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The Abuse Of ‘Feel-Good’ Cop Videos
Violent and abusive police systems are not ended with ice cream.
I remember the first time a man let me know that he could kill me if he chose to. I was 19 years old. My fiancé and I had just finished an argument. I had flinched at his rage. He noticed my fear, and he told me a story.
“My ex told her family that she thought I was going to kill her,“ he said, “I mean, I’m really strong. I could hurt people really bad if I wanted to. I’ll punch holes in walls if I have to.” He pulled a sword off of the wall and casually twirled it around while he looked at me, “But I wouldn’t have hurt her. I wasn’t abusive. She should see what real abuse is.”
My heart pounded out of my chest until he put the sword back on the wall and smiled.
“I’m glad you know I’d never hurt you,” he said.
I remember the first time a man let me know that he could kill me if he chose to.
I haven’t thought about that moment in years. It’s been replaced with new fears. What will kill me now is not that man. What will kill me now could be a man I reject on the street, a future partner, or a cop.
Every day that I get behind the wheel, I am aware that there are men out there…