The Black And The Blue

The Black And The Blue

Adult nonfiction
"Policing is a messy business, and policing will always be a
messy business because we are dealing with complicated issues. We
will have tragedies and when we do, we need to stand up and tell the
truth. We need to be transparent. We need to apologize when
necessary. We need to have systems in place to address these
complicated issues and these developments because we're cops, we're
human beings..."
Matthew Horace, author of The Black And The Blue, is a black
veteran law enforcement professional. In his early days on the force,
28 years ago, he was on board with the war on drugs. There was a
widespread belief then that drug abuse was rampant in black
communities. The idea was that everything possible should be done to
remove this scourge, collateral damage being acceptable in this
context. Horace describes himself as "big and badass" back then, an
avenging angel relentlessly punishing dealers. He had seen the harm
drugs had done to loved ones and neighborhoods.
Decades later he has come to see the true complexity of that
issue and others. In a book that combines research, personal
narrative, and peer interviews, he shares with readers insights on
important topics such as:
*the contrast between the get tough, punitive approach to drugs when
they were perceived to be a black problem and the current softer
treatment approach to the opiate addiction wave that ensnares
primarily whites;
*the entrenched racist culture in too many police departments that
allows officers who should never be hired to come on board and fails
to punish or even indict them when they do bad stuff;
*The refusal of society to alleviate problems such as poverty,
inferior education, and lack of decent jobs that put a lot of blacks
on collision courses with law enforcement;
and *and the increased frequency with which police officers must deal
with issues (i.e., mental illness) that their training doesn't
adequately prepare them to handle.
Horace also paints a vivid picture of the challenges of having
one foot in each world. The Black And The Blue is highly readable and
very thought provoking. I highly recommend it for book clubs.
In my opinion, if you believe that black lives really matter and
want to see liberty and justice for all as more than empty words in
the Pledge of Allegiance, you will find this fine book to be a must
read.
On a personal note, this past week I really enjoyed work and class.
The only bummer was that for the 2nd time in a row I couldn't donate
blood. This time I had enough iron but my blood was too slow. At
least I volunteered 2 hours at canteen. Sixteen down--84 to go. I'm
also not a big fan of the polar vortex where I have a mile walk
between home and the bus stop.
A great big shout out goes out to the folks in the Midwest who have
been coping with frigid temps that make Maine look balmy in contrast.
jules hathaway


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