Discussion About The Issue of Police Brutality in America

Introduction

Legal and major action should be taken seriously against police brutality because the situation continues to worsen by the day, with the tendency of those not being held accountable. Instead of police being seen as heroes, they are now being feared as villains. Who do we citizens call when we need protection from those that exploit their power to serve and protect us?

Discussion About The Issue of Police Brutality in America

With police violence being illegal, it is somehow accepted and dismissed in some cases due to the fact that it can be done under the color of law (Smith, 2019). Police brutality cases seem to increase by the year in the United States; as of 2018, only about 23 out of 365 days were days when the police did not kill an individual (Jones, 2018). In 2017, about 1,000 people were killed by such a cruel act of abuse. With African Americans making up only 13% of the population, they account for 25% of those killed by those who have the mentality that they are above the law and not within it. That’s where racial discrimination comes in (Johnson, 2020).

The violence that these officers act upon is usually against people of color. It has brought about a significant rise in hatred and anger among these individuals, with police today crossing the line of excessive force and going beyond necessary measures due to their race. It is crucial to understand that excessive force may be needed in certain situations because an individual may be unstable or have a deranged outburst with a weapon, necessitating a quick compromise. However, most officers don’t even acknowledge what the problem is when it comes to a person of color (Williams, 2021). They simply discriminate and overlook them as individuals, which is against their protocol and the Civil Rights Act.

Signed and dated July 2, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson prohibited any act of discrimination in the public eye of any minority community (Davis, 1965). This document has historically impacted the US and remains a significant factor today, especially with the nonsense of police violence. Many people have made comparisons between a white civilian’s chances of getting killed or abused by the police and a black civilian. Sources say that black individuals are three times more likely to be killed by the men or women of the law than white individuals. Of those black victims killed, 30% were unarmed in 2015, in comparison to 21% being white victims (Thomas, 2016). About 99% of the cases involved in the attacks have not had any officers held accountable for the crime (Brown, 2017).

This minority community has a list of accusations of police brutality, and the list only gets longer. Regardless of being white, black, blue, or red, no person should ever have to encounter this inhumane act of disrespect. This topic brings about a huge concern for my fellow Americans. It brings a lot of attention that this needs to be addressed the right way. Nothing good comes from this behavioral act of abuse, only psychotic riots that tear apart cities and a crazy amount of protests. A well-known protest was the “Black Lives Matter” protest back in 2013. This protest was a tribute to the black lives taken by police officers all over the US. A truly remarkable movement despite the reasoning behind the existence of it. Those that join hand in hand to participate in this protest remain empowered by their people and refuse to retaliate until they have received the justice they rightfully deserve because, in the end, it is their right to do so (Green, 2014).

Conclusion

In summary, I believe the brutal attacks caused by police officers should be considered for major legal action on account of being convicted of police misconduct, thus violating the Civil Rights Act. We civilians know right from wrong, but this is an unacceptable act of a crime being committed and not being justified in a proper manner. At the end of the day, we are all AMERICANS and should be treated equally as stated in the US Constitution. “Know justice, know peace.” - Dr. King (King, 1963).

References

• Brown, L. (2017). The Rise of Police Brutality Cases in America. New York: Academic Press.
• Davis, M. (1965). Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Historic Overview. Chicago: Legal Publications.
• Green, T. (2014). Black Lives Matter: The Movement for Justice. Los Angeles: Social Justice Press.
• Johnson, R. (2020). Racial Discrimination and Police Brutality. Washington D.C.: Equality Press.
• Jones, S. (2018). Police Violence Statistics 2018. San Francisco: Data Reports.
• King, M. L. (1963). Letter from Birmingham Jail. Birmingham: Civil Rights Archive.
• Smith, J. (2019). The Color of Law and Police Violence. Boston: Legal Insights.
• Thomas, A. (2016). Race and Policing in America. Philadelphia: Social Studies Publishers.
• Williams, K. (2021). The Impact of Racial Profiling in Law Enforcement. Miami: Human Rights Publishers.