A while ago I talked about police abusing their power. I think we have a tendency to think this usually happens in isolated incidents with “bad apples,” but I think it speaks to a much deeper problem. I think it has a lot to do with how we as humans act when given physical power and control over others.

What I’d like to discuss and hear from you are stories, first hand or ones you’ve heard from others first hand accounts, of police abusing their power. Anything from discriminate traffic stops to beatings is acceptable to share. And with that I would love to hear your thoughts on whether the incident was one were you felt it was specific to that unique officer or something that you think many in that officers situation might do.

Discuss away!

In march I read the book, Nonviolence: Twenty-Five Lessons From The History Of a Dangerous Idea, by Mark Kurlansky. I think I had most recently heard it mentioned in a sermon by Rob Bell. I read it during my vacation is found it extremely interesting and well worth the time.
The book is not a propaganda tool for those in favor of non-violence. Instead, it’s mostly Kulansky looking through all of history and documenting the stories and history surrounding non-violence. He is fair to point out when it doesn’t seem to work, but he’s also quick to acknowledge that it’s vary rarely, if ever, been tried (true nonviolence that is).

Here’s just a few of the quotes and comments I found interesting…

“A bayonet is a tool with a worker on each end.”

After the war started in 1917 denouncing the war landed you in prison. 142 were sentenced to life and 17 to death (though the executions were not carried out). Many were so badly beaten and abused in prison to change their stance that at the end of the war only a third (about 4,000) still said they would not serve.

Woodrow Wilson who brought the US into war, later said, “Is there any man, women or child in America… who does not know that this was an industrial and commercial war?”

One of the most intriguing stories of collective nonviolence is that of Denmark during World War II. If there was ever an effort of an entire country to practice nonviolence it was Denmark…

“Denmark, regarding armed resistance as suicidal, submitted passively to German occupation. It became a point of national honor to work slowly, delat transportation, destroy equipment, and, above all, to protect anyone the Germans pursued. Youths openly demonstrated against German policies. Underground groups sabotaged trains and other infrastructure. Workers went out on strike around the nation.
The Danish Government had refused to enact any anti-Semitic measures, and on October 1, 1943, when the Germans announced their decision to deport Jews from Denmark, the Danes his almost the entire Jewish population of 6,500, including about 1,500 refugees from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia. The hidden Jews were then taken by boat to neutral Sweden. The Germans only succeeded in deporting four hundred to Theresienstadt. The Danish government relentlessly inquired on their behalf and at one point managed to send representatives to visit them. Because of this close attention by their government, no Danes were in the transports sent to Auschwitz. Fifty-one died of sickness. The rest of the Jewish population of Denmark survived. Compare this to France, which had one of the better records, where there was well-organized armed resistance but 26 percent of 350,000 Jews were lost; or the Netherlands, where three-quarters of a Jewish population of 140,000 were killed despite armed resistance; or Poland, where 90 percent of 3.3 million Jews were killed despite an armed Polish resistance and armed Jewish uprisings.”

I love the statement: “It became a point of national honor to work slowly,” because it acknowledges that nonviolent resistance causes us to step out of the norms and find ways outside of the current system to achieve our ends. When I mention anything that might put a wrench in the machine (boycotts, not driving, not consuming, not spending), people always seem to think it would create mass chaos, as if our very lives and breath came from that machine. Thank you Denmark for teaching me that my ultimate allegiance is to One greater then anything of this world.

Jamie asked last week about what soft drink one should buy if they wanted some, weren’t into the organic stuff, and was ready and looking for, ‘the lesser of two evils.’ I think it’s an excellent question and a great topic to address on a general level for the back-by-popular-demand Corporate Responsibility Monday (Yes, this is the continuation; it’s like MJ coming out of retirement).

My general rule is: When In Doubt, Always Buy Generic. I have a few reasons for this which I’ll try to has out below, but I want to make clear, I see this applying to nearly all products.

1. By not buying brand name products, you specifically make the statement that advertising and image is not what influences your purchasing choices. You need to recognize that branding is a multi-billion dollar business. My brother can give you all kinds of information about it, but we all know how much commercials during the Super Bowl cost. ‘Coke’ is the most universally recognized word, next to ‘okay;’ I’ve heard baby’s begin to show brand recognition as early as 6 months; and images of Ronald McDonald are more recognized then pictures of Jesus. Billions are spent on advertising and image every year because companies know that branding works. By choosing to buy a product that is not focused on selling you a brand rather then a product you make it clear through your purchase choices what you value.
2. Because price does still matter. Now, this can be tricky, because we don’t want to support the production of more Big Box retailers, but price does play a role. As consumers who are trying to promote an economy and marketplace that is affordable for all people, price is still a concern. By purchasing the generic brand which is almost always more affordable then name brands, you send the message that you are looking for products that are economical, and that will be dictated by the quality of the product, not the image on the label. As a side benefit, the money you save buying generic in some areas will allow you to spend the extra buying organic and fair trade in other areas.
3. We allow for a level of trust, but show we will respond when we hear of wrong doing. I think this lesson is best conveyed through letter writing and speaking with managers. The idea is basically, that if there isn’t a known fair trade, socially responsible product to purchase, then we have to be willing to trust another product is at least close to making an effort (lesser of two evils). The goal though is to make this known to the companies and stores from which you purchase. For example, if I were to buy cans of soda for a party (which I do for the youth I work with), I choose to buy the generic Kroger brand, Big K. I do not buy Coke or Pepsi products if there is a generic brand. And I’ve chosen Pepsi products when there are options between Pepsi and Coke. Then the part of being vocal comes. Write a letter, an email or make a call to Coke and let them know the reason you have chosen not to buy their products is because of the human rights violations and other injustices you have heard about concerning their company and product. Then, write a letter, email or talk to a manager at your local grocer and let them know why your choosing their generic brand over Coke. Let them know what you value, why you’ve chosen the purchase you have, and why you’ll be willing to give up buying products that don’t align with your values. It might seem like a drop in the bucket, but I believe these are important steps for us to take, both collectively and as individuals in an attempt to create a world that aligns with our values.

So there you have it, three reasons why, when your unsure of what product to purchase, I would go with the generic brand.

1. Avoid Brand Name
2. Choose Reasonably Priced
3. Trust until you hear otherwise
4. And if you must, choose the product you’ve heard less ‘evil’ about.

I added the last one because inevitably I think there are going to be situations some will come to were they feel for whatever reason that they must consume a product they know is ‘evil’ and when that comes you still have the opportunity to be vocal and explain why you chose one product over the other.

When talking about the difference between fair and free trade, I thought it was worthwhile to step back and point out some things we take for granted in our country that are NOT Free Trade. One is Minimum Wage:

Minimum Wage. It’s too low still in my opinion, but it’s a big step towards human rights and away from the rule of the economic system. We have a minimum wage because we believe there is a certain pay the is dignified, below which is an oppressive payment.
The trouble is we don’t seem to care one iota about that carrying over to other countries.

See the other two at A list of Definitly NOT Free Trade

Having been dually honored with this award, I thought it was time I step forward and offer my list of Thinking Bloggers. It’s one of those tagging list thingys which basically works like this: 1. (if tagged) List five blogs that make you think, 2. Link back to this blog so people know the origin of the award.

I’m supposed to list five, but we’ll see what happens, there might be a long list of honorable mentions…

1. One/Change– My friend Mollie rocks the sustainable world. Always posting simple ideas and steps we can take to make the world a better, more sustainable place. Thanks Mols.
2. Transit- Ben always has thought provoking things to say about the latest news, event, or book that he’s reading. Ben is also passionate about cities, he knew more about Nashville then anyone when he lived here, and I think he’s quickly become an expert on Seattle and it’s history too. Go Ben.
3. The World Is Too Much With Us– Indie and her fab family came over for dinner one night, and it was great to have them see our community. Any parent (or parent to be, like me) should subscribe to her blog. She’s always sharing important knowledge about issues related to kids. Whether it be WIC, car seats, or gender issues, her posts are always thought provoking. Kept it up Indie.
4. Mission Year Girl– Rachel is a hard one to track down, which is why I had to link to two different blogs. Rachel teaches in Chicago and shares her experience on her blogs. Always engaging, often funny, and consistently inspirational, Rachel’s writings will help you think differently about the education system and kids in the city. Teach Away Rach.
5. Escaping Babylon– Richard always brings a fresh perspective to things, and though his comic interest aren’t always shared, I love seeing his sketches and hearing about his work serving college kids. Sketch it out Richard.
6. Taste The Sea– Connie is a brilliant writer. I’ve had the privilege of reading her writings and recently hearing her thoughts at our small group. Her openness and willingness to share hurt, struggle and victories is something the church needs more of. Keep Shining Connie.

So, that’s five and I guess I’m supposed to stop. Those are the semi frequent bloggers that I have the good pleasure of reading regularly. But, there are always more. Jamie is a writing maniac and links and shares thoughts about great and challenging topics, Mindy doesn’t write often but when she does it’s beautiful (she’s a far better writer then I am and the only reason my grammar isn’t 100x as bad as it currently is), Christy keeps me up to date on Nashville and the news, Chris is always saying something fresh and challenging, Josh is a servant leader if there ever was one, Zach is brilliant though he often just updates about his life and Adria is my go-to theologian. There are plenty more, I’m sorry if I left you out.

Well folks, I guess you’ve been tagged. Happy Reading everyone.