I'm Not a Cop, So I Don't Believe That Obnoxious Behavior Gives Me the Right to Kill People: A Response to Sunil Dutta

Police brutality is kind of a problem, and most people have begun to realize this, thanks to events in Ferguson and elsewhere in the country. But in response to criticism, authoritarian personalities tend to clamp down even harder than before, desperately searching for any explanation -- no matter how ridiculous -- for the savage, brutal behavior of some police officers.

Others have addressed the problem of police brutality far better than I ever could. The death penalty is not an appropriate penalty for shoplifting. Being maced or beaten is not an appropriate penalty for "talking back" or asserting your Constitutional rights. Black people are not inherently criminal and prone to rioting; people riot for a reason. I know this. You know this. All intelligent, decent people know this. So I'm not going to waste my time arguing that it's not ok for police officers to openly assault people. Instead, I think it's more important to address the problematic reasoning behind police violence.

The bullshit spewed forth by people who want to defend the trampling of basic Constitutional rights, though, is absolutely ceaseless. Enter Sunil Dutta, whose recent op-ed for the Washington Post endeavors, like so many other fluff pieces full of unsupported assertions, to defend the brutality of police officers. So let's slay some bullshit and attack each of Dutta's claims, point by point.

All Aboard the Misery Train: Here's What It's Really Like to Quit Smoking

I quit smoking earlier this year. Just saying that feels a little strange, since my long love affair with nicotine was largely a secret to the people who love me most. I had a lot of shame about smoking because smoking killed so many people I loved, and because I'm otherwise really committed to my health. I also spent the first 20ish years of my life as a rabid anti-smoker, so turning into a smoker made me feel like a horrible person.

On Suicide, Communal Responsibility, and Why Suicide Hotlines Aren't Enough

Robin Williams killed himself yesterday. Predictably, Facebook is aflutter with tributes, photos, and proclamations that suicide is never the answer. I think it's really great that Robin Williams touched so many lives, and this outpouring of grief is indisputable evidence of the bottomless emptiness suicide leaves in its wake. In a few days, though, the commotion will die down, and the shocking number of people who feel suicidal will yet again be left to deal with their ceaseless agony all alone. I am tired of living in a culture that pretends suicide is tragic while doing little to stop it.

It's Not About Chivalry and Resisting Temptation: Here's What Good Men Really Do

The epitome of all that is masculine goodness: my husband.

Even the most cursory perusal of Facebook yields the conclusion that we have a serious problem of masculinity. Men are encouraged by popular culture, by other men, and by the women who let them get away with shitty behavior to act like overgrown manchildren. For some men, this cultural indoctrination turns abusive. Because there are so many men who just aren't up to being decent relationship partners, many women have learned to accept less than they deserve. The result is an entire cottage industry of blog posts telling women how to tell if a guy is a good one and encouraging them to only pick men who do relationships right.

We're Giving Lip Service to Mental Health Issues Again. And We'll Presumably Continue to Not Actually Do Anything.

Another person taught by society that human life is not valuable has gone on a killing spree. Now everyone will begin wringing their hands about how we need better mental health care for about five minutes, but no one will actually do anything. We'll go back to normal until the next shooting, and it will keep happening over and over and over again and we will all pretend to be shocked. Better mental health care -- not involuntary commitment, not violation of patient privacy rights, and certainly not a national mental health registry -- is the solution, and I am so fucking tired of not hearing anyone talk about what better mental health care means.

Here's What It's Like to Buy a Phone From Sprint

One of the great things about buying a phone from Sprint is that they make it clear from the very beginning that they do not give a fuck about you, your satisfaction, your needs, the company's reputation, basic decency, or the law. I appreciate that kind of honesty, and I appreciate even more the ability to imperiously give the middle finger to god damn everything. 

It's Time to Declare War on the Drug War

What do you call a country where the government imposes its will on the people against their will? Simple answer: A totalitarian state.