This deserves more attention and I think cultural geography could add a lot to the conversation, at least in contrast to the political and racist arguments that typically govern it. How are small government ideologies reconciled with police overreach? To what extent has racism been the means to excuse it? How does stand-your-ground compete with fierce support for law enforcement?
One area I suggest exploring is Texas culture around "no-knock" raids, in which a team of police officers forces their way into a home without announcing themselves, often in the early hours of the morning when residents are sleeping. This tactic, of course, leads to surprise attacks, acts of self-defense, injuries, and death, and might constitute an institutionally-sanctioned key situation in which people are shot in their own homes by police. There are numerous cases of residents being shot and killed (with no legal action against officers), and a very few cases in which (white) residents shoot the entering officers in self-defense and thus are not charged with murder.
Police departments' organisational cultures around no-knock raids could be one area to look into. The public health costs of these dynamics are high. I'm a Texan, would be happy to help in any way.
Best,
Liliana Bastian, MMA
University of Exeter Geography
[log in to unmask]
On 9/17/18, 1:00 AM, "A forum for critical and radical geographers on behalf of Reed" <[log in to unmask] on behalf of [log in to unmask]> wrote:
Texas is a sort of epicenter for test-cases in the will of the people to endure law enforcement overreach.
You have the irony of a "small-government" common-sense in its politics, even though that "small government" entails regular police violence, coupled with the gradual inward reach of federal policing, particularly that justified by border hysteria (see M. Bosque's piece in Harper's this month about inland CBP operations, warrantless searches and so on).
What we have, I fear, is a culture of real authoritarianism, in which policing is given a free rein, so long as it's in service of a dominant white/christian/male culture.
I'm a sixth generation Texan, and I was to some degree radicalized by the cause of Eull Poyner (?) in Graham, Texas, in the late nineties, in which a very elderly man was shot dozens and dozens of times by weekend warrior deputies. His wife called 911 for help getting him back in the house, because she feared he was a danger to himself. The deputies instead arrived and fired wildly, over a hundred rounds, into his trailer and into his body.
This stuff's been going on for a long time in Texas, and the sooner we get a handle on it, the better. I'm very eager to join with colleagues in doing on-the-ground research. Do let me know if I can help in any way.
Best,
Reed Underwood
https://fm2279.xyz/pages/about.html
On Sun, Sep 16, 2018 at 08:12:29PM +0100, Edward H Sebesta wrote:
> A home is a space in which there are ideas in society concerning.
>
> White Dallas Police officer Amber Guyger claiming to have confused went to Afro-Caribbean Botham Shem Jean's apartment which is directly above hers. Entered. Shot Botham Shem Jean to death.
>
> Botham Shem Jean was a model citizen in every way imaginable to local Dallas mores. Details can been had online at www.dallasnews.com but with reservations. www.dallasobserver.com and www.dmagazine.com as well as CentralTrack.
>
> What is the cultural geography of being shot in your home?
>
> I am working with activists regarding this matter. I am their cultural geographer on another project.
>
> What does cultural geography have to inform the discussion here?
>
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