Did I mention the U.S. Marshalls and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Explosives? It’s a feeding frenzy and anyone caught in this net could face FEDERAL charges which usually carry much harsher penalties than state charges. According to KMOV. com, Operation Legend has already resulted in the arrest of 25 people in St. Louis, mostly drug trafficking along with robbery and firearm violations (kmov. com). You might ask how Operation Legend might be a bad thing. I mean they’re taking the drug dealers and the killers off the streets, right? Sure it appears to be an aggressive fix for violence and drug-related crimes but if we don’t focus on the actual root causes of crime aren’t we just adding in a perpetual system that thrives on the exploitation and destruction of black and brown bodies? If people are still poor, disenfranchised, undereducated, unhealthy, and lacking the resources of their suburban counterparts then crime will manifest.
The cities affected by Operation Legend are receiving federal grants for the purpose of invading our privacy. In a recent post on theintercept.com, Katya Schwenk writes,”...cities have doubled down on their surveillance investments, even as they face general budget shortfalls in the tens of millions. On August 4, two days before Operation Legend was formally announced in the city, Memphis signed a new contract with Cellebrite, an Israeli forensics manufacturer popular with law enforcement, whose products can hack and extract data from smartphones. The estimated $65,000 contract would double previous annual spending on the technology, per city procurement records” (theintercept.com). So even after the feds are gone, local authorities will still be able to spy on us. St. Louis has been receiving federal money for surveillance since the Ferguson rebellions of 2014. Companies like ShotSpotter that manufacture microphones that can detect gunshots and send info to police could benefit even though such devices have not been shown to reduce gun violence.
It’s not “bad apples” spoiling the hood, it’s the fact that the comfort and wealth of the few is built on discontent and the depletion of the many. It’s a lot easier to hunt people like animals and violate their rights than it is to address the social inequities woven into every aspect of our existence. People continue to be punished for reacting to living under inhumane conditions. Yes, we have to find efficient ways to deal with people who are a danger to themselves or others but why pour money, technology and resources into methods that have never effectively prevented criminal activities? Innocents will continue to suffer and die as collateral damage in this “war on crime.” Any of us could be caught in the trajectory of rubber or lead bullets perhaps while protesting the police brutality that has plagued us since the first slave patrols started in 1704 (Time.com).
Money will be made, jails will be filled, and politicians from both sides of the aisle will ride the “law and order” train to victory all at the expense of black and brown communities. Many of us have literally been in the streets protesting state sanctioned murder raising the consciousness of people around the world. The moment has caused many to consider actually defunding the death squads, but our government has chosen to ignore the rebel yell of those who seek justice. Instead they have chosen to enhance the same system that forced us to rebel in the first damn place. Be safe out there. -lyfestile
Most of the politicians and pundits have condemned the killing of George Floyd but it’s time to get back to business. Protesters have worn out their welcome (before Operation Legend, Trump deployed Federal agents to Portland Oregon to quell the rebellions) and for black and brown people we will get a militarized force on the streets and the National Security Agency hacking our cellphones.
BLACK MEN BUILD
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