What’s On Miles’ Mind? 'SCIENCE'

I woke up this morning to reports of yet another killing of an unarmed Black man by a Minneapolis police officer— 20-year-old Daunte Wright was killed by an officer who claims to have confused her service weapon with her taser. This, in addition to the report of an African American Army officer pepper sprayed by a Virginia State Trooper in a simple traffic stop. The young Lieutenant was driving his brand–new SUV with a temporary paper tag in the rear window— standard temp tag placement for a newly purchased vehicle, when the troopers stopped him for driving without a tag.

Both of these incidents took place at a time when the world is riveted to day to day, hour by hour testimony in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derrick Chauvin, charged with the murder of George Floyd. Each of these incidents are taking place during a global pandemic when the nation and the world have deployed what is perhaps the single largest unified scientific effort in history. The hunt for a safe and highly effective vaccine has most likely set more scientists’ agendas then the International Space Station.

Arguably, not since World War II have so many nations had such common interests in science and technology and even then, only allies would share among themselves. Not until after the war, did the world benefit from German technological advances brought on by the war. I suggest that perhaps we should look to science and technology to address the phenomenon of genocide, mass killings, and killings of unarmed Black men. The answers to police hostility and police brutality may be found in the minds, laboratories, and computers found in the halls of science.

I watched the news, listened to comments rendered by reporters and guests— comments I’ve heard far too many times before, and wondered what Dr. Fauci would say about unbridled aggression, rage and violence of police officers. I wondered what Einstein would say. What solutions or insights might be offered by popular astrophysicist, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, a Black man? Russian born, former Boston University Biochemistry professor and celebrated author, Isaac Asimov, said, “Violence is the first refuge of the incompetent.” I would add the ignorant and insecure.

Billionaire eugenicist Bill Gates was invited to the discussion of vaccines and the global pandemic as a technology expert. I would like to hear his take on state sanctioned murder. I’ve grown tired of the parade of policy experts and politicians, law enforcement specialists and cops who stand center stage in the discussion of state sanctioned murder, yet while they’re quick to offer statistics and case studies, they seem to have no impactful solutions to the problem. It’s a simple matter of how we protect Black men from the violent and aggressive law enforcement policies and practices.

What is the CDC’s position on deadly biochemical conditions responsible for aggression? What has the Surgeon General to say of this ongoing crisis? What do university research scientists offer in the way of solutions? What do Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna research teams have to offer, or is this not a profitable enough product development track to pursue? Do these lives not matter enough to have raised red flags by the science community? Does this errant, homicidal behavior not give cause for immediate and urgent measures? Are these not exigent circumstance?

Perhaps approaching these matters as behavioral and not issues of hard science is the problem.

Perhaps treating hate as a social construct rather than evidence of a biochemical disorder causing brain malfunction is more appropriate. Aggression and rage begin in the brain, not in the heart and not in one’s politics. Brain scans can detect a propensity for anti-social behavior in general and violent and criminal tendencies in specific. Are we asking the wrong questions when an unarmed Black man is killed by a cop in the line of duty? What do scientists say about the January 6th attack on the capitol that looked like a mass infection of a science fiction variant of Legionnaires’ Disease?

Hate can spread like a disease and kill like a disease. Why aren’t we asking disease specialists for answers and solutions? Are we asking the wrong questions, wondering why we can’t arrive at the correct answers? Here’s a question I might ask: Why do all cops require tools of deadly force, rather than certain select crime units, psychologically evaluated and highly trained for encounters where they may face deadly threats in performance of their duties, to protect citizens as well as fellow officers and themselves?

9mm’s, 38’s and 45’s are highly efficient and designed for a very specific purpose which in most cases yields a very final outcome. Shoot to kill instructions, most common in law enforcement training, have very intentional and final outcomes, yet, in the case of an assailant reaching for a concealed iPhone, deadly force is excessively inhumane. Wild animals the size of automobiles can be subdued with tranquilizers, the objective being, sparing its life for transport, research or various other intended purposes. Why is the preservation of a single human life not equally consequential? What do scientists have to say?