[jMyles]

> That citizen's arrests are difficult to justify or do.

They aren't, though. That's the whole point. It's just that they're rarely necessary.

> The racist white people who are calling the cops on black people for simply being around will then switch to trying to do "citizen's arrest" on them.

This seems like unfounded fear to me. If it were a real concern, why isn't it happening now? Conversely, since we do currently have a regime of professional police, why hasn't it proved insulatory against this phenomenon? The criminal justice system is at the core of racism in the USA; it certainly hasn't had the effect of inhibiting "racist white people". Instead, it has been the very mechanism by which racist outcomes are assured.

> I'm saying that racists would be even more empowered to be shitty and make things worse than they already are.

Just to be clear: you are saying that a criminal justice system with a smaller footprint will result in a situation in which "racists would be even more empowered"? That's what you're saying? Because that sounds completely backwards.

[s73v3r_]

"This seems like unfounded fear to me. "

Have you seen the rash of white people calling the cops on black people just for being around? I'm sorry, but I cannot agree that this is "unfounded".

"Just to be clear: you are saying that a criminal justice system with a smaller footprint "

That is so unbelievably not close to what I said that I cannot believe you are discussing in good faith.

[jMyles]

Jeez man, why are you always so full of vitriol? If I'm incorrect, just nudge me in the right direction. No need to get all bent out of shape!

I thought that you were saying that a change in the balance of arrests, with a decrease in those made by peace officers amidst an increase in those made by other citizens, was likely to be empowering to people seeking to victimize people of color. Did I have that wrong?

If that's what you were saying, then yeah I think that's nuts. If people have a goal of subjugating people of color, then the existence of professional police (to the exclusion of normalcy of arrests by other citizens) is working wonderfully to achieve that end.

The idea that a larger share of arrests being effected by people who aren't professionally employed to do so being a conduit for increased racism is, as far as I can tell, quite unfounded.

In fact, the origins of professional policing in the US are in part from slave patrols, which were formed precisely because overwhelming majorities of people refused to arrest slaves who had run away.

[s73v3r_]

"Jeez man, why are you always so full of vitriol?"

I am calling you out for not discussing things in good faith. If you don't like being called out for that, then don't wildly misrepresent what people say.

[jMyles]

See the thing is, I was discussing in good faith. I always am. But you always seem to divert the discussion to this ad-hominem thing. I explained how I understood your logic (in the comment above this one), but you didn't even address it. If I've got it wrong, which is totally possible, don't call me names, just correct me.