Blue on Black violence

One source of the tension between police and civilians is the “in your face” attitude towards authority figures that is so prevalent. In my generation I was raised with the “stick up your hands or I’ll shoot” vision we learned from TV. I remember running from police as a teen, but I also remember doing exactly as I was told when arrested.

I suppose every generation has members that are angry at authority and take their anger out at police. In the 60’s we went through an era when we called police pigs. I don’t know why. Maybe the anarchist element of hippiness despised all authority. The hip hop generation has really majored in anti-authority rage, especially the gangster rap. So the dilemma; a lot of authority figures are pretty messed up: religious, political, parents, and police. That’s a problem.

About 2500 years ago when China’s society was in turmoil the philosopher Confucius influenced a kind of revival of values. At the core was a return to respect of authority. You can see how this value dominates Asian cultures today.

I see authority in nature, especially if we relate authority to responsibility. Every bird has responsibility and authority over her chicks. You could even say that gravity has authority in the realm of physics. Societies have always needed authority to function; parents, village elders, and tribal chiefs. In those older societies there was relationship to validate the authority. If a 15 year old boy went messing around with a girl the men would take him aside and say, “Hey you can’t be playing with our daughters. You’re gonna have to marry and take responsibility.” But these were the boy’s father and uncles; people who had invested in him since birth, not a stranger with a badge.

If we truly care about the Blue on Black violence trend, maybe there are social issues to look at. I don’t think just changing police policies will be enough.

++We need to train teens in high school on how to respond to police.

++We need to mentor all kids to better trust authority figures.

++We need responsible fathers in the homes.

++We need the entertainment industry to take responsibility for the influence they have over culture.

 

OLD HIPPY (autobiography)    Mark Anderson 2003

I hate and despise authority,

until my computer does not submit to the command entered.

I hate and despise authority,

until I become a manager at my job.

I hate and despise authority,

until I become a school teacher.

I hate and despise authority,

until I need some cops, to save my ass from some gangsters.

I hate and despise authority,

until I become a father.

I hate and despise authority,

until I become an authority.

I hate and despise all authority!

Until our Creator, the only truly good authority,

reaches out to me.

 

In 1969 after a Crosby Stills and Nash concert some gangsters attacked me and my friends outside the old Salt Palace. It could have been horrible but police and security guards quickly stopped it.