Why should one not support the judicial system?

[steve-in-kville]

On average, though, I don't think American police are "outright experts" at deescalation.

After binge watching police body cam and dash cam footage, I think today's cops are too lenient. Most likely because of said footage being everywhere!

[Josh]

America they are in jail because too much freedom.

I would disagree. I do think there is a strong cultural component. Russia, because of their culture, does not have roving bands of gangs in the inner city shooting each other.

If you would take out the gang violence, which is a failure of city management, gun violence would drop massively in the US.

Interesting perception. The people I know killed by gun violence were rural.

In terms of numbers and per capita risk, almost all gun violence is concentrated in a few specific areas of large cities. (Most of which have strict gun laws too.)

[Bootstrap]

On average, though, I don't think American police are "outright experts" at deescalation.

After binge watching police body cam and dash cam footage, I think today's cops are too lenient. Most likely because of said footage being everywhere!

Lenient and deescalation are not the same thing.

You can engage with people and deescalate. At least, some police departments are giving presentations to say that's what they do. You have to take down drug gangs and catch murderers. But you also need to deescalate. Letting people get away with crime is not a virtue. But avoiding unnecessary violence and making encounters safer for both police and suspects is clearly a virtue.

[Ken]

Ken, I wouldn't place all the blame for police violence on the police, I see other contributing factors.
1. A culture of gun worship. More people own guns and believe guns to be sacral objects of power, safety and goodness, thus we shoot back more than the rest of the world.
2. A belief in power of rebellion to produce good. We are experiencing a movement to glorify the Jan 6 riot to stop the election. Fighting back is heroic
3. Idolatrous view of self will, we resist being told what to do because we believe that is the path to a good and powerful life.

Other societies have these factors as well but I propose they combine in the American society to form a unique policing challenge. As my Russian friend once observed, in Russia people are in jail for lack of freedom, in America they are in jail because too much freedom.

Oh, I would agree. The police are a reflection of our culture as well. And changing the culture of violence and weapons that exists here in the US is a much bigger task than simply police reform. But one has to start somewhere. And better yet, start at multiple places at once. And the police are clearly one of those starting points.