I’m grateful to the University of Hawaii scholars for studying police uses of force and for the country’s wider conversation on it (“Focusing on police use of force on Oahu,” Star-Advertiser, May 10). There is great inequity in such force being applied disproportionately against socially marginalized people, which reforms must address.
But even with reforms, the ability of police to escalate their application of force against stubbornly non-compliant citizens will remain.
Even if the initial penalty is a small civil fine, never-ending refusal to pay it will land someone in criminal contempt of court and require police action. Inherently, laws are ultimately enforced by the threat of violence by police. Otherwise, laws could not be enforced.
Therefore, when people demand a new statute to punish or compel certain actions, especially nonviolent ones like drag shows, we should ask ourselves if enforcing the proposed statute is worth the risk of creating more situations that can escalate into violent confrontations with police.
Stuart K. Hayashi
Mililani Town
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