In answering the question "What percentage of US police officers are ex-military?" Here is one estimate given by Dr. Kevin O'Neil, PHd, Professor of Public Administration and Psycology, University of Southern California (2016) .

“Post Viet Nam era probably 75% or so. Law enforcement certainly had an abundance of military-trained helicopter pilots that were quickly recruited for the fairly new police ‘eye in the sky’ ops.

“Today, that percentage is probably about 50% plus and in both cases the majority are former Marines. Why? No doubt a ‘combat personality’ that leaves them searching for that quasi-military atmosphere they miss upon discharge.”

In that regard, I found that the following New York Times editorial was very helpful in providing some background to America’s legendary problem of white supremacy and police brutality (not to mention America’s out-of-control national debt, which is in excess of 25 trillion dollars - largely because of excessive military spending over the years since the Viet Nam War.

Monday, June 1, 4-6pm
North Broadway and High Streets
Hosted by First Unitarian Universalist of Columbus
Join the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus in peaceful witness as we Rally on the Side of LOVE! All are welcome! Another black man, George Floyd, has been killed by police, this time in Minneapolis, in an intentional and needless act of violence. We CANNOT, and we WILL NOT be silent!
We ask that you stay on sidewalks, social distance a minimum of 6 feet apart, and wear your masks. Bring your signs and banners: Black Lives Matter, Standing on the Side of Love, etc. Wear your bright yellow LOVE shirts, if you have them.

Let us consider why the Donald Trump White House is currently considering detonating a nuclear weapon. It would be the first “test” of a nuke since 1992 and is clearly intended to send a message that those weapons sitting around in storage will be available for use. The testing is in response to alleged development of low-yield tactical nuclear devices by Beijing and Moscow, a claim that is unsupported by any evidence and which is likely a contrivance designed to suggest that there is strong leadership coming out of Washington at a time when the Administration has been faulted for its multiple failures in combatting the coronavirus.

Just when we were ready to move on to the next step in “Tips and Tools,” we have a public health pandemic with politicians and pundits predicting the whole world of work and popular activity will change. Social distancing will mean the end of meetings. Work will be remote or at home, rather than office based. Fewer will travel and the whole world will zoom into the future as masked marauders six feet apart. No one can doorknock. People won’t open their doors.

Trust me on this: not in our neighborhoods.

Drive into almost any low-moderate-income community, and I challenge you to count the masks and make a note where you happen to see social distancing. It’s just not happening in the same way. There is a real racial, age, and class divide here that is starkly visible.

Bus service for example in many cities require masks now to ride public transit. In fact, talking to the head of a regional transit authority yesterday, he said maybe half of the riders in his majority African-American city was wearing masks. Talking to the bus drivers’ union leadership, they were clear that their drivers were in no position to enforce the decree. They are drivers, not police.