I know I keep posting about these great interviews and how great the footage was, and promising to post some, but honestly, I’m switching to new editing software, and the learning curve is pretty steep, not to mention all the tech stuff that goes into the seems-like-it-should-be-simple act of uploading it. Really, I don’t want to put up crappy video, ‘cuz that’s not fun to watch, and it’s not good advertising.
Okay, so Norm… man… he was cool. He had a huge freakin’ beard, and almost shoulder length hair… all of it white. You’d never guess he used to be chief of police here in Seattle. He was warm, friendly, clever and quick. I don’t think he stumbled once with anything he said, but it didn’t seem rehearsed, either– like it wasn’t stuff he’d said a million times, and was just parroting himself. He was really relaxed, go-with-the-flow.
We talked mostly about how folks who are in altered states have historically been treated by law enforcement, and how that has been changed– by programs within many police departments, focusing on understanding and compassion. A lot of progress has been made– nothing’s ever perfect, of course (my own experiences bore this out), but they could be a lot worse. If more folks in law enforcement strive towards the humility and introspection I witnessed from Norm, I think more great breakthroughs will be made.
I’ll put some footage up soon. Promise.
