Thread by @medicalaxioms

Daughter #1: 24 and I just had a good discussion about race, America, and cops. We concluded
- most cops are probably okay
- there’s a few bad ones
- neither of us want to be cops
- it’s a hard job and really hard to be a good one
- we need good cops for a lot of reasons
And ...

Therefore towns cities and districts need help to help the cops they have serve and protect their citizens. The need to be able to weed out bad cops and punish cops who murder people. It’s a tough job and mistakes will happen in life and death situations but we can do better.

This all might sound kind of ambivalent until you know where we started.

We started with her very upset about “the police” and all the bad stuff “they do.”

It took an hour to end up understanding each person in a uniform is a person with biases and traits unique to themselves.

We watched a video with my new hero named Acevedo the chief of police of Houston.

We talked about my job in a county hospital where I depend on police officers and sheriffs deputies to stay safe and to keep my patients safe.

And how they have to engage in many domestic disputes and other difficult situations.

I think kids tend to learn “cops are bad” especially rich kids who didn’t know any cops’ kids growing up.

It’s good to learn that there is a person inside that uniform. Many kind people who want to help and choose that path to do so.

We also talked about systemic racism. Privilege and it’s association with skin color. The history of law enforcment and African American culture. Progress and regress in civil rights during my lifetime.

Together, we make progress. Halting and imperfect. Growing in understanding and forgiveness. Progress, over all.