Harvard Medical Scientists Say Police Killings Should Be Recorded As Public Epidemic

[Kind of Blue]

The article reminds me of the clueless wonder's response in JAG's post about Rosa Park http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=post&forum=1187&pid=33757 AND the poster promoting Sanders who couldn't figure out why we're not excited about his economic worldview, when we should be feeling/doing this or that. It turned out the poster is a physician and I just about passed out. Unfortunately I can't find the doctor's thread or cross post.

"Harvard researchers have called on US Public Health Agencies to consider police killings and police deaths public health issues. With that request, researches are also echoing numerous activists who are urging them to begin tracking the number of people killed by police.

The proposal was inspired by a year of continuous protests and public pressure from the #BlackLivesMatter movement, which stemmed from the murder of unarmed Michael Brown on August 9, 2014, and the consistent police murders and protests that have happened since.

They even mention how absurd it is that in the US, we have to rely on a UK newspaper to count the number of people being killed by police. The US public health system already reports numerous notifiable diseases nationally and in real time."

http://usuncut.com/black-lives-matter/harvard-medical-police-killings-public-epidemic/

[Number23]

1. If they're funding is based on number of cases, they'll have more money than they know what to

do with within a matter of days.

So many to add to this seemingly endless list http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/55-year-old-woman-accidentally-shot-and-killed-by-chicago-police-after-enjoying-excellent-christmas-a6787511.html

[Kind of Blue]

5. I'm starting to believe or hope that these scientists

Last edited Wed Dec 30, 2015, 03:49 AM - Edit history (2)

are actually trying to help Loretta Lynch in truly trying to find a way around the laws not requiring police to report shooting deaths, since she's setting up an identical pilot system as The Guardian's The Counted, for simple, accurate recording, and using resources at her fingertips like the Bureau of Justice Statistics, that should prove beyond shadow of a doubt that the DOJ has to step in to enforce a standard on police departments.

"Certainly the fact that we don’t have a nationwide, consistent set of standards is – not only does it make our job difficult it makes it hard to see these trends and that’s why it is so important to focus on these. And that’s why we are working through the department’s research arm – our Bureau of Justice Statistics and the FBI – are working with the leading police organizations; International Association of Chiefs of Police; Major Cities Chiefs; Major Counties Sheriffs; to look at these standards. And we’re also going further in developing standards for publishing information about deaths in custody as well; because transparency and accountability are helped by this kind of national data. http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-lynchuse-force-data-vital-transparency-and-accountability

"The statistics are important, but the real issues are: ‘what steps are we all taking to connect communities … with police and back with government?’” http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/05/justice-department-trials-system-count-killings-us-law-enforcement-the-counted This is exactly one of the BLM's demands - connect police with communities. So I'm hoping/praying that these sensible moves is her strategy to lessen recalcitrant police departments' double down on their culture of silence, and thereby effect a change in behavior tht they cannot resist.

We'll see.

Also related links The Final Report: The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf And Launching the Police Data Intiative https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/05/18/launching-police-data-initiative

[randys1]

2. If they dont shoot you, they frame you.

[Kind of Blue]

6. And as Zora Neal Hurston said

|

[lovemydog]

3. I read the other day that police in the USA

killed 1,000 people this past year.

Yes, it is a health issue.

As I see it, it's a preventable disease.

[Kind of Blue]

7. "As I see it, it's a preventable disease."

So well said, LMD. Not all viruses are bad. But we know the targets of the virulent cops and those who remain silent - carriers of bad virus - and we can be inoculated.

[lovemydog]

8. Indeed.

And thanks for the thread. I mentioned this study at a dinner party this eve. It stimulated some great conversation.

[Kind of Blue]

10. Excellen, LMD! That's what's necessary...

people not shying away from the conversation. You are a gem

[Cha]

4. Indeed.. thank you, Kind of Blue~

[Kind of Blue]

9. You're so Welcome, Cha!

The sociologists have been trying for years to disseminate their findings of scientific data about the detriment of supremacy, now medical scientists are trying to do the same. I just pray/hope that more fields of studies will weigh in on the rallying call for the freedom of existence without harm.

[Cha]

11. This is really encouraging news that I knew nothing about.. Mahalo nui loa, Kind of Blue~

Our country needs this so much.. the license to kill has to stop and we have to start the healing

[Kind of Blue]

12. Amen, Dear Sister.

And the healing starts with accountability. Let all who have voice gain the courage to speak to this atrocity

[Cha]

13. "And the healing starts with accountability. Let all who have voice gain the courage to speak to

this atrocity."

Amen yourself, dear sistah~

[lovemydog]

14. You are so right Cha.

We have to start the healing. Anything that might work in some municipalities. Gun buy-back programs like they did in Australia. Esteemed doctors urging the recognition of gun deaths as a health issue. Early prevention via big brother and big sister programs. More caring for each other as neighbors. Cultural influence via documentaries. Spiritual influence through churches or other forms of worship. Whatever can be done across a broad spectrum. I know we can do better in this country to reduce gun fatalities. I believe we will.