Addressing Harm
By Nyako Pippen
As we approach the midterm elections I’m hearing political actors campaigning that they’re single handedly responsible for lowering crime rates. Have you ever asked yourself what is a crime? They told us that selling drugs was a crime, punishable by prison. Then it was revealed that big pharma was responsible for getting millions of people addicted to opioids – an atrocity that kills thousands of people a year, more than gun violence. All of sudden it was no longer a crime, it’s an epidemic, a public health crises and at the least, they’re punishment is a fine. They also told us weed was illegal, until it wasn’t. Now you need a license to sell it, and guess where you have to go to get it? It’s funny how that work, the same actors “committed” to lowering crime rates, accept billions in campaign contributions and support big pharma.
When we tell our stories, we always talk about how the drug dealer on the corner, with the nice clothes, the big chains and all the money inspired us to become those same dealers, but that’s where we stop. We never think about what inspired them – all of the decorated examples of criminality. We aspire to take blocks because those in positions of power take countries; we join gangs because we want to establish peace through strength. In the grand scheme of things can you blame us? We’re simply striving to live the American dream, and we want to do it, the American way.
Nevertheless, this is not about crime rates, drilling, hustling, or even making moral judgements about big pharma or the country, that’s for you to decide. This is about discovering real solutions to the real life harm taking place in our communities. This is about thinking about building relationships that truly serve us because, what should we expect when we ask a criminal to lower crime rates? Well let’s see: a community over policed, miseducated, underhoused, malnourished. Wow, it’s like asking a scammer to check your credit score.
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