The heinous murder of Ahmaud Arbery back in February in Georgia was one of the “poke the bear” moments for protesters this year. Gregory McMichael and his son Travis McMichael proclaim that they were attempting to make a citizens arrest due to their suspicion that Ahmaud was a criminal of some sort that had committed a crime of some sort. What? Citizens arrest?
So what in the fresh-baked sock-it-to-me cake hell is a citizens arrest law? What states allow it?
Well, it looks like the 50 states all have some type of a citizens arrest law. The wording may have variances but they basically lead to the same results- Black people being hemmed up… legally by White people...that aren’t even cops. Of course, they can hold up other people when they see them committing a crime, too. They then call the police and say “Here! Look what I got for ya’!” I guess the police need “helpers”?
Citizens arrest laws have typically been utilized in the manner by which Slave Catchers performed their duties. The laws are mostly used to fortify the racial pyramid...White people on top and everyone else stacked on the lower levels. These types of laws were put on the books to enforce power for Whites over Blacks.
For example, Georgia's citizens arrest law was penned in 1861 by Thomas Cobb. He co-founded the law school at the University of Georgia. He was a Confederate Congressman, a lawyer...oh, and a slave owner. He also authored a book as to why Black people should be slaves. Yup.
So, America doesn’t have a foundation of systemic racism? Asking for a friend.