Just a reminder: Congress still hasn’t done anything in the arena of police reform.
Of course, what state and local governments do is more impactful than anything Congress would do, and those elected officials have the ability more precisely tailor to the needs of specific localities. What state and local governments have done differs, and in some areas has been quite positive.
But the fact remains: Congress has done nothing, and there are important federal matters Congress should address (qualified immunity, for example).
This isn’t for lack of trying on the part of some. For some, yes, it hasn’t just been lip service. But the trying hasn’t been successful yet, and it’s likely it won’t be.
This is a problem.
But it’s also a symptom.
It’s a symptom of a trend in our national politics in which it’s considered damaging by some to pass meaningful legislation in a bipartisan manner, because it risks making the other party look good. Not only have we granted reelection higher importance than any sort of action—making power the end-all-be-all of “public service.” We’ve also made the decision that damaging our opponent is a more effective path to that power than demonstrating our own party’s competence, or the virtue of our own party’s ideologies.
What a hole we’ve dug for ourselves.
