Decades of policy failure: The crisis behind the crackdowns

Urban communities have lived for centuries under America’s knee—its selective version of “law and order” pressed firmly on their necks. This chokehold has never been only physical; it’s been enforced through decades of policy. From Nixon to Reagan, the arc of “law and order” bent toward deflecting from the real problem: a culture shaped by systemic neglect, all underpinned by the quiet insistence of White dominance.

Let me explain. 

The 1968 Kerner Report, amid other revelations of systemic inequalities, openly recognized that neglect and inequitable policing were fueling unrest. The mounting tension between the law and the oppressed ignited the riots. When the government was forced to look, they saw what urban community residents already knew. The country had the chance to address root causes but instead chose the punitive path.  Nixon recast the problems as a crisis of order, not as systemic injustice.  He made law and order the platform of his administration. 

Ronald Reagan, carrying the Republican mantra of law and order, launched his presidential bid in the Deep South. Where Nixon’s words were crafted in Washington, Reagan’s were staged on the very soil where Civil Rights workers had been killed. He infused the law-and-order rhetoric with coded racial appeals of states’ rights, “welfare queen,” and rollbacks of social spending. Policy neglect masked as crime control has been decades-long weaponized policy. The crackdowns were never separate from neglect ― they were two sides of the same coin.  

Trump’s move on Washington didn’t break stride with the Republican law and order brand―but his mercurial persona conceals a deeper consistency: a steady march toward an America reshaped in his image.     Responding to the Charleston church murders, candidate Trump said that the Confederate flag belongs in museums. It was a perfect moment for campaign rhetoric. Now the flag and monuments have become rallying symbols. 

Behind this shift is a White Christian nationalist agenda determined to scrub America’s history White. That rhetorical restraint gave way to reviews of exhibits in the Smithsonian African American History Museum. History narratives, although accurate, that disparage the pristine image of the Founders will be scrubbed or rewritten. America’s history must reflect the purity of its Christian beginning. It must align with God’s chosen America. 

Building on the law and order themes of the Reagan era, the Trump administration’s mantra is amplified by the fusion of religion and politics: we cannot ignore the racial overtones and the anti-immigrant focus. Christian nationalism is woven into both policies and the cabinet of the Trump second term. The move to restore Confederate monuments, the renaming of military bases after secessionist generals, and the aggressive reframing of America’s history go beyond suggestions of White dominance― it unveils America as a White Christian nation. 

In January, President Trump issued a sweeping order of clemency for the J6 insurrectionists. Approximately 1,500 were granted full pardons. They broke the law, attacked Capitol Police officers, smashed windows, and desecrated congressional offices. Nearly eight months later, the administration picked up the law and order mantle. The President invoked Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act. He declared a crime emergency in the district and placed the police under federal control. Eight hundred National Guard were deployed to restore public safety. 

The scales of justice are obscenely unbalanced. The optics are reminiscent of Jim Crow law and White justice. We used the courts to pushback in that dark era of America; we are pursuing the legal path now. 

Mayor Muriel Bowser sued to retain control of the Metropolitan Police Department. Her court victory was a win for Washington D.C., and for democracy itself. Judge Ana Reyee’s decision reaffirmed the essential truth enshrined in the Home Rule Act. The president can request city police assistance, but he cannot commandeer their loyalty, chain of command, or mission under the guise of an emergency. 

The climate of ‘law and order’ in America is the natural culmination of decades of manipulating  justice, tilting the scales to favor the wealthy, politically connected, and White Americans. 

Still, I like to believe what Dr. King said about the arc of justice, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”