51 Comments

I am so grateful that you keep unchecked police use of force and qualified immunity in your essays. Trending or not it is unjust and it should not be tolerated. I am sick of capricious right wing comments denying the need for police reform. Never stop Ari

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I will shortly be 81 and can proudly say I have been on the side of poor people since my youth... because I was poor myself. I experienced how all of us, black and white struggled to get ahead. I realized that we were in this together and also experienced black people being prejudiced against. And... I didn't do anything because I was 18 and scared to death. I was ashamed of myself then, but have not been scared or ashamed for decades and solidly stand with all people who are just trying to survive. Black lives matter.

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I think that all bodycams should be turned into an independent authority to be downloaded, logged as to officer, and kept so that if the need arises for viewing at a later date, the video will be available and unaltered.

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author

An interesting approach. It's possible to have them regularly stored/put in a cloud that is controlled by the City or Mayor's office, rather than first held by officers and the P.D.

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We (community) wouldn't want the mayor's office to control these data either. The Laquan McDonald's case comes to mind.

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Aug 31, 2021Liked by Ari Melber

Thank you for caring about this important topic and continuing to reflect upon it and educate your subscribers. I appreciate learning more. It's important to keep discussing and trying to solve for everyone.

I like your writing style and presentation. It's direct and straightforward, serious yet still friendly and engaging. We all need to care. We need to keep the conversation going. We need to talk with candor, humanity and hope as well.

Thanks again.

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author

Thank you! Clarity certainly doesn't hurt, in writing

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Ari, thanks for shedding light on this important issue that seems to be forgotten now that it is not trending. There is very slow progress at the Federal level in passing the Police Reform bill. I like this statement, “Not every policy reform will impact the larger problem, which doesn’t mean those aren’t worth trying.” Yes indeed, we cannot give up!

“We gon be alright”…I love that BLM anthem by Kendrick Lamar which is also the soundtrack of HBO Max The Shop: Uninterrupted (with LeBron James and Maverick Carter).

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Hi Ari, Police Reform seems to be a very slow process. The "Blue Line" {a police officer would never testify against another officer even if he was certain the officers had broke the law} attitude seems to be lessening some what. I am deeply concerned about legal immunity for police officers. Can our legislature enact a law to get rid of legal immunity? It is absolutely necessary.

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Aug 31, 2021Liked by Ari Melber

Thank you for the article! Folks get complacent and back in there comfort zones too quickly.

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Aug 31, 2021Liked by Ari Melber

Well said. Thank you

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Sep 2, 2021Liked by Ari Melber

Justice for Elijah McMclain.🙏

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Great piece but it makes me sad and mad all at the same time.😔 The color of a man or woman’s skin cannot be hidden and not too many people try to get to know the content of my character. That unfortunately is the America I live in no matter how many laws, reforms, or protests that happen.

The flaw (stain) of our country is systemic racism! How can I get you to look past what color my complexion is? Laws may help but that has not been a deterrent yet. I appreciate so many people of all ethnicities that come out to support BLM or stand up when injustice rears it’s ugly head, at least we see hope in the character of humanity.

So, as many of us have been waiting for the tide to change for decades yet we still keep the faith, we still keep hope of a better society alive, yet and still we believe that the soul of our country will be mended. Ari, thanks for your perspective and for shedding the light so that this doesn’t become a trend discarded to the trash bins. Stay safe, stay well!🥰😷👍🏽

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See you next Tuesday ✌

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I live in the least populated and largest state in the US. One would thing that a lot of nothing happens here. Just the opposite is true. The story starts when the Heart Mountain Relocation camp was built halfway between Powell, where I live, and Cody. All of our lives the Camp remains there as a reminder of what our government does to people of color who are a perceived threat to the US by virtue of their ethnicity. I was working at the 1st church in Powell. I would write the newsletter, so I thought it would interview some of the women who had come to Wyoming as homesteaders. I recorded the interviews, and one of my questions was how they felt about the Relocation Center at the time it was in use. The answers blew me away. When the question came up many of these sweet, little old ladies, became agitated and were so forthcoming in their hatred of the Japanese, or 'Japs' at the 'Jap Camp' that I was almost at a loss for words.

After the camp closed down, there was a need for people to work in the fields, at very low pay. The people who came to work were Mexican people. I am second generation of Migrant workers, and have lived here for a large part of my life. So, since the Japanese were gone, the white people's hatred and racism was transferred to the Mexican people. Up until the late 60s there were signs at businesses that said, 'No Mexicans or Dogs Allowed.' 'Mexicans' had replaced 'Japs'. I was born in Powell but raised in Cody. Cody was a wonderful place to grow up in. I can honestly say that I didn't experience Racism in Cody. When my father was transferred to Powell, my life changed dramatically. The people here hated people of Mexican heritage, and weren't shy about their hate. I had no idea what the word 'Spick' meant and had to ask what it was.

The years have passed and there are still people who hate my people. So many incidents, and too many to write about here. Some of the policemen, not all, treat my people differently with their hate and racism. Earlier this year I had an incident with one of Powell's finest. I needed an accident report because my car had been side swiped by someone during the night. I stopped the officer and asked if I could get an accident report so I could take it to my insurance agent. The officer looked me up and down, then looked at my van, turned back to me and said, "No, I won't give you a report because I don't think you'll get it fixed." Then he turned and walked into the PD. I was floored! I am an elderly Indigenous North American Native. I was so shocked, I knew if I questioned him and asked his name I would probably be arrested.

People in Park County say there is no Racism. But Ari, I can honestly say that Hatred and Racism is still alive and well in our beautiful state of Wyoming.

I love your show and watch it nearly every day. Thank you so much for keeping the issue alive.

Isabell Trevino

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I totally relate to your experiences. So sad all these years later, things never change.

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It will likely take as long to get things right for black people in this country as it took to get it so messed up. It was against the law to teach a black person to read or write for a good period of time in many states in this country. Racism is a function of power and people with power do not easily relinquish it. The good fight has to continue so that all people get a chance at success.

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Good God, by your opinion it will take 400 years!!! Thanks to our younger generations we've only got to get rid of this current group of seniors, of which I am one, to make their children the LAST generation w'any sort of majority of racists! That same generation, say post 'baby boomer' but pre 'millennial' has a HUGE # of +/- 40 year olds who have married &/or had kids w'another other than their same race & those children, late millennials or whatever we are calling kids still in school now simply do not 'see' race issues like 'we' do!

I, like so MANY 60 -70 year old Americans am so very lucky to have multiracial G'kids! While they may be a bit young to be interested in much else but finding love & figuring out what they want to do w'their lives or spending every waking moment w'their heads in books it is this FINE group of kids who will completely eliminate racism in our C'try' Now if we can figure out to save our planet for them it would be a great benefit to gift them with!!! STOP ANIMAL AGRICULTURE!

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So I am a pessimist and hope I am wrong. The world is changing for the good and white people need to get with the program. Unfortunately 70+ million people voted for Trump knowing he was a stone cold racist, con man and a cheat. I fear their children will learn from them and on it would go, but the oppressed of the world can never give up as the oppressor's are not going quietly into the night.

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Ari,

Fact is, you can't legislate racism. The elephant in the room has been there since 1619.

it's called inclusion. without it we will surely perish.

Understand, we may never understand.

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Great point!

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With do many other issues going on right now, thanks Ari for not letting people forget what happened last summer. Protesters were treated like criminals. Such a double standard!!! Unless the voting rights act and police reform bills are passed, nothing will ever change. Things are going to get worse. God bless our country and protect our democracy!!!

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I think people in America are beginning to move as slowly as our government seems to address critical policy issues. It matters not that the Constitution and civil rights are threatened or that lives are lost.

Are we depending too much on our leaders?

I think the answer is yes.

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