Today on AirTalk, we discuss the use of anger as a political tool. Also on the show, we learn more about what the Insurrection Act is; police tactics; and more.
Talking Policing Tactics: How Should Police Be Approaching Protesters And Looters?
Protests continued for a sixth night around Southern California as people took to the streets to express their anger over the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer — and over other unjust killings of African Americans and people of color by police.
Protestors made a strong showing despite a confusing Los Angeles County curfew order that went into effect at 6 p.m. Monday and lasted until 6 a.m. Tuesday. Several cities in L.A. County — including Glendale, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Long Beach — instituted curfews that started earlier. Over the last several days of unrest, there have been widespread reports of tear gassing and the use of rubber bullets on protesters and journalists.
Today on AirTalk, we discuss different approaches to policing amid protests and riots. What do you think the best approach is? We want to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
With files from LAist. Read the full story here.
Guests:
Lorenzo Boyd, assistant provost for diversity and inclusion, and the director of The Center for Advanced Policing at the University of New Haven; he was a Sheriff’s Deputy for 15 years in Boston; he tweets
Maria Haberfeld, professor of police science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice; her forthcoming book is about training police officers how to use force
Norm Stamper, former chief of police at the Seattle Police Department whose career as a police officer spans 34 years; his latest book is “To Protect and Serve: How to Fix America’s Police” (Nation Books, 2016)
What Is The Insurrection Act And How Could It Be Implemented?
President Donald Trump’s warning that he would deploy the United States military to any state that refuses to take aggressive action against rioting rests on a longstanding presidential power that gives wide latitude to the White House, legal experts said Monday. But a decision to do so would be met with likely legal opposition, and strong opposition from governors seeing it as an overreaction.
Legal experts say the president does indeed have the authority under the Insurrection Act of 1807 to dispatch the military in states that are unable to put down an insurrection or are defying federal law. In the last half-century, presidents have sent the military to Southern states to ensure desegregation of schools there in the 1950s and 1960s, and to Los Angeles after the California governor sought federal help during the 1992 riots. Even so, the president’s comments set up an immediate conflict with officials in some states, who disputed that the president had unilateral authority to send in troops against their will. Today on AirTalk, we take a look at what implementing the Insurrection Act would look like and how the law has been updated and used in the past. Do you have questions? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Hal Kempfer, CEO of GRIP (Global Risk Intelligence and Planning), a management consulting firm based in Long Beach; retired Marine lieutenant colonel who coordinated military support to civil authorities, he tweets
COVID-19: Risks Associated With Protests And Policing Tactics, What We Know About ‘Silent Spreaders’
As of Monday evening, L.A. County had at least 2,386 deaths and 56,017 confirmed cases of coronavirus. Statewide, the L.A. Times is reporting more than 115,000 confirmed cases and more than 4,000 deaths. The number of cases are on track to double about every 29 days.
Public health officials are still urging social distancing and for people to wear facial coverings. Experts are concerned that mass protests and riots over the last several days across the country in response to the death of George Floyd could lead to increased cases of the virus. The use of tear gas by law enforcement in Los Angeles during protests this weekend may lead to more cases of COVID-19, experts said.“During this time when we're protesting police brutality, the use of tear gas is causing more harm in the way of spreading COVID,” said David Eisenman, professor of medicine and public health at UCLA. “There is some culpability on the police for using this method, which increases the sneezing and increases the coughing and therefore increases the spread." Eisenman is also concerned that law enforcement isn’t considering social distancing while people are in custody. Police officers making arrests in L.A. corralled people together in some cases and herded them onto buses.
Today on AirTalk, Eisenman joins Larry to discuss this issue. We’ll also look at what we know about so-called “silent spreaders,” who carry and spread the virus without any symptoms. Do you have questions? Call 866-893-5722.
With files from LAist. Read the full story here.
Guest:
David Eisenman, M.D., professor of medicine and public health at UCLA; director of the university's Center for Public Health and Disasters; Associate Natural Scientist at RAND
Will Anger Over Death Of George Floyd Translate To Political Change?
The death of George Floyd has triggered nationwide protests, marking a watershed moment in the fight for racial equality and movement against police brutality. For many, Floyd’s death has been seen as the last straw, the last incident that has broken the dam of pent up anger and building tensions over the country’s treatment of black Americans.
These protests are happening in the midst of a pandemic, which has only further highlighted the health and economic disparities against communities of color. The plight against racial prejudice is nothing new. Issues of police brutality and racial disparity have always existed, but especially in the past few years, these problems are being given greater attention by the national public. But the question becomes when will there be change? The anger and frustration from the death of Geroge Floyd and the many others before him have led to nationwide protests. Public anger can stoke change in the form of political pressure, but that hasn’t always been the case. Today on AirTalk, we discuss how the protests could lead to change and how public emotion influences politics.
Guest:
Davin Phoenix, assistant professor of political science at UC Irvine; author of the book “The Anger Gap: How Race Shapes Emotion in Politics” (Cambridge University Press, 2019)
Newly-Published Survey Finds Only About A Third Of African-Americans In LA County Trust Police To “Do What Is Right”
As tensions rise between police and residents in cities across America, including right here in Southern California, a new survey is underscoring the continuing deep division among communities and their level of trust in police.
Researchers at the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University polled 2,000 L.A. County residents over the phone and online and found that while just over 60 percent of Angelenos say they trust police to “do the right thing,” a trend the researchers say has been consistent each year they’ve conducted the survey since 2017, only about one in three African-Americans said the same thing.
Guests:
Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and Chicana/o Latina/o studies at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), where he is also director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles; honorary life trustee of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), the public media network that operates KPCC
Jackie Lacey, district attorney of Los Angeles County; she tweets