Thread by @JeffRoushPoetry

Depending on whom you talk to, Ohio HB is either an anti-rioting bill (GOP/sponsors) or an anti-First Amendment bill. @Sam_Lawrence14 falls in the latter group—and he is right. Here’s why (Thread):

https://twitter.com/sam_lawrence14/status/1508169156742434816

First, this isn’t about being for or against The Police writ large, or even against just Sting; I’m not. I also can’t opine on the motivation of the GOP sponsors or the groups funding similar legislative efforts across the country. But this bill as written won’t do what they say.

The bill adds criminal offenses to conduct that is already illegal, supersizing penalties when the conduct occurs during a “riot.” It leaves it to police to determine whether the protest constitutes a “riot.”

ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/11/11/com…

The problem? Violence occurs at protests when there is lack of trust or respect between protestors and police. And in a protest, it positions the police force as more antagonistic toward the protestors—before it even gets to that point.

politicalviolenceataglance.org/2020/06/17/why…

So if a protest occurs, laws like this push tension higher. Think of it as adding additional gunpowder into a powder keg. The result isn’t a safer protest, but a more dangerous one.

Do the increased penalties make people think twice? Maybe sometimes, but violence in a protest comes, again, from engagement and mistrust. The behavior is already illegal; a higher penalty will barely move the needle here.

The closest thing this does to preventing violence is preventing protest. This kind of legislation isn’t designed to stop riots; it’s designed to keep people from coming together to protest in the first place.

The solution isn’t a more imposing penalty, any more than it’s a more imposing or militarized police force. Rather, it’s creating safer spaces for the protests to occur. Reform the process and procedures police forces in some of these locations use.

And, if you really want preventative measures, work to improve community relations with the police. If there are racist officers, get them out. If the police fail or err, own it and work to improve. Show contrition and responsibility.

Ratcheting up state punishment for protests is not the answer. We need a responsible police force, one citizens have reason to respect. Work to prevent and punish crime, but work to create goodwill too. That is where we can reduce violence, where we can make our cities safer.