part of the oversight process) which has resulted in positive change in relations though everyone agrees improvements are still required (agreement currently undergoing a “refresh”). For example, CPD has banned night sticks, choke holds and rubber bullets. Here is a link to a 4 year old story which provides historical context and overview of provisions:

    http://www.wcpo.com/news/insider/cincinnati-collaborative-agreement-after-14-years-whats-kept-historic-agreement-going

  56. 56.

    JMG

    June 7, 2020 at 7:06 pm

    @Subsole: No one cares. Do you think Joe Biden is gonna talk about this? The only issue in the election is Trump. He is bound to do something in the next weeks, days, hours to drive “defund the police” back to page B17.

  57. 57.

    rikyrah

    June 7, 2020 at 7:06 pm

    @James E Powell:

    Dude,

    He is so running in 2024?

  58. 58.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 7:07 pm

    @JMG:

    The more annoying thing will be when “defund” becomes a new litmus test for Dems like M4A. I

  59. 59.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 7:08 pm

    Mitt will be Biden’s current age in 2024.

  60. 60.

    WaterGirl

    June 7, 2020 at 7:09 pm

    @dogwood: I didn’t mean to say that Mitt was mocked because his dad marched.  I meant to say that Mitt was mocked this week for praising his dad for marching, while not taking the action himself.

  61. 61.

    Martin

    June 7, 2020 at 7:09 pm

    @Subsole: Well, it can certainly go in that direction.  It’s really incumbent on democrats to step up and define this process and  the end result before the GOP does. But you can count on the police union to sabotage this in favor of GOP talking points at every step.

    It would probably help if the city council stated up front that MPD employees will be considered in hiring for new agencies, but that examples of their public safety efforts will be taken into consideration – enough of a clue that if they sabotage this effort, they can go work at WalMart instead.

    One thing I would like to see in the new agencies is no moonlighting in security related jobs, or some real approval  process needed. The blurring of roles around law enforcement is really problematic.

  62. 62.

    Sister Golden Bear

    June 7, 2020 at 7:10 pm

    @Martin:

    They got a long way to go, but it’s a start, albeit not a very credible one.

    Agreed.

    That said, the corporate rainbow-washing that occurs every June during Pride season has moved the Overton Window in regards to LGBTQ issues. So even people doing the right thing for less-than-right reasons can be helpful. Especially if that sets them up for people to then pressure them to do more than lip service.

  63. 63.

    WaterGirl

    June 7, 2020 at 7:11 pm

    @db11: Laura Too, earlier, described this as a FU to the mayor, so no, the mayor was not in favor of this.

  64. 64.

    Cheryl Rofer

    June 7, 2020 at 7:11 pm

    Trump has been relatively quiet over the weekend. I saw some discussion on Twitter of whether the tweets we’ve seen have even been from him. As usual, who knows. But this might get him going.

    We need more of this.pic.twitter.com/gWMvXiLPmn

    — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 7, 2020

  65. 65.

    WaterGirl

    June 7, 2020 at 7:12 pm

    @Baud: It’s the perfect storm.

  66. 66.

    Miss Bianca

    June 7, 2020 at 7:15 pm

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    @Baud:

    Are we up to the Seventh Seal yet?

  67. 67.

    NotMax

    June 7, 2020 at 7:15 pm

    FYI.

    A new rhythmic Rainbow rejoinder.

  68. 68.

    JMG

    June 7, 2020 at 7:15 pm

    There was a demonstration, well, more like a prayer circle vigil, in Harwich, Ma. on Cape Cod yesterday. 300 people. Harwich is 300 years old and in that time I very much doubt it has had 300 residents of color.Something’s happening out there in places where none of us suspect.

  69. 69.

    JPL

    June 7, 2020 at 7:16 pm

    @Cheryl Rofer: I hope that Mitch had to swallow a bottle of Tums after watching that.

  70. 70.

    raven

    June 7, 2020 at 7:16 pm

    @japa21: There were NO incidents during or after a 3,000 person rally. One of our council members who was 71 was fond dead this morning after falling down the stairs at his home. He was at the rally for a while and there is no foul play suspected.

  71. 71.

    Martin

    June 7, 2020 at 7:17 pm

    @JMG: Joe would be smart to say that he will instruct the federal government to assist local and state governments with any reforms that they feel are necessary to ensuring public safety, and leave it at that. He doesn’t need to endorse defunding, he just needs to endorse trusting local government to do what they feel will work best for the public. And he can pivot cleanly off of that to the DOJ Civil Rights efforts under Obama to help law enforcement reforms. Basically, it’s just an upgraded form of  the process that was already in place under Obama.

    What’s key is that he keeps the whole thing centered under public safety, not law and order. Not only does that put him on good  footing regarding looting vs protesting, but public safety allows him to easily pivot to measures to protect the public from Covid, gun violence, and a host of other democratic priorities.

  72. 72.

    Subsole

    June 7, 2020 at 7:17 pm

    @JMG:

    Hope you’re right. Guess I’m just on edge lately.

    We cannot, and I mean can not fuck this up.

  73. 73.

    MattF

    June 7, 2020 at 7:18 pm

    @NotMax: Prefaced by a Biden ad and then a Trump ad.

  74. 74.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 7:18 pm

    @Martin:

    Agree.  Good suggestion.

  75. 75.

    Martin

    June 7, 2020 at 7:18 pm

    @raven: Nobody ever holds stairs accountable. They are a greater menace than antifa.

  76. 76.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 7:19 pm

    @Martin:

    It’s because Democrats are soft on stairs.

  77. 77.

    Martin

    June 7, 2020 at 7:20 pm

    @JPL: He’s from Kentucky, so it’s either bourbon or meth, or both.

  78. 78.

    bluehill

    June 7, 2020 at 7:21 pm

    @Kathleen: Yeah, it’s kind of like the repub “government is the problem” shtick. No. Bad government is the problem as we have clearly seen these past four years. I want better policing, not no police.

  79. 79.

    Martin

    June 7, 2020 at 7:22 pm

    @Baud: You joke, but Trump is afraid of stairs for good reason.  He knows.

  80. 80.

    Subsole

    June 7, 2020 at 7:23 pm

    @Kathleen:

    I love that framing of transformation. Powerful and positive. Abolition evokes destruction and violence. Your framing almost sounds regenerative.

    That’s what we need to be seen offering people. A respite from destruction.

  81. 81.

    Marcopolo

    June 7, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    Happy to say I am in a much better mood now than a week ago.  I’m so glad the way things have gone.  I was really worried (still am about Covid spikes but what can you do?).  So much credit to the protesters for peacefully persevering (and self-policing); so much credit to Mayor Bowser (and others) for making physical & political space for protesters to do their thing safely & joyously (my God she so totally outplayed Trump); so much credit to all the bad apple police & security people who made the protesters’ case for them by showing their awful nature repeatedly while being filmed for all to see.

    A couple other thoughts:

    First, because of the economic downturn caused by Covid-19 a lot of places will be cutting police funding (along with a whole lot of other funding).  Maybe as the economy picks up more of these places will be taking a critical look at whether their police funding needs to return to its old level.

    Two, I haven’t seen anyone note this but when you look at the protests over the past 10 days and compare them to the “open things up” protests of 4-6 weeks ago there is no comparison.  It’s sad how much attention those Astro-turf events got.

  82. 82.

    WaterGirl

    June 7, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    @trollhattan: I like this site for perspective on individual states and across the country.

    If you press PLAY and keep your eye on a particular state (at the top) you can see the ups and downs as the dates roll by.

    From ProPublica:

    States are reopening.  See how they rise or fall.

  83. 83.

    JPL

    June 7, 2020 at 7:26 pm

    @Martin: I’m fine with that.

  84. 84.

    Martin

    June 7, 2020 at 7:30 pm

    @Kathleen: I think there are PDs that are open to reforming from within. There are a lot that are not (NYPD, for example). Not sure where MPD stands, but my sense is they’re not interested in reform, probably because unemployment is not seen as an alternative. There’s a VERY bad ‘what the fuck are they planning on doing without us’ problem within law enforcement that leaves  them thinking they have the upper hand here. The nature of the union contract certainly plays into this.

    A few disbanded PDs might do wonders for attitudes across the country. If Joe wins, he quietly needs to make sure this effort in Minneapolis succeeds. Nancy and Chuck need to as well.

  85. 85.

    raven

    June 7, 2020 at 7:31 pm

    @Martin: It’s not the first friend of my age to die that way.

  86. 86.

    Miss Bianca

    June 7, 2020 at 7:32 pm

    Sort of competely o/t, has any of the jackaltariat read a book by Adam Gropnik called, A Thousand Small Sanities:  The Moral Adventure of Liberalism? 
    .

  87. 87.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 7:33 pm

    @raven:

    I was scared that would happen to my mother, who insisted on living on her own in a two story.

  88. 88.

    Miss Bianca

    June 7, 2020 at 7:33 pm

    @Martin: Uh…that seems kind of huge.

    @Calouste: Damn, Skippy.

  89. 89.

    raven

    June 7, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    @Baud: I’m worried about myself with this gait problem I’m having.

  90. 90.

    Miss Bianca

    June 7, 2020 at 7:37 pm

    @trollhattan:

    Washing your hands, staying home if you’re sick. This is our new normal

    That this is somehow our ‘new’ normal instead of just, you know, ‘normal’, perhaps says more than I think he intended.

  91. 91.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 7:38 pm

    @raven:

    I tried to convince my mother to get one of those chair lifts.  You should look into it.

  92. 92.

    Martin

    June 7, 2020 at 7:40 pm

    @raven: Anything with as many building codes around it as stairs is legit a bit dangerous. Alas, residential stairs have few cost effective alternatives.

    I’m in the age bracket where bikes and suicide are the still the most common answer to the question. Hopefully I have a little while yet before I decide that stairs and bathtubs are my enemy.

  93. 93.

    trollhattan

    June 7, 2020 at 7:42 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Nice visualization, merci. Interesting how volatile some are, and not just states with tiny populations.

  94. 94.

    raven

    June 7, 2020 at 7:44 pm

    @Baud: Not yet.

  95. 95.

    raven

    June 7, 2020 at 7:45 pm

    @Martin: We put in a big walkin shower  when we built the addition. The sewing room is upstairs and my shop is down but I and also get there via a sidewalk down the side of the house.

  96. 96.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 7:46 pm

    @raven: Ok.  Just don’t be stubborn about it when the time comes.

  97. 97.

    JPL

    June 7, 2020 at 7:46 pm

    @Martin:  Stair falls and serious injuries affects all age groups.

  98. 98.

    Miss Bianca

    June 7, 2020 at 7:47 pm

    @Martin: Martin, I really hope somebody smart out there at a local or state or national level is reading the stuff you’ve been writing here lately. Between you and Kay I think I’m getting as much policy wonk talk from the comments as from the FPers.

    btw, from the way you talk, tho’ – and the speed with with some of these things are happening – I have to imagine that good political leaders have a set of plans for implementing new programs that can be ‘shovel-ready’ at a moment’s notice

     

    ETA: I think the emphasis on ‘public safety’ is brilliant. If we can refashion ACA and health care spending as ‘public health’, we might really be going places.

  99. 99.

    NotMax

    June 7, 2020 at 7:48 pm

    @raven

    OT.

    Came across this movie listed on Prime. From what I’ve read about it, plays a bit fast and loose with the real stories for dramatic effect but still thought it could be up your alley.

  100. 100.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    June 7, 2020 at 7:49 pm

    @Martin:

    I look forward to seeing how Minneapolis’ reforms work out. I agree that public safety should be focus. I have a feeling the “Defund the Police” slogan doesn’t sell so well among totebaggers and Middle America. It’s not evident why and it’s easy to demagogue.

    Locally, the township where I live has fairly well-funded police and fire departments. Interestingly, I’ve seen them packaged together as the “Safety Services”, by a candidate for the township Fiscal Officer, who of course had to kiss their asses. The renewal levies and new levies routinely pass. I admit I’ve always voted for police renewal levies, but I might consider voting against in the future

  101. 101.

    WaterGirl

    June 7, 2020 at 7:50 pm

    @trollhattan: I go back to that page a lot.  I wish it was possible to hit PLAY within a particular state, but that’s only on the page with all the states.

    Still really useful, though.

  102. 102.

    Matt McIrvin

    June 7, 2020 at 7:54 pm

    I’m less worried about public opinion turning back toward Trump than I am about Trump fucking with the election or attempting some kind of coup. Because it’s essentially a 100% certainty that he wants to, and the institutions that protect us from this have severely eroded. Actually getting rid of Trump somehow (e. g. hounding him into resigning) and slotting in Pence might make things politically harder for the Democrats, but it would probably reduce the likelihood of, say, an attempt to arrest Congress or bomb the Capitol.

  103. 103.

    mrmoshpotato

    June 7, 2020 at 7:57 pm

    @Ken: There’s a small chance Romney’s hoping this is the second day of his 2020 campaign.

    But who would be his running mate?  Certainly that Ayn Rand-humping jagoff would be making less as VP than whatever planet-killing horseshit he’s doing now.

  104. 104.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    June 7, 2020 at 8:04 pm

    @Baud:

    Just today, I saw on a top rated thread on a subreddit I visit a moron spouting the stupid “Both sides, same thing” bullshit. In 2020, in the middle of a pandemic that Trump fucked up the response to, and after his AG apparently ordered the DC Police to tear gas peaceful protesters so he could have a photo-op!

    Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock and Ferguson all happened on Trump’s first day. Flint’s water got poisoned that day too!

    They just desperately want to go for brunch again (referring to “libs” on Twitter who say that none of this would be happening if Hillary were president)

    Oh yeah I’m mostly on Twitter so I see this every time I log on. Telling people to vote in 5 months when both sides have been propping up this fucked up system is asinine
    https://m.imgur.com/a/nl8Zmgo

    A vote (or non-vote) for anybody else but Biden is a vote for Trump. The two parties aren’t the same. Ferguson, Flint, Standing Rock were out of Obama’s control. The president is not a king who rules by fiat. But Trump and the GOP are trying to change that. It blows my mind that people still think like this after the last 3 years

  105. 105.

    NotMax

    June 7, 2020 at 8:09 pm

    @Matt McIrvin

    Sheesh on a shingle.

    Consider cutting back on the magic mushrooms.

  106. 106.

    Kathleen

    June 7, 2020 at 8:15 pm

    @Martin: Trust me I never thought it would work in Cincinnati either. I have a real problem with city officials announcing they’re going to disband a police department without having a transition plan plus a longer term definition of desired outcomes for the new police department. I think it’s irresponsible.

  107. 107.

    mrmoshpotato

    June 7, 2020 at 8:20 pm

    @Baud:

    @David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch:

    WWWWAAAHHHHH!!!!!!  Bernie would’ve been both of them – combined – with both hands behind his back!

    ETA – I want my unicorn butler!

  108. 108.

    Kathleen

    June 7, 2020 at 8:21 pm

    @Subsole: Thank you! The police here did a great job. The Police Chief spent a lot of time listening to and talking with young protesters (he also took a knee at their request). He said many of the things they demanded were already included in the Collaborative Agreement (bans on night sticks, choke holds and rubber bullets) and he wanted to continue conversations with them because he said, “We have to keep talking”.

  109. 109.

    Geminid

    June 7, 2020 at 8:21 pm

    Romney’s a realist, and I think he knows that the tea party cranks and political preachers will maintain their grip on the republican party for at least a couple election cycles. Fine by me; they’ve marginalized the Virginia party, and they’re doing their best to marginalize the Republicans nationwide.                                                            But Romney can represent Utah well, and I don’t think a lot of Utahans will kick if he confronts bigotry. Especially the Mormons: they haven’t  forgotten that they had to flee the Midwest when Joseph Smith and many other Mormons were lynched.

  110. 110.

    Viva BrisVegas

    June 7, 2020 at 8:24 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): I have a feeling the “Defund the Police” slogan doesn’t sell so well among totebaggers and Middle America.

    It needs to be quickly changed to something like “Demilitarize the Police”. Otherwise it will be used as a cudgel by the right to drum up fear and stop any real change.

    As with “Climate Change” rather than “Global Warming”. Use of the term climate change allows for the ludicrous but plausible right wing response, “but the climate always changes”. It stifles legitimate debate.

    Messaging matters.

  111. 111.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    June 7, 2020 at 8:33 pm

    @Viva BrisVegas: 
    “Demilitarize the Police” is a pretty good slogan! I’m sure protesters will get their messaging together

  112. 112.

    Matt McIrvin

    June 7, 2020 at 8:34 pm

    @NotMax:  You think this is far-fetched? Former defense officials are sounding the alarm about Trump’s abuse of the military:

    https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/06/03/trump-military-george-floyd-protests/

    https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/06/06/the-guardrails-are-off-the-us-military-303959?fbclid=IwAR1d7cBL80ucJX-r3pcWOesIQCKa21wb-NBmOwLAb9W_tzzfBpT5nOpPWOM

    The only thing preventing him from carrying out a coup using the military is the military’s unwillingness to follow illegal orders, and the Lafayette Park incident reveals that it’s not at all clear that they won’t.

  113. 113.

    Baud

    June 7, 2020 at 8:37 pm

    @Matt McIrvin:

    If you actually try to play out the scenario, you’ll see it can’t work.

  114. 114.

    Fair Economist

    June 7, 2020 at 9:16 pm

    @lamh36:

    Someone is def running in 2024. But hey i’ll give [Romney] 0.00000000009999-% credit for this ‬

    We can afford to give him full credit for this. All hands on deck fighting fascism, and anyway the chance of him getting the Republican nom in 2024 and winning are incredibly slender at this point. Trump has taken over the party and the base, and if a traditional Republican gets the nom there will be a split.

  115. 115.

    Caphilldcne

    June 7, 2020 at 9:20 pm

    @Sister Golden Bear: argh – there was a lot of LGBTQ participation. Should’ve got a photo of some of those signs (FYI I’m a gay man and should’ve thought to be intersectional).

  116. 116.

    Fair Economist

    June 7, 2020 at 9:28 pm

    @Kathleen: Minneapolis has a contract with the police union for 2 more years. Plenty of time to develop a plan. Cities change police forces all the time anyway without trouble – closing their own to rely on county sheriffs or vice versa; it’s not a big deal.

  117. 117.

    Uncle Cosmo

    June 7, 2020 at 9:33 pm

    @Martin: Steps have been the real “Boomer remover” since before there were Boomers.

  118. 118.

    Caphilldcne

    June 7, 2020 at 9:33 pm

    @WaterGirl: it was my pleasure. Since this is kind of a dead thread I want to say thank you to you and to Cheryl and John and all the front pagers. I don’t comment a lot but this blog is my first and last stop on the internet. Every day. I’m grateful to the community here and I appreciate your incredible resilience in the face of a direct threat to our democracy. Virtual hugs to you all.

  119. 119.

    WaterGirl

    June 7, 2020 at 9:48 pm

    @Caphilldcne: That’s very nice.  Thank you so much!

  120. 120.

    Caphilldcne

    June 7, 2020 at 10:04 pm

    @WaterGirl: you’re welcome!! :)

  121. 121.

    Ken

    June 7, 2020 at 10:34 pm

    @Martin: Trump is afraid of stairs for good reason.

    According to one rumor – which of course I don’t believe for a minute but these things are out there and people keep repeating them and you have to think there must be something there – it’s because the Russian mob threw him down a few flights when he fell behind on his loan payments.

  122. 122.

    Cheryl Rofer

    June 7, 2020 at 10:56 pm

    @Caphilldcne: Thanks!

  123. 123.

    JoJo

    June 7, 2020 at 11:31 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): I see a lot of that on the Facebook page where the Milwaukee protests are listed. A lot of dumb, unfortunately. I don’t know that it reflects most people’s feelings or just some very loud people.

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