Quote Originally Posted by MadMojoMonkey View Post
I didn't follow the trial. Trials are boring. I'm not familiar with the arguments made by either side.

I do remember those videos at the time, and that people on the sidewalk were shouting at Chauvin that he was killing Floyd, that Floyd was not struggling, and eventually that he was not responsive. I remember Chauvin grabbing his pepper spray and threatening those witnesses at the suggestion.

I was scared that our BS legal system that protects cops under all circumstances would let him go. So the fact that it didn't is a plus in an otherwise tragic tale.


Meanwhile, a lot has changed on paper, but it's not really clear if any of it will make a difference. Many states and cities passed laws regarding the use of choke holds by police, but many of those leave loop holes. Some efforts were made in a few places to provide protections for whistleblowers. But I'm still hearing about black people being killed by police fairly regularly. The recent 2 cops to do so were both "Oops. I thought I had my tazer in my hand, but I had my gun in my hand." Which... if that's your problem, you have no business holding either, IMO.

Anyway... I'm glad that a person caught murdering on many cameras was found guilty of murder. I'm still concerned that it took multiple cameras and a national outcry to affect that outcome.

On choke hold bans, check out Sam Harris' podcast Making Sense #246 with Rener Gracie. I'm pretty hard in the camp of "we've tried reform and additional training (increase police funding) time and again, and we just get more militarized thugs with badges" camp-- that said, while I think Harris is off on some points (the responsibility of the untrained public to behave adequately in the presence of an armed and trained agent of the state), or is weighting his values in a way I don't agree with (continuity and order vs the risk of drastic change), I think Harris and his guest, Gracie, make a very strong case that chokehold and other body restraint bans are a misstep that will have awful ramifications.