why the hell not? are they any different than social workers who police the behavior of their clients? than teachers who send people off to be good obedient workers? are they any different than anyone who feels they don't have many choices and that they must take such a job because it is well paid, good bennies and might just be step into something else? that's the scoop -- in order to get a 'good' job with the state, you're advised to take any job and then get your foot in the door. whether that's true or not.....dunno.
the mother of one of my son's friends works for the county jail. she's a black woman who otherwise doesn't especially like cops! but this is a job and it's stable and she has to support her kids b/c the ex isn't pitching in child support wise! i mean, honestly, carrol -- i have students here in florida who are enrolled in the criminology program. they are average ordinary people and some of them even have experiences with having been on the wrong side of the law, though no record.
when i was in jail and screaming about my rights being violated, one of the women there was a black woman on an internship affiliated with a local junior college. she kept making excuses to head my way til i finally asked her if she was at all interested in my rants about the constitution, civil disobedience, etc. i've since been interviewing her and other women i met there for an article. carrol, she's a kid. a decent, thinking kid. but despite her ability to question things, despite her exposure to teachers who made her think twice about the criminal injustice system, she feels that she has utterly no choice than to go for a job that will bring her a sense of stability and security. and not only that, carrol, but she says, like a lot of my other students of color, that sometimes the people she grew up with are fuckers. they ought to get arrested, on her view. and she's glad the cops arrested them because they made her life and that of her family and friends miserable as they tried desperately to eke out a living, trying desperately to fit themselves into the dream of the american middle class. right or wrong, she held them accountable for her behavior.
yes, she and my other students of color get the "it's the economy stupid argument" and they know all about the fucked up crim injustice system but nonetheless.
now, charles will say something about how they were just saying that to me and would turn around and say something quite the opposite to other black people. perhaps. but somehow i doubt it because in these courses especially i give them a thorough, very sound argument regarding the economic system. and i argue quite strenuously for that position. but nonetheless, they feel impelled to object, to tell me that i am, in part, wrong fromt heir perspective. poor people--no matter what their color--have no purchase on the truth. and those who don't go into law enforcement work are not necessarily any different from those who do. all of us live with the twoness of consciousness; no one escapes it.