oh criminy. i missed this since i read interalia. i have established it. well how can i possibly establish it since we don't register guns? what i have established, tho, is the following:
1. cops seek to reduce risk by operating on the basis of gross stereotypes 2. cops are perfectly willing NOW to harass ppl w/ arrest records which SHOULD mean absolutely nothing to them. 3. cops are willing to invade the homes of the poor and question them about the things they possess legally --and when doing so to "protect" you. 4. cops take a feminist stance--an advance we fought for to get them to take the complexities of domestic violence seriously--and when in a poor neighborhood they will USE that to gain entree into a home so they can bust you for something else by engaging in what borders on illegal searches. but they say, "we're here to protect you and we're going to scope the joint out for the abuser which you're probably hiding". this, joanna, despite the fact that NO ONE but me was home for hours that day. they hadn't heard anything going on themselves, so no immediate threat was there. nonetheless, they felt perfectly warranted in busting into my home just like in the movies.
your position is that of a white middle class person who doesn't have to deal with these people when they are operating on the basis of stereotypes. you can't bet your bippy they will operate on similar stereotypes when it comes to people they think are poor or guilty of something.
people with arsenals in their basement have money.
you shoulda seen the executives who lived in the swank parts of ithaca who had incredible collections of guns. you can bet your behind that cops aren't worrying about them.
kelley