The news (Sydnytt, Sydsvenskan, Aftonbladet, DN, VG, SvD) have been interesting today. It’s about a recently released video made by the police themselves during an event last December, where the cops turn out to be violent racists.
Big surprise.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7URXWvvslY]
They talk just like I imagined they would in a situation like that. I can understand that they need to let out some steam. But when you picture yourself being on the receiving end, being the ones confronting the police, it’s not really the kind of people you want to have to meet. Even if it’s just talk (which, of course, it isn’t, as we’ve seen over and over), it’s downright scary (and scared people make their job easier, of course, but do we want to make their job easier?). Anyway. That’s not the point I wanted to make. The situation is so obvious this time that you only need to see the clip to know what it’s about. The thing I want to talk about is the media.
Swedish media, swedish politicians and swedish police representatives talk almost exclusively about how damaging this is for people’s confidence in the police. As if “we” (ethnic swedes watching the news) all have an interest in keeping “them” (immigrants, ie criminals = not ethnic swedes) friendly and respectful towards the swedish police force. Because it’s important that people trust the police. I think I’m supposed to feel at home in this “we” and share this concern about “their” respect for the forces of Order, but that won’t happen. I’m one of “them” any day.
There’s also been a lot of talk about whether what can be seen on the video is legal or not. Frankly, I don’t give a fuck about that either (although it is a concern that if there was a video of someone talking that way about cops I’m sure it coule be turned against them in court).
Very few, if any, express some kind of worry that this kind of people is the only group in society who are allowed to use violence. That these are people who get away with almost anything, simply because that’s how we organise society. There needs to be a group of people who we all agree are a little better than everyone else, a little bit more trustworthy and noble. Infallible, almost, no matter the evidence to the contrary.
If we were to appoint someone today to a position like that, would we chose these persons, who talk about violently sterilizing people, calling them monkeys because they come from somewhere else or live in a certain area or whatever? I don’t think so. I don’t hope so, at least.
I think I wouldn’t even like to put someone in that position in the first place. It seems kind of dangerous.
Maybe that’s what the discussion should be about?
