Library Loot ~ October 22-28

Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces ~ by Radley Balko, 2013, sociology

The last days of colonialism taught America’s revolutionaries that soldiers in the streets bring conflict and tyranny.  As a result, our country has generally worked to keep the military out of law enforcement.  But according to investigative reporter Radley Balko, over the last several decades, America’s cops have increasingly come to resemble ground troops.  The consequences have been dire:  the home is no longer a place of sanctuary, the Fourth Amendment has been gutted, and police today have been conditioned to see the citizens they serve as an other — an enemy.  Today’s armored-up policemen are a far cry from the constables of early America.  The unrest of the 1960s brought about the invention of the SWAT unit — which in turn led to the debut of military tactics in the ranks of police officers.  Nixon’s War on Drugs, Reagan’s War on Poverty, Clinton’s COPS program, the post–9/11 security state under Bush and Obama:  by degrees, each of these innovations expanded and empowered police forces, always at the expense of civil liberties.  And these are just four among a slew of reckless programs.  Balko shows how politicians’ ill-considered policies and relentless declarations of war against vague enemies like crime, drugs, and terror have blurred the distinction between cop and soldier.  His fascinating, frightening narrative shows how over a generation, a creeping battlefield mentality has isolated and alienated American police officers and put them on a collision course with the values of a free society.

The Rule of Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century ~ by Joan Chittister, 2010, religion

This new edition of a classic religious text combines the timeless wisdom of Benedict of Nursia's Rule with the perceptive commentary of a renowned Benedictine mystic and scholar.  In her new introduction to the Rule, the author boldly claims that Benedict's sixth-century text is the only one of great traditions that directly touches the contemporary issues facing the human community — stewardship, conversion, communication, reflection, contemplation, humility, and equality.   Tracing Benedict's original Rule paragraph by paragraph, it expands its principles into the larger context of spiritual living in a secular world and makes the seemingly archaic instructions relevant for a contemporary audience.  A new foreword, updated content, an appendix, and a recommended calendar for reading the entries and commentaries make this an invaluable resource for solitary or communal contemplation.

My Beloved World ~ by Sonia Sotomayor, 2013, memoir

The first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor has become an instant American icon.  Now, with a candor and intimacy never undertaken by a sitting Justice, she recounts her life from a Bronx housing project to the federal bench, a journey that offers an inspiring testament to her own extraordinary determination and the power of believing in oneself.  Here is the story of a precarious childhood, with an alcoholic father (who would die when she was nine) and a devoted but overburdened mother, and of the refuge a little girl took from the turmoil at home with her passionately spirited paternal grandmother.  But it was when she was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes that the precocious Sonia recognized she must ultimately depend on herself.  She would learn to give herself the insulin shots she needed to survive and soon imagined a path to a different life.  With only television characters for her professional role models, and little understanding of what was involved, she determined to become a lawyer, a dream that would sustain her on an unlikely course, from valedictorian of her high school class to the highest honors at Princeton, Yale Law School, the New York County District Attorney’s office, private practice, and appointment to the Federal District Court before the age of forty.  Along the way we see how she was shaped by her invaluable mentors, a failed marriage, and the modern version of extended family she has created from cherished friends and their children.

Twelve Years a Slave ~ video adapted from the 1853 slave narrative memoir by Solomon Northup

Based on an incredible true story of one man's fight for survival and freedom.  In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.  Facing cruelty (personified by a malevolent slave owner, portrayed by Michael Fassbender) as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity.  In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon's chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist (Brad Pitt) forever alters his life.

This is the first video I've ever gotten from a library, and so I've never written about videos on my blogs.  If the video quits working, view it on YouTube.

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire @ The Captive Reader and Linda @ Silly Little Mischief that encourages us to share the names of books we checked out of the library.  See what others got this week.