SO IT SHUDDERS, SO IT BREAKS

In the midst of a chaotic pandemic, America has been dragged to another precipice. As rioting and protests continue in a nation that is the greatest sufferer from this contagion, few can say with confidence that America will bounce back to its normal soon enough. Indeed, such a bounce-back would not be desirable in the first place. For too long has America had a policing culture where militarised police departments treat minorities with suspicion and hostility. Too many times has the American justice system let go of criminal cops due to outdated legislation and overzealous police unions. This time, the rubber band may not simply snap back but break entirely. Consider how the local government of Minneapolis city where George Floyd was murdered has now asserted that they are working towards disbanding their police department. This by no means is the first time such an action has been taken by a local US governance body. This also does not mean that Minneapolis will not have a policing mechanic. It simply means they will resort to alternative forms of law and order. More likely however is that this disbandment will mean that the cops of the particular police department will all have to reapply for their jobs, at which point they can be screened properly. A fresh start as it were, free of communal bias. But this may not be enough, The public is currently railing against the very foundational ideas of policing in the US, rallying against the institution itself. Anyone who has studied US history would likely know that law enforcers have always had a troubled relationship with minorities. The first iteration of a police force in the US was formed to return escaping slaves to their masters. Subsequent to the emancipation of the Black community following the Civil War, police forces across the nation were used to segregate the minorities from white majorities. After generations of discrimination, the tenuous social contract between the minorities and the lawmakers and keepers is coming apart, the violent nature of the riots confirms such a narrative. What lies on the other side of this hill that America must cross is unknown but things will not stay the same.