By Margaret Kimberly
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
https://spokesman-recorder.com/
Baltimore Over Policing And The Politics Of “Tough On Crime”
This Baltimore over policing commentary argues that Trump’s rhetoric and threats set the tone for militarized responses, while leaders like Gov. Wes Moore and Mayor Brandon Scott embraced FBI, ATF, DEA “surges” that echo a long history of criminalizing Black communities. Drawing on COINTELPRO and the “Black Identity Extremist” label, the op-ed critiques bipartisan tough-on-crime politics and calls for self-determination rather than fear-based policing.
Trump’s outburst about born criminals was made in part to justify his threat to send National Guard troops to Baltimore, Maryland. Maryland’s Black governor, Wes Moore, made a big show of saying he opposed a National Guard presence, but at the same time he felt obliged to go along with the political imperative of over-policing Black people.
Moore may have recoiled at the thought of a National Guard presence, but he added that he wanted Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agents instead. The FBI was the source of the Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) that killed and imprisoned so many leaders of the liberation movement.
The FBI didn’t leave its past behind, but instead under the Barack Obama administration added the Black Identity Extremist designation to the law enforcement lexicon. It was never clear how the term was defined, but as Black Agenda Report said in 2017, “It is a catch-all for blanket repression of Black activism of any kind.”
The same agency that prioritizes the targeting and surveillance of Black activists is now lifted up as a cure for the crime that bedevils Baltimore, a city long ago impoverished by an official policy of deindustrialization, which has left it in a devastated state for decades.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott joined the governor in requesting assistance from the FBI, ATF, and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Both men proudly proclaimed a “surge” of police including Maryland state police, as they mimicked Trump in over-policing a majority-Black city.
Bowser, Moore and Scott must be exposed, but it would be a mistake to single them out when there is such a long history of Black collaboration with politicians whose rhetorical bread and butter are declarations of being “tough on crime” while refusing to ever “coddle criminals.” These expressions may appear to be silly, but they are deadly serious code words representing the determination to maintain physical control of Black people and a system of mass incarceration that remains a foundational centerpiece of U.S. politics.
The Bill Clinton era Crime Bill became a reality with the support of Senator Joe Biden, who bragged about his role in sending so many Black people to prison. His actions didn’t hurt him politically and in fact played a part in his being chosen as Obama’s running mate in 2008. What better way to make himself acceptable to white people than to have a vice president who went out of his way to put Black people in prison.
Hillary Clinton made her infamous “super predator” remarks in 1996 in service to her husband’s second presidential campaign. Whipping up fear of crime is a sure fire winner in politics, and she did not disappoint.
She also wasn’t hurt by her remarks. She was endorsed by Black officials and received the lion’s share of votes cast by Black people when Trump defeated her. Trump stands out only for his consistent lack of finesse. He browbeat the milquetoast Mayor Bowser into giving him public approval and, despite their talk, inspired Moore and Scott to take the same actions against their Black constituents as he took against residents of Washington DC.
The Black misleaders owe their positions to whites who give them access to the wealthy and influential white people who provide campaign donations, and to the corporate media who decide who is and isn’t a viable candidate. They don’t reach out to Black people until the endorsements have been made and all the deals have been struck. It isn’t surprising that they show so little concern for a powerless group, even if they are putatively members of that same cohort.
As long as white people whip up fear and hatred of Black people we can expect politicians to benefit from leading the charge for demonization and dehumanization. The larger question is how to achieve even a modicum of self-determination instead of relying upon racists and their ambitious and cowardly enablers.
This commentary was originally published in the Black Agenda Report. It has been edited for length and minimally for style. For more information, visit www.blackagendareport.com.
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