The New Civil War: The Police vs The People.
Did you know around 1,166 people were killed in North America by the police in 2018? This is the shocking truth of the world we’re living in today and it is only worsening. In that same year, there were only a mere 23 days where police did not kill somebody. This means that at least one person was killed almost every day of the year by the people who are supposed to be protecting them from said violence. Instead the police believe in resulting to bloodshed to accomplish their goal. The facts provided only showcase the murders performed by the police, yet along with murders there have been cases in where police use brute force on civilians in order to detain them. Police brutality not only affects the person and families of the victim, but the communities involved along with them. In 2015, after the murder of Freddie Gray by the “boys in blue” one of the biggest riots that the United States has seen in the past decade ensued, causing thousands upon thousands of property damage and non-stop violence. Riots are not the only repercussion of police brutality, along with the heinous acts committed by the police corrupts the minds of minorities, which can be seen by the way they think about the authorities. Are the police really protecting us, or are they killing us instead? In my opinion, police actions need to be more regulated and new training has to enter into the police force in order to remove the plague that is police violence, we should be able to trust in the authorities, not fear them.
Riots due to police brutality have been happening for as long as people can remember, and they usually begin with a murder. In the past five years, the United States has seen many riots because of the senseless killings of innocent civilians. Not only that, but riots are always met by police officers, who return the violence against civilians and in turn, create a whole vicious cycle. The Ferguson, Baltimore, and Charlotte riots were definitely necessary because there has got to be someway of the civilians to get their point across, and if words won’t help then I believe it mandatory to unite and fight against the oppression that is handed to them by the higher power. “Riots occur because these police killings just keep happening, no matter how many peaceful marches happen. It is, in every sense, maddening” . Peaceful marches only result in neglect from the police and often times do not get the point across, this isn’t just any point but the point of people protecting the life of their people. The problem is that these riots take a toll on police as well, they’re targeted for violence, vandalism and just overall mockery simply because they are police. “You, your loved ones, your vehicles or homes may become potential targets”, this goes to show that police are scared for their lives as well. Fright often leads to panic and panic leads to violence. The police should implement a system within their departments that provides officers with the abilities to react accordingly with any situation they may face in the field, if not police brutality will continue to be a trending topic and many more people will die, many more homes will be vandalized, and many more businesses will suffer due to these violent protests.
Riots are not the only backlash that occurs when the police murder an innocent person. Another side-effect of the bloodshed is the corruption of the civilian mind, they believe that police is the enemy and they will treat them as such. A study done by YouGov has shown that 76 percent of the African-Americans interviewed believe that police will target minorities. This study goes to show that the black population lives in fear of being targeted and becoming a victim of another senseless killing. Another reason why the black minority lives in fear is because due to the recent data, black people are three times more likely to get shot by police than their white neighbors. With these statistics, it’s no wonder why minorities think of a police officer encounter as one of the worst things that could happen to them. Not only that, but the rapidly growing racism among the white people also triggers the chain of effects that lead to police encounters. “These preventable police encounters are often triggered by ignorant calls from people who view black people through a lens of suspicion”. Not only black people, but this applies to most minorities as well as they are seen in a different light by the majorities. They feel like the enemy, which develops a feeling of isolation. Police should work to connect with the communities that feel oppressed by them in order to mend the broken bond caused by the senseless killings. I think this would be a good way of changing the way that minorities feel about them.
In conclusion, police brutality is an epidemic which shows no signs of stopping if the authorities do not step up and fix what they have broken. The riots, corrupted minds and killings could all be stopped if everyone unified and worked together to make the countries affected a safer and not stressful habitat. This could all be done by implementing new training in order for police to learn how to deal with situations properly, instead of resulting to the gun. Along with that, if police officers worked with the communities affected in order to provide a peace of mind to the communities that are skeptical about whether or not they should trust the police. Through these methods, and with cooperation from both parties, although it would take time, the issue could be resolved. It just takes the people to be able to really fight for their right to live, because living is the most valuable commodity on the planet, and it shouldn’t be taken away by the people are protecting it.
