Seattle Forward

On Tyranny

I’m reading Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. It’s an analysis of democratic surges in Europe following World War I, World War II, and the fall of communism in 1989. And then the abject failure of the democratic institutions that followed.

Snyder points to this history to inform our present circumstances. His warnings are stark. Democracy is threatened when individuals and institutions falter. Tyranny becomes acceptable.

Shockingly, tyranny revealed itself this past weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia. Three innocent people lost their lives, dozens were injured, as white supremacists protested the planned removal of a monument to Robert E. Lee, the secessionist military commander who led the Confederacy during our American Civil War. On Friday and again on Saturday, we saw expressions of racism, hate, and violence, all elements of tyrannical authoritarianism. It was racism bared raw. Neo-Nazism in full revelation. Hate of others displayed openly.

Heather D. Heyer, of Charlottesville, died when run down by a car driven by a young man from Ohio who has a history of pro-Nazi statements. Police arrested the driver and charged him with murder. Two Virginia police officers—Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates—were killed when their helicopter crashed while providing aerial surveillance of the rioting on the ground. Tragic losses for all of America.

But, why now?

The answer is President Donald Trump. He has used the past year-and-a-half to denigrate the rule of law by attacking our institutions that uphold democracy. He initially refused to speak out against the individuals and groups who promote violence and hate in Charlottesville. During his campaign for president, Trump often directly and indirectly encouraged violence, as when telling his supporters to “beat the crap” out of people who disrupted his speeches. Words matter and Trump uses them to encourage violence and disregard for our core civil institutions and values. It’s shameful behavior and I don’t hesitate for a moment in calling it out.

Snyder addresses the critical importance of protecting democratic institutions in chapter two of On Tyranny. And in chapter four he discusses how tyrannical leaders and their support groups gain power by sowing division through hateful rhetoric, violence and symbols that reinforce their beliefs and mark opponents. Snyder’s commentary on symbols is particularly helpful in trying to sort through what happened in Charlottesville. Look again at the video and photographs from Charlottesville; note the Nazi flags, “alt-right” shields, burning torches, and Nazi salutes. These are dangerous symbols of tyranny.

I’m sensitive to the potential for alarmism. But on the other hand, being too sanguine that everything will just turn out okay leads to complacency and a failure to learn the lessons of history.

On Tyranny traces the fall of democracy to fascism, Nazism, and communism in Europe. It provides 20 lessons we should understand if we are to resist tyranny today, as we must. It’s well worth the read.

What's next for rule of law when president calls for police brutality?

I couldn’t believe what I heard Friday from the president of the United States. Perhaps I shouldn’t be shocked because of all his previous vulgar, disrespectful and downright harmful comments. Maybe that’s his intent, to over time lull the country into stunned silence, a dulled acceptance of his radical, authoritarian mindset.

But it’s a big deal when Donald Trump attacks the rule of law, the principle that we are governed by laws, standards and broadly accepted norms, not the whims of an individual. These attacks reached an alarmingly dangerous new level when Trump said these words to police officers about the arrest of violent subjects:

“ … when you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon — you just see them thrown in, rough — I said, please don’t be too nice. Like when you guys put somebody in the car and you’re protecting their head, you know, the way you put their hand over? Like, don’t hit their head and they’ve just killed somebody — don’t hit their head. I said, you can take the hand away, OK?” (Official White House transcript of President Trump’s remarks on Friday, January 28, 2017 at 2 p.m. at the Van Nostrand Theatre, Ronkonkoma, New York.)

That’s the president encouraging police officers to rough up people they have arrested. Telling police officers not to use their hands to guide an arrestee’s head into the back seat of a patrol car so it doesn’t bang against the door frame. The president was encouraging police misconduct. Shameful.

This on top of his previous attacks on federal judges, the director of the FBI, our intelligence services, the Department of Justice, and his own attorney general. Words matter. Trump’s constant barrage of verbal attacks matters. By his words and behavior, Trump is tearing down the rule of law, the fragile standards and mores built up over generations. The president’s scorn, his contempt, is very damaging. Yes, we have serious problems, especially when it comes to criminal justice, but, believe me, these problems will not be correctly addressed by destroying the rule of law.

Friday’s comments elevated the danger to a new level. Any elected official, but especially the president, who encourages illegal police violence should be roundly condemned. Trump was wrong, absolutely wrong.

The rule of law — and the peace of our communities — is only assured when people respect, understand, and welcome the police and the other elements of local government dedicated to keeping us safe. This doesn’t happen by chance or automatically; it takes intentional effort. It’s hard work building community trust.

We’ve experienced this here in Seattle. Since the Department of Justice issued their report in 2012 about use of force, biased policing and mismanagement of the police department, a lot of people have worked diligently to create sustainable reform — the elected leaders of the city, Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole, the Community Police Commission, City Attorney Peter Holmes and his colleagues, civil rights advocates, and, importantly, the women and men of the Seattle Police Department. Excellent progress has been made, as evidenced by the 10 compliance assessments completed by the federal monitor, Merrick Bobb.

 

Much more remains to be done to make certain the reforms take root and actually change the culture of the police department. For example, we have yet to tackle hiring and promotion standards; how best to structure an in-service leadership academy to prepare future leaders; and how to create a political climate that recognizes the importance of effective policing and civilian oversight, yet doesn’t lead to inappropriate interference — the kind we’ve come to expect from the president at the national level.

The rule of law is a revered treasure of our democracy. It’s clear by his words and actions that president Trump doesn’t share, doesn’t understand and doesn’t care about this fundamental value of America. Let’s stand up and defend the rule of law and condemn those who would tear it down, including the president of the United States.

* This article was originally published in The Seattle Times.