Editor's Note: Conversations with Lorian is a collection of different voices and perspectives responding to inquiries pertaining to Incarnational Spirituality. Often we receive questions that don't have a single, uniform answer, due to the ways that individuality and sovereignty shapes our practice. At times like this we like to gather a number of responses from teachers, priests and other colleagues in order to honor our diverse yet complimentary approaches to Lorian's work in the world.
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Question :
"I have copied this from Wikipedia:
'2016, Black Lives Matter and a coalition of 60 organizations affiliated with BLM called for 'Indecarceration in the United States, reparations for slavery in the United States, an end to mass surveillance, investment in public education, not incarceration, and community control of the police: empowering residents in communities of color to hire and fire police officers and issue subpoenas, decide disciplinary consequences and exercise control over city funding of police.'
Would you comment on the above as I am concerned that BLM state they want community control of the police. I have seen on TV the results in Seattle. I am concerned we are being taken in by the name and not really understanding the objectives of this organisation. Appreciate your opinion. Love and light."
Thank you for your thoughtful question. It's an interesting time we're living in, isn't it, as people and groups are experimenting, protesting, and striving for a more just society, a more whole society, for all of us? An exciting time to be alive and to offer our Light, compassion, and understanding to the process!
You asked about the Black Lives Matter organization and specifically about its call for community control of policing. Such good questions. They bring up a number of thoughts for me.
The first is that the idea that black lives matter is much larger and more comprehensive than the BLM organization itself. A person can support the former without supporting the latter. And, it's certainly possible to support an organization in pursuing its largest goal, such as transforming the unconscious attitudes of white people towards black people and other people of color, without supporting specific objectives it may endorse. Heck, I support the Democratic Party in its desire to restore unity to our country even though I don't agree with some of its specific political objectives. Same for the Catholic Church: some things I can agree with and support and some things I cannot.
I have gone to the BLM website and read through their objectives as an organization (in these matters, I have found Wikipedia to not always be the most accurate or unbiased source, though I know it strives for greater objectivity--better to go to the horse's mouth, as it were, when possible). There are things they espouse that I fully agree with and support and things that I don't, which I would expect. This makes them like many other change-oriented organizations. They are putting their voice out into the public market place, where people can see what they are after and can agree or disagree. I'm sure all black people agree with the principle that black lives matter but not every black person would agree with the particular political objectives of BLM as an organization.
You asked about community policing. The idea is not new by any means, and when you think about it, of course communities should be responsible for their own welfare and well being, including handling crime. Ideally, a police force should arise from and represent the community in which they operate; they are supposed to be servants of that community and the people within it, which includes the police officers themselves. Historically, though, police forces originated not to serve communities but to keep order amongst slave populations in the South, prevent slave uprisings, and preserve the segregationist status quo. This is very well documented. This means that there is a karmic thread in modern policing that views the community (particularly its black members) as the enemy, not as that which it serves. I know many, if not most, individual police officers may not feel this, but it's there and is, again, well-documented in overall police culture.
I view the current call for community policing and "defunding the police" (which really should be understood in most cases as "refunding" the police or funding a police force in different ways) as an attempt to restore a balance that serves everyone. The police should not be seen as "the enemy" but neither should the black community,or any community. If we are going to find wholeness in our society, the police need to be seen as truly part of, arising from, and serving all community members, and not as a separate quasi-military force viewing certain members as part of the problem.
There are cities in the country that are experimenting with community policing and have been doing so, successfully, for some time. If you are interested, here are a couple of articles discussing this:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/what-would-it-mean-defund-police-these-cities-offer-ideas-n1229266
https://nypost.com/2020/06/09/camden-nj-did-police-reform-right-not-that-radicals-will-pay-attention/
I am not trying to persuade you one way or another, but just responding to your question about community policing. I'm sure there's lots more information out there about it, and I know we are all still looking for the answers that will bring Light into our country and our world and serve us all. In this regard, I believe BLM is playing its part in focusing the conversation. I can respect that without agreeing with all their propositions and positions.
And I certainly thank you for your own inquiring mind and spirit and your own desire to bring, as you say, Love and Light into our world. I join you in that and in the ongoing explorations our times demand. None of us have all the answers, but it's good to be asking the questions.
- David Spangler