Have any of you seen Wyatt Cenac's new show on HBO?

He's dedicating the whole first season to the issue of police misconduct, specifically, deadly shootings. A worthy issue. Whether you agree with his points or not, there's clearly an issue when so many people are getting shot while unarmed. That isn't the purpose of the police.

In the first episode, he mostly sets it up, and discusses how it's an incredibly deep, complicated issue with no easy solution. That it isn't just hiring (though, as one person on it says, making certain you hire guardians, not warriors, is a very strong start), nor is it just training.

But then it goes into training, showing the training some officers get, including the guy that shot Philando Castile. (Incidentally, I'd never seen the aftermath footage showing the reaction of his girlfriend's 4 year old daughter, who was in the backseat. It's horrifying.) The training they show, again, that the officer also received, absolutely glorifies killing. Talks about the rush, the high, and how people need to be ready, and that killing isn't really that big a deal.

It's a speech, and a course, by our old friend Dave Grossman. Holy fuck. The guy that says video games are the root of all violence amongst children tells officers that killing isn't a big deal and will result in the best sex they'll ever have. Why does anyone listen to this man? Why does he have a job? I'm certain it was cherry-picking, but this is a man teaching and training people we authorize to carry guns and kill when necessary, and who we very rarely do anything but protect when they do so, except under the most extreme circumstances. This kind of thing, even out of context, should never be said when training officers how to approach potentially deadly situations. It should be exclusively about how to protect civilians above all. Above all, including the officer (again, guardians, not warriors.)