putting the fear of god into u(s)

i've just been paying scant attention to a pbs tv program about the rochester ny race riots of july 1964 (the show's titled july'64). i'd have paid more attention if too much weight wasn't being given to establishment voices, but that's sadly to be expected, even from PBS. but at least pbs sometimes also gives voice to radical dissidents, like one black woman who in reply to an interviewer's question, responded in conclusion that she believed that police often beat blacks they arrested to 'put the fear of god into u'. again, this was in rochester, a mid sized upstate ny city with a proud tradition of being home to the likes of susan b. anthony and frederick douglass, a northern city that was an underground railroad stop for slaves fleeing slavery. so if this is what was happening in rochester to such an extent as to precipitate massive rioting, i think it's pretty safe to assume it was happening all across america.

i think any intelligent fair minded curious individual who looks into the history and social role of policing, not only in america but around the world, will discover that police' primary purpose and function is to use force, sometimes brutal force, sometimes deadly force, to maintain existing social and economic inequalities and injustices (link below to a great book that documents this, titled OUR ENEMIES IN BLUE). they mainly serve the establishment, provide it's muscle, enforce it's edicts or 'laws' with whatever force is deemed necessary, and quite obviously, their bosses give them basically carte blanche to abuse 'authority' when dealing with (in?)subordinate, downtrodden minorities (or troublesome radical rabble rousers, which is what i sometimes aspire to be...). they routinely brutalize and terrorize these groups when deemed necessary (which can be virtually all the time) to let them know viscerally who's the boss, or as that black woman put it, to put the fear of god into u.

this is still obviously how america is policed. i've experienced it a little myself (but not remotely anything like those who've been severely beaten and/or abused and/or murdered).

i wish more sheeple would know this. i wish they had or would take the time to educate themselves on such important matters. i wish they cared more.

of course, i should care more too. i should do more than write shit like this that i can't even interest anyone into reading. but of course, that requires leaving my comfort zone and perhaps security as well behind. it requires coming out of the closet, proactively reaching out, not just to a select few, but as wide and large an audience as i can reach, trying to rouse them, the 'rabble'.

unfortunately, i can't see this succeeding. i can very easily envision it failing, and my having to pay dearly for
trying seriously to challenge 'authority', which makes it all too easy to care less, and not even try.

ironic, isn't it, that a non-believer like me has the 'fear of god' put into him. 'authority' is something to be greatly feared by one with my inclinations and aspirations. just as it is by downtrodden minorities inclined to be the least bit 'uppity'. 'authorities' are here to put the fear of god into us.

https://www.amazon.com/Our-Enemies-Blue-Police-America/dp/1849352151