Upon the new year
I always hate to be the bearer of optimism, but 2014 is ending on kind of a sweet note. I think we all feel like we're ready to show the old man the door, but the latter part of the '14 calendar did usher in the unmasking of the torturers among us, and some terrific changes to our national policies on the issues of immigration and Cuba. Dirty cops and their apologists are on the run as stories of institutional misconduct and brutality (unfortunately pervasive) have finally become part of the national conversation.
On the latter topic, New York City police-- in a collective state of outrage since the abolishment of the blatantly racist "stop and frisk" program-- have reportedly started engaging in a petty, shameful, and corrupt "virtual work stoppage." For the week of December 22nd, citations for traffic violations were down a remarkable 94% (10,069 to 587) from the same week last year. As part of the department's coordinated hissy-fit, public drinking and urination charges are also down by 94%, parking violations 92%, and drug arrests in the Organized Crime bureau 84%. According to a police union memo that was purportedly leaked (denied by the union but these statistics speak for themselves), officers have been told by their superiors to make arrests "only when they have to."
It sounds to me like the police have started policing the way they should have been all along. In this epic battle between the armed protectors of private wealth and a tiny smidgen of public scrutiny, the oversight has proved shockingly powerful. And it's worth pointing out that the nation's largest city has yet to go up in flames since the new unofficial patrolling strategies took effect.
On to 2015. Keep making your voice heard.
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At my house, we wound up with two full-size wall calendars for the new year. But why discard one? Some of us devote several minutes in the mall each year choosing the calendar that will keep us company for the next 12 months. With two at our disposal, the wife and I can take this commitment to quality a step further. We'll be able to choose the better of two photos every month! I'll miss this old tree house-themed calendar though.
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In the waning moments of the year, I feel like some of you are obsessing mistakenly over your resolutions for 2015. The ones you need to be panicked about are the resolutions for 2014.
posted by CM @ 7:51 PM
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