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Essay / Police Brutality as Discrimination
Lately, more and more reports of police brutality and discrimination have appeared in the news or on social media. Police officers have a bad reputation because of this, as most people now assume that all police officers must be racist. There is a clear history of racial discrimination in the policing system. However, it is unfair to claim that all cops are considered racist. There will always be a situation where a few bad people will ruin the reputation of an entire group. This happened to the police force when the media highlighted the number of fatal police shootings against the African American community. At the time, it seemed like the entire world had turned against the police force, appalled by their actions and shocked by the statistics of these deaths. The reason situations like this are very problematic is because there appear to be no repercussions or penalties for the officer other than a temporary leave of absence from the police force. It is always important to investigate cases that arise in which white police often take advantage of their police power against black and brown people. Even though the media sometimes tends to exaggerate the truth about what is really happening in these situations, it is very important to understand both sides of the story and come to an agreement on whether the outcome of the the confrontation was justified or not. to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Cops are not held accountable when they use their power in the wrong way. Some people think there should be much harsher punishment for police officers who accidentally shoot a person because of the color of their skin. Additionally, the media does not pay attention to people of color who are victims of police brutality and discriminated against by police. Statistics show that it is clear that people of color are more likely to end up in prison, to be killed by police, and to get harsher prison sentences. Police killed 1,147 people in 2018. Black people made up 25% of those killed despite making up only 13% of the population. (The killing of black suspects is more than just a white police problem, August 2018) Memorable names of a few men of color killed by white police include Philando Castille, Tamir Rice, and Michael Brown. These men were the spark that lit the fire of the Black Lives Matter movement as protests began in Ferguson and then spread across the United States. The movement gained even more attention when Collin Kaepernick knelt at a football game during the singing of the national anthem to protest the way police treat the African American community in the United States. However, this sparked outrage among most people as it was seen as disrespectful to all soldiers who fight for our country. I believe Kaepernick had good intentions and was genuinely trying to help the African American community by bringing attention to victims and families affected by fatal police shootings or those who have been victims of brutality or discrimination on the part of the police forces. Instead, Kaepernick's message came across as insulting to most Americans who take pride in their country. The Black Lives Matter movement remains a strong organization in the African American community seeking justice for victims offatal police shootings. When police are involved in a fatal shooting with an unarmed minority, there appear to be no consequences for that officer. . The failure of the police to discriminate means that the problem continues to occur and that sufficient action is not taken to end discrimination within the police force. Not only should these officers be fired from their jobs, but hearings should also be held so that the victims' families can be offered closure for the loss of their loved one. Black people are three times more likely to be killed by police than white people. Police have been proven to use more force when the person involved is of color. (Race, Racism and Law Enforcement, October 2014) Clips broadcast on the news and on social media reveal shocking images of how some police officers treat people. It is also disheartening to see the police officer face no consequences for his actions. Some may argue that these video clips and images don't show the whole story and that there are cases where people use their race as an advantage to attract police officers and then try to gain sympathy on social media. It's frustrating because this topic always gets a huge reaction from people online just to find out later that the story was a hoax. This leaves people making obscure accusations against police officers without hearing the whole story. However, we cannot ignore the moment a racist cop kills a young man of color. In 99% of cases, police officers have not been found guilty of a crime. (Trial, convictions are rare for police officers, October 2018). It is understandable that as a police officer you must make life and death decisions quickly, but police must be held accountable for their actions and atone for their mistakes. It would at least limit the damage if people really saw that the officer regrets his mistake and is truly sorry for what he did. Give white police officers who were wrong to kill people of color deserve harsh sentences and have their murders remembered. seriously. We must ensure that discrimination is not acceptable in law enforcement and this will bring results. One of the factors that plays into the perception of African Americans is that the police are not on their side. (Police are rarely charged for on-duty shootings, November 2014). Tensions between the African American community and the police force are high since there is a lack of trust in officers to actually protect them when they are in danger. The police should work to rebuild trust and send the message that the police can be people to rely on rather than fear. When police are not charged after a fatal shooting with an unarmed minority, it sets a precedent that law enforcement is insensitive and demonstrates a lack of care for the African American community. It is also important to establish whether or not the victim was armed during the shooting, as it shows that the officer was under extreme pressure and feared for his own life. We can't really hold police officers responsible for shooting someone who was armed, because that puts them in a situation where they have to decide whether it's their life or the lives of the suspects. Constitutionally, police officers are allowed to shoot in two circumstances: to protect their life or that of another innocent person. The second is if the suspect flees and the officer has probable cause to believe that he.