JUST A THOUGHT - ON BRITAIN'S STREET VIOLENCE AND 'STOP AND SEARCH.' PART 6.
In which the rights and freedoms of the individual, are promoted, and are not crushed by the imperative of the collective.
Consequently, 'the community,' where it actually exists, and is manifested in its historically 'tribalistic, religious and rural traditionalistic image.'
Does not sit comfortably with the possession and responsible exercise of individual autonomy, by each citizen, which is required by the enlightened civic society.
The appeal to the authorities 'the community', in western societies, for it to 'exercise effective control' over its members. Is an ambivalent legitimisation of the 'social control power' of 'the community.'
Even though the exercise of that power, can also conflict with the individual rights which the 'civic societies' in Europe hold in high regards.
'This appeal' is not one which is made to the white European citizens, and is therefore questionable, having its origin in a colonial context. Although it could have some merits, from a 'multicultural' perspective.
But none of this removes or compromises the case for 'stop and serarch' policies and implementation to be primarily based on their crime deterrence and detection effectiveness.
Without them giving avoidable spikes to the actuality, and not the perception, of unfairly and unjustly targeting specific groups of people, with the emphasis being on 'unfairly' and unjustly.
The primary issue should not be whether a particular group is being targets, but that of whether it is being unfairly and unjustly targeted.
Including how the Police is going about exercising the 'stop and search policy.'
And that is a challenge which can only be fulfilled by the whole 'community of citizens', motivated by the shared aspiration to achieve and maintain the safety and security of their locality.
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