This: “The empire, in turn, is rooted in hopelessness. It has no language of caring, just force. And so it has no response to the human being on fire except to point a gun at the flames.”
How can we be the opposite of the hopeless empire? I want to live that every single day.
Me too! And because it was on my mind already, I can't help but connect it to the point you made in your piece about the muscle of building community grounded in not just giving but also receiving help (here's that piece for folks who haven't seen it yet: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_im_unlearning_white_saviorism)
"But our hearts. Oh, our hearts. When opened up. When directed fully and completely outward towards one another. When placed fully at the center of our lives and politics. Our hearts are indestructible. Our hearts will live forever."
I had to wait until the morning to read this. I didn't have the heart (and I mean that) to contemplate it, and I'm observing that in myself and trying to sit with it. But I do want to say thank you for this. It is both resolute and deeply tender. It's helping me find the heart necessary to continue to participate in the work to make Aaron Bushnell's sacrifice meaningful.
Reflecting on the officer who pulled their gun on Aaron, I wonder if a little grace is necessary. I’m sure they never saw anything like what happened in front of their eyes and the act of pulling their gun was possibly an unconscious act of helplessness. Different, say, from when an officer draws their weapon on unarmed Black people based on irrational, socialized fears and thus bias. I’m not sure we’ll ever know why, and this is not to say that the first unconscious thought to draw their weapon isn’t also something we should wonder about as far as the psychology of police work and carrying a gun in general. It just seems like a very bizarre thing to do when a man is on fire, and certainly not something that traveled through rational cognitive processes.
Thanks for this Amy. I appreciate that reflection and will just say; I share the anecdote of the police officer not to make them a unique villain in this situation, but as a broader reflection of the illogic of a society whose first response to a situation that may be new or anomalous is to send individuals with guns.
Thanks for this, and I’ll just add that I did not think you were trying to villainize the officer. And probably the closest first responder was a police officer, so I don’t know that sending the folks with the guns was avoidable. It seems we definitely agree on the fact that pulling a gun in this scenario wasn’t logical. It so often isn’t, and that’s the larger point I took from your original words.
We know that witnessing a trauma can impact one’s ability to think clearly and rationally. I don’t think police academy prepares officers for seeing people light themselves on fire. I’m sure it was a pretty traumatic experience.
Anyway, thank you again for writing such a thoughtful piece. I know your focus wasn’t on the officer.
This is an example of the militarization of the police force in the US. Once tasked with keeping the peace, they are trained to respond with violence. Rather than enforce strict gun laws, the US has taken the stance that the only solution to a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
thank you for this-- i really appreciated how you put this part:
"There was, for instance, the crowd of thousands of supporters who encircled him, many of whom lay down in front of fire trucks in order to prevent them from extinguishing the flames, collectively saying that while the impetus to care was correct, their help was needed elsewhere."
thank you for these powerful and loving words. there are many words here I need to hold close to my heart these days as we witness so many atrocities and yet cling on to hope for a better world.
This: “The empire, in turn, is rooted in hopelessness. It has no language of caring, just force. And so it has no response to the human being on fire except to point a gun at the flames.”
How can we be the opposite of the hopeless empire? I want to live that every single day.
Me too! And because it was on my mind already, I can't help but connect it to the point you made in your piece about the muscle of building community grounded in not just giving but also receiving help (here's that piece for folks who haven't seen it yet: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_im_unlearning_white_saviorism)
Oh my heart.
"But our hearts. Oh, our hearts. When opened up. When directed fully and completely outward towards one another. When placed fully at the center of our lives and politics. Our hearts are indestructible. Our hearts will live forever."
I had to wait until the morning to read this. I didn't have the heart (and I mean that) to contemplate it, and I'm observing that in myself and trying to sit with it. But I do want to say thank you for this. It is both resolute and deeply tender. It's helping me find the heart necessary to continue to participate in the work to make Aaron Bushnell's sacrifice meaningful.
The self-awareness to know when your heart is ready for connection and challenge is really wise, Asha.
Very moving piece, Garrett.
Reflecting on the officer who pulled their gun on Aaron, I wonder if a little grace is necessary. I’m sure they never saw anything like what happened in front of their eyes and the act of pulling their gun was possibly an unconscious act of helplessness. Different, say, from when an officer draws their weapon on unarmed Black people based on irrational, socialized fears and thus bias. I’m not sure we’ll ever know why, and this is not to say that the first unconscious thought to draw their weapon isn’t also something we should wonder about as far as the psychology of police work and carrying a gun in general. It just seems like a very bizarre thing to do when a man is on fire, and certainly not something that traveled through rational cognitive processes.
Thanks for this Amy. I appreciate that reflection and will just say; I share the anecdote of the police officer not to make them a unique villain in this situation, but as a broader reflection of the illogic of a society whose first response to a situation that may be new or anomalous is to send individuals with guns.
Thanks for this, and I’ll just add that I did not think you were trying to villainize the officer. And probably the closest first responder was a police officer, so I don’t know that sending the folks with the guns was avoidable. It seems we definitely agree on the fact that pulling a gun in this scenario wasn’t logical. It so often isn’t, and that’s the larger point I took from your original words.
We know that witnessing a trauma can impact one’s ability to think clearly and rationally. I don’t think police academy prepares officers for seeing people light themselves on fire. I’m sure it was a pretty traumatic experience.
Anyway, thank you again for writing such a thoughtful piece. I know your focus wasn’t on the officer.
Really appreciate the humanity you're adding in here, Amy. Thank you.
This is an example of the militarization of the police force in the US. Once tasked with keeping the peace, they are trained to respond with violence. Rather than enforce strict gun laws, the US has taken the stance that the only solution to a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
well said
BEAUTIFUL! Now i have to go find a private place to cry.
❤️
thank you for this-- i really appreciated how you put this part:
"There was, for instance, the crowd of thousands of supporters who encircled him, many of whom lay down in front of fire trucks in order to prevent them from extinguishing the flames, collectively saying that while the impetus to care was correct, their help was needed elsewhere."
Oh! So sad. Thank you for writing this moving piece.
Garrett: a must read: https://open.substack.com/pub/frederickjoseph/p/the-unyielding-flame-of-aaron-bushnell?r=3b0tx&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Agreed. Beautiful (and thanks for sharing Ted)
And it fills me with sadness that the ink is not even dry on these pieces, and Aaron has already disappeared from my Apple newsfeed.
Thank you for this Garrett 💔❤️🩹🙏
❤️❤️
This is really beautiful. Thank you.
❤️
thank you for these powerful and loving words. there are many words here I need to hold close to my heart these days as we witness so many atrocities and yet cling on to hope for a better world.