Police brutality: Can we find Light at the end of the tunnel?
Thank you to one of my new mentors here at Golden Age of Gaia, Andrea, for this article –I find it to be a perfect follow up to yesterday’s heavy posts regarding police brutality and killings, in which our world sadly is finding ourselves. Fortunately there seems to be Light at the end of the tunnel …and the Light is surfacing in sunny Richmond, CA, where violent crime thankfully is down, in respect to previous years.
While crime is not devoid in this cutting-edge policing-policy town, there are much less unsolved murder cases, for example. Giving credit to their new approach, in 2013, this California town has had the lowest number of homicides in 33 years!!
The man behind these changes is Police Chief Chris Magnus, who recognized crucial strategies that needed to be incorporated in order for his community to drastically deviate from what was happening in most cities around America. He established these four new rules in his department: 1. Connecting with communities was a vital part of job evaluations; 2. Diversified hiring (more African Americans, Asians, Latinos, and women); 3. Partnering WITH local activists and helped organize protests; and 4. Incorporating nonlethal weaponry.
Honoring Magnus and his exemplary role in Richmond’s great strides, the U.S. Department of Justice just invited him a position on a panel of researchers to investigate the fallout between police and the community they serve in Ferguson, MO. And I say… my deepest gratitude to you Police Chief Magnus. Thank you for your unending dedication toward resolving this extremely challenging situation within our neighborhoods!
Is the Vatican on the road to mending its reputation and changing its slanted ways?
To tell you the truth, I’m not sure what to make of this story! I was raise Roman Catholic and was a “very good” church-going boy up to and including college (definitely not religiously hitting Mass every Sunday, but darn well close!). In fact, my grandmother took me to see Pope John Paul II in Southside Chicago back in the day, and always looked up to the Vatican growing up Roman Catholic. Of course, I did: They were the “be all, end all,” in our religion.
However –and unfortunately– times have very much changed, and their dirty laundry has been aired many times around our world revealing corruption and scandal at almost every turn. I’m saddened by their lack of honesty and integrity, especially given their role in our world and to Catholicism. So when I read that the Vatican has all of a sudden “found” hundreds of millions of euros throughout various bank accounts, I am truly having a hard time believing this is an innocent oversight. Of course, if my beloved grandmother heard me reporting such words, then she’d surely pull a chair over, climb her petite self onto that chair, and give me a genuine tongue-lashing for saying such “blasphemy” –the way only a nonagenarian could! God, I love that beautiful woman and her fiery spirit!
While I’m assuming the Vatican has lost many of devoted followers as a result of their devious deeds (including me), there is hope at the end of the rope with Pope Francis, who genuinely seems to be working to bring long-needed Light to the dark shadows of this ancient institution. “As of Jan. 1, each department will have to enact ‘sound and efficient financial management policies’ and prepare financial information and reports that meet international accounting standards… [which] will be reviewed by a major international auditing firm.”
Please remember, beloveds, even if your current situation is heavy, know that this too shall pass! Until next time….
We Are All One
Gavin