Punditry StaffApple Computers (AAPL) announced it is opening a new HQ in North Carolina, which will employ 3,000 people. In light of the fresh tragedy of the North Carolina police “executing” Andrew Brown Jr. and the voter suppression the State is trying to enact into law, can Apple influence North Carolina to reform its police and become less Trumpian? Can we expect Apple’s new HQ to play a positive role because of Apple’s civic duties history? Its iconic role as the one of the most valuable American companies demands it.
Andrew Brown Jr.’s family claim the video, the police was ever so reluctant to release, showed him he was summarily executed by seven trigger-happy, violent police officers, which North Carolina is withholding their names. The southern State has a long history of police brutality cases.
Only time will tell. So far, Apple has been silent about the ease with which North Carolina’s police force deliberately kills its citizens or violates their rights, as this video below shows when a police officer grabs an elderly black woman by her hair to pull her out of her SUV.
Incidentally, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, was quoted as saying, with regard to the Chauvin verdict, “Today’s verdict was just”.
My hope is that Apple can play a positive role in steering the State out of its White Supremacist tendencies. To start by dismantling its police unions. Some of which are legal, state-supported clubs for white nationalists and Nazi sympathizers.
The “execution” of Brown is screaming for a Justice Department probe. One that the FBI just opened and which would demonstrate the illegality of police activities in North Carolina..
IT TAKES A RIGHTEOUS CULTURE
Many American companies, by the nature of their culture, have historically had a great societal influence over a variety of people-backed rights. Apple, in this regard, has had more than its fair share of positively embracing causes that are dear to the public. This does not change the fact that corporate America’s influence over our politics dilutes the power of our democracy, something I write about often. When the people don’t have a say, democracy pays the price.
In SEC filings in 2019, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, donated almost $5m in Apple shares to the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, which bodes well for what might come next in North Carolina when human rights seems to be of particular interest to Mr. Cook. Maybe he will find police brutality, a human rights issue, as appalling as we all do. With this kind of positive activism, Apple may yet decide to spread its civic duty wings across the state in favor of the human rights of all its black communities.
No one gains from police brutality except the narrow-minded perpetrators. And with the “execution” of Andrew Brown Jr., North Carolina has a public relations nightmare on its hands it may never overcome. One that requires bold action instead of the “let’s sweep this under the carpet” attitude we have observed from the Elizabeth City Police Department.
The “execution” of Brown is screaming for a Justice Department probe. One that the FBI just opened and which would demonstrate the illegality of police activities in North Carolina.
We believe Apple will have a positive influence on North Carolina’s negative police culture.
APPLE HAS A HISTORY OF RESPONDING TO ABUSE THROUGH CHARITY
In June of last year, Tim Cook penned an open letter against racism on the Apple website in which he wrote:
Additionally, Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft openly supported the peaceful demonstrations against police brutality. Furthermore, Apple has pledged a whopping $100m to support the Equal Justice Initiative, which work tirelessly to even the playing field of justice.
To say that Apple is involved when it comes to correcting the wrongs we see before us is an understatement.
Apple even encourages its employees to volunteer to help under-served communities master technology and conquer boredom. As it did in Ireland so successfully in the last few years.
This kind of involvement answers our own question of whether will Apple influence North Carolina to reform its Police Departments in dire need for an overhaul. Will it pressure the Police Unions to abandon their sickening policies of maintaining violent police officers on the job even, as it happened to the NYPD, when they have accumulated over 320,000 complaints in the last 40 years.
We believe Apple will have a positive influence on North Carolina’s negative police culture.
Will Apple Influence North Carolina To Reform Its Police?
Punditry Staff
