The Case of Police Brutality and Mistreatment in The United States

“Protect and Serve” has lost its meaning in mainstream society. The phrase is more often the punch line of a joke than a serious promise to the citizens of the United States. This erosion of the term’s value is not new but is, perhaps representative of the country’s history. Police brutality is ingrained in the minds of most people as a vile weed that refuses to disappear. Citizens everywhere are shocked and even disgusted at the actions of police officers around the country Oftentimes people are looking at whom to blame when police brutality is plastered across the screens in the homes of millions of Americans. Obviously the police must be held accountable for their actions but I believe there is more to the picture. Certainly, we must first look at the actions of police officers but we must also take a close look at the media and perhaps even American culture.

Police officers have a long history of mistreatment, even at the genesis of policing in the country. In most of these cases, victims were either poor or minorities and oftentimes both. Police brutality seems to be especially pronounced during times of civil resistance and social upheaval. Indeed, police brutality was at its peak during the Civil Rights eral. This country, unfortunately, seems to historically be based on a strict class structure. This hierarchy has progressively attempted to balance itself out. During the Civil Rights era, as thousands of African Americans began to demand equal rights, the entire country was watching and invested. The Civil Rights movement revealed to many Americans the class structure, which divided us by race, that was spoiling the virtues of freedom in America. The movement inspired many Americans but some white Americans were defensive o the movement. Perhaps they felt threatened by the prospect of equality for all, as if that would somehow bring them down in some way.

Regardless of these Americans motivations, we are seeing echoes of this attitude today in America. The television continues to broadcast a similar news story every week; the story of an African American being shot down by a white police officer. The media does have some due blame for this by refusing to broadcast any potentially positive story about police relations. American culture is also to be blamed because it seems to be obsessed with such stories. But that does not mean the problem is not existent. The facts speak volumes about what is going on in America today. According to the Washington Post, nearly half of all people shot and killed by the police are Black or Hispanic. This statistic is especially noteworthy given that African Americans and Hispanics make up only 29% of the American population’. Many estimates have the number of blacks killed at a much higher level but also lack a reputable source. Despite this, the problem is clearly evident in even the most conservative of studies. This is a problem that needs to be addressed by the American people so we can finally put a stop to this outrageous trend.

American citizens deserve to be outraged at the acts of police brutality in this country. Although police officers play a central role in the matter, the problem is not limited to them. America, as a collective body, needs to take a stand against these atrocious events. Americans must do more than be aware; we need to actively stand up and protest this trend. It is imperative that society stop sitting on the sidelines taking a silent position. If Americans are vocal and active at the same of time, then change is possible. But change is only possible when Americans take a stand.

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