Police

When I was a kid, I believed that the police were on my side, fighting the bad guys and keeping me safe. When I moved to Regent Park, I learned that most of the kids have a bad relationship with the police (even though the police are making some sincere efforts to change this). All of a sudden, I started averting my eyes whenever I saw police - not because I have ever done anything particularly illegal, but because all the other kids were doing it. And now I'm in Zim. The other day, a friend was telling me about being beaten with batons by police just for walking by himself late at night down an empty street. When he heard the police, he thought about running, but then he realized they had guns. So, he waited and got beaten. They thought he must have stolen something. A group of church friends were arrested the other day. They were on a street corner saying good-bye to one another, when the police accused them of a breaking a certain law which prohibits more than 5 people congregating in one place without specific permission. This police officer drunk, looking for a bribe, and maybe just wanted to show off his power, but he did bring them all the way to the police station. I think I like my childhood perspective of the police better. Lust for power is an ugly thing.