CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
Why Police Should Never Act As Our Judge, Jury, and Executioner
An essay about the lawlessness of law enforcement
In America, police are given an enormous amount of power over citizens, and we often see officers abusing that power. Last year, American police broke a record for how many citizens they killed, yet all too often, when citizens protest, they are portrayed as the disruptive ones. Zora Neale Hurston said, "if you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it,” and those who spent the weekend protesting the brutal slaying of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols would undoubtedly agree with her position. The status quo has become a death sentence for Black people, one we have no choice but to fight against.
Police often operate like an occupying force in Black communities since officers have the authority to enact violence and are rarely held accountable to the communities they claim to serve. Unfortunately, officers arrested after the deaths of George Floyd and Tyre Nichols are an exception, not the rule. Far too often, police get away with becoming someone’s judge, jury, and executioner. If that sounds illegal to you, you’re not alone. Police don’t have the educational background, training, or public consent to decide which citizens should live or die, but…
