A quick thought on these bills: Since Ferguson, I’ve heard many, many older white people voice their fear of inadvertently driving near a protest, getting stuck in front of a wall of protesters, then getting pulled out of their car and beaten.
newrepublic.com/article/162163…
newrepublic.com/article/162163…
Can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard it. It’s usually followed by an admission that if this happens, they’d have no choice but to run people over to save themselves or their families. It’s an oddly specific fear. And one some people apparently think about a lot.
I’ve heard it enough, especially from older white men — including some who might otherwise agree with much of the protesters’ message — that I’ve come to assume it’s common. Given the age of the people from whom I’ve heard it, my hunch is the Reginald Denny video...
... has something to do with it.
Such incidents are of course extremely rare. But when they have happened, they inevitably get posted over and over in the far right/law-and-order ecosystem.
The notable thing here is how quickly this irrational but potent ...
Such incidents are of course extremely rare. But when they have happened, they inevitably get posted over and over in the far right/law-and-order ecosystem.
The notable thing here is how quickly this irrational but potent ...
... fear among older white people has resulted in (terrible) legislation.
It’s quite a contrast with how little interest state legislatures have shown in the far more rational fears black people have expressed for decades about, for example, police abuse during traffic stops.
It’s quite a contrast with how little interest state legislatures have shown in the far more rational fears black people have expressed for decades about, for example, police abuse during traffic stops.
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