Cooper is a victim. He gets to decide how he will participate.Doesn’t change the obligation of the state to charge this case. Amy Cooper sought to weaponize the power of the state against a Black man w/the hope he would be harmed. Charging -even conviction-doesn’t mean jail time.
If he had been harmed by the NYPD, I cannot believe we would be having a discussion abt abolition for the ofcrs. When a private white person deliberately & falsely works to unleash the violent racism of the state in this way against a private person it should be charged.
Again, conviction and punishment are another story. And punishment is where we should ensure we do not contribute to the worst, most ineffective and most inhumane aspects of the carceral state.
Prison should not be the inevitable result of charging.This strikes me as a great case for diversion to community conferencing or another restorative justice mechanisms that would allow for a better, more truly restorative resolution tgat wld involve the victim & community.
