"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Month: June 2020
Residential Segregation and Environmental Racism
06/13/20
“How are residential segregation and environmental racism connected?”
Residential segregation is used by institutional racism to deny less-privileged communities access to equal opportunities. One way this occurs is to force such people to live in areas near environmental hazards such as waste dumps and factories. This is how Residential Segregation and Environmental Racism are connected.
And don’t forget, #BlackLivesMatter
How Investing in Education Instead of Policing Could Cultivate the Climate Adaptation Leaders of the Future
06/12/20
“How can investing resources away from policing and into education cultivate tomorrow’s Climate Adaptation Leaders?”
Climate change is set to affect communities from the most marginalized backgrounds of society the most. Logically, the leaders of climate adaptation should spring up from these groups. However, due to governments’ existing preference for funding policing over education, many of these people with great potential will be locked up instead and left with sub-par opportunities. If this was reversed, then a whole new crop of elites could form to drive forward action on the climate crisis. This is How Investing in Education Instead of Policing Could Cultivate the Climate Adaptation Leaders of the Future.
And don’t forget, #BlackLivesMatter
Activist Monitoring
06/11/20
“Why do governments monitor some activists?”
Activists work around the world to fight for social change. However, sometimes this may go against the grain of a powerful institution, who may then spy on these individuals to attempt to disempower them. This is why Activist Monitoring happens.
And don’t forget, #BlackLivesMatter
Why COVID Is a Race Issue
06/10/20
“Why is COVID a Race Issue?”
Communities around the world are being affected by the (as of writing) ongoing COVID epidemic. However, communities from oppressed communities are being exposed to and dying from COVID at much higher rates. This results from being forced into lower-paying jobs where being in-person is mandatory and from living in segregated neighborhoods that expose the individuals to more health risks. Since this is drawn across mostly racial lines, this is Why COVID Is a Race Issue.
And don’t forget, #BlackLivesMatter
Defunding Police and Refunding Into Climate Adaptation
06/09/20
“How can we fund climate adaptation programs by defunding the police?”
The advent of the COVID epidemic has brought about a major budget shortfall in municipal governments. Given that these are one of the primary methods of funding adaptation work, preparing for the new climate paradigm has just become a lot more difficult. Unless of course, we can tap into another source of funding. Namely, the police. Police (particularly in the US) take up a disproportionate amount of the city budget. By redistributing some of the funds to climate adaptation, we can invest in a just, resilient, and sustainable future instead of locking people up. This is why Defunding Police and Refunding Into Climate Adaptation may be a good idea.
And don’t forget, #BlackLivesMatter
How Racial Profiling Can Hinder Job Performance
06/06/20
“How can job performance be hindered by racial profiling?”
Racial profiling adds to stress. Individuals who are affected have to constantly be aware of how they may be watched and possibly pursued. This stress adds an extra psychological burden when performing at a job, leading to counterproductive effects on focus. This is How Racial Profiling Can Hinder Job Performance. To counter this, organizations and governments must actively invest resources into not only supporting affected communities but the institutions and systems that cause this pain. The productivity increases will go a long way to creating a truly just, resilient, and sustainable society.
And don’t forget, #BlackLivesMatter
Police Militarization
06/07/20
“How are the police becoming militarized?”
Since the 1970s, Police around the world and particularly in the United States have started undergoing militarization. This means that they have started purchasing military-grade equipment such as assault rifles, grenade launchers, and armored personnel carriers as well as military tactical training such as information gathering on activists. Furthermore, research has shown that militarized police are more often deployed in communities of color even when controlled for crime rates. Police Militarization is a definite issue and must be stopped so we can all live in a resilient and sustainable future.
And don’t forget, #BlackLivesMatter
Why Hovering a Helicopter at Low Altitudes for Crowd Control Is Dangerous
06/06/20
“Why is hovering a helicopter at low altitudes incredibly dangerous?”
Helicopters are commonly used by law enforcement agencies for tactical missions. However, flying them at low-altitudes for crowd control can be incredibly dangerous. The dust and gravel that they kick out can hurt protesters and even cause long-term damage. Furthermore, in case of an engine failure, the helicopter will have no room to maneuver and will likely crash. This is Why Hovering a Helicopter at Low Altitudes for Crowd Control Is Dangerous.
Image credit i2.wp.com/images.onwardstate.com
How Tear Gas Canisters Hurt People
06/05/20
“How do tear gas canisters fall and hurt people?”
One of the most common and ethically-debated means of crowd control during protests is tear gas attacks. Although the effects of tear gas upon the lungs are widely discussed, the falling canisters can hurt and fracture individual bystanders. This is How Tear Gas Canisters Hurt People.
Image credit frieze.com
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