More Reflections on the Good Work Police Do and the Shortcomings of Some as well as the Need for US All to Learn More as Citizens (and practice What IF situations)

I appreciate the incredible work police do when they are needed in emergencies. This post was written in part as reply to a Northwest Corner Chatter topic on the heroic save by Trooper Roy Dungan of a passenger who had overdosed in Torrington CT. As a person living in Brooklyn for much of the past few years, I have had to learn more about the ways police can be prone and even 'mistrained' or stray from their training to do harm.

The most serious case in recent years for the public to consider is the way Eric Garner was possibly profiled (by whom and for what purpose has yet to be clarified. Supposedly he has sold 10K cigarettes illegally yet he only had 100 on him at the time he was being arrested and unfortunately 'resisted' and had things escalate.

The next critical turn of events highlights the current choices or possibly errors which can lead to unintended consequences.

There is no guarantee Eric Garner wouldn't have had a breathing challenge due to stress even if he had cooperated with being arrested, depending on the way he was handled and treated.We can take time of reflect now and have a 'moment of silence' for this case that is still moving the nation, for the suffering of the Garner family and for the loss of his life after he called out numerous times, "I Can't Breathe."

(I am having problems getting all I am typing to stay put in this post. Sometimes when I press the return button things disappear..that said, I am forging on, have added some notes and will return to this as I find time to do so...) Hope I can recall many of the last helpful ideas, but it was about calming down, thinking things through with intervenors such as attorneys and support people more like a business transactions.

Having fines instead of jail time which costs tax payers a great deal, about thirty thousand a year if not more, would be a good standard. Taking time to envision alternative scenarios can help spur new solutions in the future and even help a family and friends have a sense of how things could have turned out so differently..and to lean into that sense of hope and gratitude for the greater good.

People making better choices and 'caring about the sinner but not condoning the sin' can be a tall order. People's pain and suffering is real and needs acknowledging much as we are seeing more of now. The Garner family settled out of court with New York for five million dollars, down from their request of 75 million.

That can inform others who have suffered wrongdoing about 'what society could or should do' so not to feel completely victimized and abandoned should that not actually happen. Lisa Bloom is representing victims of Jeffrey Epstein. She spoke at Kent Presents on sexual abuse and those talks are online (on many topics by many informed speakers.) She said on the media that victims should be well-compensated from his estate after his life ended by apparent suicide recently.

For a moment let's consider a more positive possibility, a kind of 'freeze and suspend all that did play out and imagine things going differently. This can be healing and helpful on many levels, maybe even spur new protocol. What if everyone involved was allowed to 'take a time out', possibly sit down but remaining standing also. There could be a standard if people are capable to 'cross their arms and their legs' to prevent running away.

In case you don't think you could or would ever be arrested, "Think Twice." Sometimes police Make Mistakes, Don't Know the Law, Fall Into Carrying Out an Abuser's Request for 'Safety or a Wellness Check' on a victim of abuse who is not properly identified. Learn about "Primary Aggressor Laws" which could help everyone understand the complexity of domestic abuse and getting the appropriate timely interventions. Responding to a domestic violence call is one of the more dangerous and even life-threatening situations police officers are put in.

The Domestic Violence laws in the US started in Torrington CT due to the Tracy Thurman case in the 1980s, when she sued the police department for $5 million dollars a few years after she was beaten by her legal husband while a single (older) officer stood and watched. I share this now because this is the kind of 'back story more people need to consider.

Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo used an illegal or banned choke hold to force Eric Garner to the ground.

Then as most have seen, Eric Garner was gasping "I Can't Breathe" eleven times. There were no intervening actions by those present although thankfully an impromptu video made by another civilian was capturing the few minute interaction that happened in 2014. Trooper Pantaleo was recently fired from his position by NYC Police Commissioner James O'Neill.

There were other officers present at what turned out to be the time of Eric Garner's final moments on earth, including one who was the partner of Pantaleo and another who was the supervising officer, witnessing this quick turn of events. As for Eric Garner, age 43 and father of six, he had a heart twice the size of a normal person. He also had asthma.

Some medical people said the stress caused to him as well as something like a bear hug, could have put him in severe distress leading to a breathing crisis (asthma attack or serious response to being choked.) Now advocates are calling for a ban on all forms of choke holds (including ones which do not block the airway of a person) by police.

I watched more about the concerns 'on both sides' and summarized some on livfully.org the other day. I am summarizing from memory now and will reflect more on this kind of situation and what it may mean for all of us in our country and possibly other countries with similar systems. We all basically need to train to 'play by the rules', understand the odds of being harmed--and particularly more vulnerable populations such as people of color, women, youth, homeless or otherwise economically compromised people and so on.

Someone like Eric Garner should have had a special medical bracelet on and other advocacy to help him live a life that prioritized care of his 'special heart' and even his larger physical body. In NYC advocates are getting 'free hygiene products for females in prisons, schools and low-income settings.'

The more we think about providing 'free personal care' for those who need it for eating, bathing and dressing and getting to appointments, the more readily people can find their way to a more 'normal, safe' set of living and participating in society, legally and above board as much as possible. Most people are 'trying to make ends meet' legitimately.

Gambling and many things that used to not be legal or present are becoming more widespread. Hopefully we would realize every human being needs a healthy start in life so helping pregnant women have healthy babies (including not on drugs, not on alcohol or nicotine, pot or prescriptive meds if possible) is a great investment.

Then there is a need for reasonable childcare and support. Likely faith communities and local public schools could help organized more programs. PTOs, recreation and other civic organizations could provide ways for children and their caregivers to have good nutrition, dental and mental health care as well as keep up with physicals and fitness.

The investments would pay off many times over. The setbacks in brain and normal development in the early months and years are often the root causes of challenge and delays for years to come.

Once people see 'how relatively easy' that problem is to solve 'with teamwork' and group activities (and yes, likely bringing in more people to do the care-giving with meaningful engagement and curriculum) the faster the idea could catch on. We have the internet, with endless amounts of free material to inform people and even enrich the process of care-giving and learning. It's almost as easy as picking apples off of properly pruned and nourished trees.