Siding with POA, with an explanation

Before the masses condemn me for not taking seriously Black Lives Matter or aligning myself with the conservative right, let me explain. The SMPOA letter was very specific about two things that swayed me. First, several officers observed people who had engaged in violence and looting in other protests and were observed filling their backpacks with rocks along the route. Second, “unbeknownst to the public, an armed subject was spotted on the roof of a business.” My guess is that neither of these observations came to the notice of the protest participants. Police officers are trained to watch for signs of danger to public. We are not. Therefore, we need to approach situations with a dose of humility, aware of our biases, not assuming we are the smartest ones in the situation. The officers were prepared for trouble, and therefore were able to deter it.

Furthermore, let’s abandon this whole concept of confrontation and demand. Let’s quit being part of the group thinking and believing the last tweet or Facebook post. Let’s write, think, negotiate, post videos of wrongdoing, investigate and vote at all levels of government to affect thoughtful exchange of ideas and solutions.

Janet Freeman

Millbrae