I will say that I find many of you are over eager for Trump to break out the big guns. I do think it's necessary to some extent. I have strong libertarian tendencies, but the state must show that it is the biggest dog in the game and that messing with law and order is a Very Bad Idea for rioters.
Yet at the same time, it is very important to draw a distinction and make clear that most protesters want real, necessary reform and that we're dealing with a minority of the protesters. There needs to be a carrot and stick approach, with the carrot being promised reforms for the police. While the federal government's ability to reform the police is limited, Trump should be meeting with Congressional leaders to figure out what can be done. A crackdown can be accepted, but it should not be celebrated.
And that's where the greatest absurdity of the situation lies.
Minneapolis has a democrat mayor, governor and city council (to which Minneapolis PD answers). And not centrist ones, but from what we can see, quite left wing ones. The same people who want "nicer", higher quality and more progressive policing. These officials are being very sympathetic to the protests, some even excuse riots. They are already holding all the levers of power needed to make it happen, if possible at all. By all chance most of the people who are demanding reforms have voted for them, and will continue to do so.
So what's the holdup? Why isn't it happening if everyone there agrees it should?
Either:
a) Democrats don't want to do what they say they want to do and what their electorate wants
b) Democrats can't do what they promise for one reason or another but still promise what the electorate wants to hear
c) The reform side, especially its more radical wing, wants downright impossible things that no one can deliver (the abolish police people basically)
On the face of it, seeing things like these:
Law enforcement experts say the actions of four ex-cops involved in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis violated a number of rules.
eu.usatoday.com
City officials seek to quiet criticism of law enforcement while exploring alternatives to traditional policing.
www.startribune.com
www.citypages.com
Seems like the city government is not eager to fund the police (not surprising considering the electorate's sentiment) and in not unrelated note, has apparently obsolete police training standards and methods compared to the rest of the country (who would have thought that under-funding the police causes that?)
Considering these factors, i would say that it would be far more constructive if all the people who are protesting, rioting, or just expressing their sympathy, instead of doing that, each donated 1$ for MPD training.
