This is a HeadGum Podcast. I don't know what you think I don't know what to say

you're the got to right

yeah it's okay

I don't know anything.

Hello, welcome to factually. I'm Adam Conover and look, we're having a national conversation about policing right now.

The main content of the conversation is this question, what are the police for?

Like seriously, what the fuck are they actually for?

Let me tell you a quick story from my own experience to sort of break down how I think about the issue.

Back in the before times when I was still a stand-up comedian instead of a full-time Zoom user,

I finished a set and I was walking back home from Hollywood at around 11 PM.

And I passed a woman who was walking around barefoot with a blanket over her shoulder she

appeared to be unhoused and she was yelling help help help on the sidewalk and I

was a little alarmed I stopped and I said maam, what can I help do you need?

And her answer wasn't quite lucid.

She was clearly mentally ill and in need of services.

And I'm just some guy walking home.

I don't have the training or the resources

to help her out, but so I keep walking and about half a block later I reach a subway station and in front of the subway station thankfully are two police officers. I think, this is is amazing I found the exact people I needed

to find to help this situation surely they can help I tell them officers there's a

woman just up the block and she's shouting for help And their response was a little bit troubling.

They laughed in my face and replied,

Oh no, we can't help her.

...