In the midst of the 2016 presidential election things were starting to heat up all around the country. Trump had been announced as the republican presidential candidate and Clinton for the democrats. The only question that I was contemplating on was what’s going to happen to my ethnic group now that our very first black president was leaving office? One thing that I did know for sure was that the police and the African-American community were still at odds. So with little hope left for the future of my very own children, I began to pull myself together after watching the morning news and started getting ready for my 10:00 class. The day was just like it had been in the past with the same routine of me departing at the same time and …show more content…
Most police officers are just trying to protect and serve — they would never consider discriminating against another person due to their race, and they try to responsibly deescalate situations whenever possible instead of resorting to violence. However, there are problems endemic to law enforcement culture, and many institutionalized problems that affect the work police do. No matter how good a police officer tries to be, it’s hard to make the world a better place while working from within an imperfect system. Law enforcement is something society will always need, and we are grateful to those who protect and serve, but the current system has issues it needs to address.
Class is over and I have to do some work for a class project which is now due in eight days. As I’m leaving campus I realize that I have to swing by the library and begin doing research. So, I’m about two or three miles away from campus still wearing my student identification badge and notice that a police car is following closely. I’m not worried at all because I’m a model citizen and a loyal taxpayer. In a brief moment I started thinking, what would happen if I get pulled over and how would this officer and I react to the situation. The thought quickly leaves my mind and I begin to notice that he’s about to pull me over right here in downtown Griffin. As I look up into my rearview mirror I noticed that
Police brutality and office involved shootings have sparked national debate and created a strain between police officers and citizens. Recently, there have been more home videos that display acts of aggression by police officers. These police officers often use excessive forces or a condescending tone towards people of color which is why there needs to be a better way to mend police and civilian relationship. People should be able to trust the police in their communities rather than fear them.
For as long as there have been Police Officers society has had to deal with misconduct and corruption in the institution. Through the nineteenth century, police officers became muscle employers used to violently end strikes. The rough police officiating and the racist Klu Klux Klan prompted the Civil Rights Act of 1871. The “anti-Klan bill”, intended to enforce both the Fourteenth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which was the first federal law passed defining United States citizenship and affirm that all citizens are equally protected by the law. The 1871 Civil Rights Act, “Section 1983 makes an officer liable for deliberately depriving any citizen of the United States of his or her Constitutional Rights.”(Prusinski,
Throughout history, there has been very few careers that require such a high degree of an ethical standard such as the one required for law enforcement. There is, however, a multitude of careers that require the dedication and heart such as required for a police member. Where this dedication and heart differs relies solely on the difference in the job. Officers are required to be aware of their surroundings nearly all the time as if something were to happen they would be required to navigate through the situation successfully. Somebody such as a CEO for a multimillion dollar company would not require this same quality due to the fact it is not part of their job description and the only individual that he/she needs to be worried about is themselves. However, in today’s society, and with media being an ever growing aspect, some police officers have decided on their own personal way to handle justice. So unfortunately, this small percentage of police contract a huge amount of negative eyes to the profession. This small number of individuals bring a negative view to the police department as a whole and for this cause an issue in the public’s eye. Regardless of what many individuals believe, many of the police officers decide on the ethical side of the job and are hardworking professionals who seek out to just serve the public. However, being an African American male myself the main issue I have and want to combat is the punishment officers should face if
Chapter 4 in The Color of Justice: Race, ethnicity, and crime in America, was about the relations between society and law enforcement officers. This has been a major topic, especially in the United States for a long time. The unfortunate statistic that minorities are more likely to encounter being killed, arrested, and victimized by excessive physical force; has been a real issue even in today’s society. However, police departments are trying to combat the way police officers interact with the community; especially those of color. Although steps have been takes there are still some instances where police aggression happens. With all of the issues that arise between certain minority populated community’s police it is evident that conflict
The 1980 presidential election of the United States featured three primary candidates, Republican Ronald Reagan, Democrat Jimmy Carter and liberal Republican John Anderson. Ronald Reagan was the governor of California before he decided to run for the presidency. John Anderson was a representative in Illinois and Carter was the incumbent. The lengthy Iran hostage crisis sharpened public opinions by the beginning of the election season. In the 1970s, the United States were experiencing a straining episode of low economic growth, high price increases and interest rates and an irregular energy crisis. The sense of discomfort in both domestic and foreign affairs in the nation were heading downward, this added to the downward spiral that was already going on. Between Carter, Anderson and Reagan, the general election campaign of the 1980s seemed more concerned with shadowboxing around political issues rather than a serious discussion of the issues that concerned voters.
Throughout the last one hundred and fifty years, there has been a history of tension and conflict between the police and minority communities in the United States. In principle, the police exist to enforce the law and protect all citizens regardless of race or ethnic background, yet police departments across the country have been repeatedly accused of targeting and harassing racial minorities, and of failing to root out racist attitudes and practices within their ranks. In recent years, high profile cases such as the beating of Rodney King in Los Angles and the assault on Abner Louima in New York have only served to heighten concerns over the mistreatment of minorities by the police, resulting in widespread calls for major legal and institutional reforms. The recent shootings of Michael Brown, Ezell Ford, Eric Garner, and Terrance Crutcher underscore the danger Black men and boys face when they cross paths with law enforcement officers. In the absence of a coordinated national strategy, state and local police departments have largely been left to develop their own solutions to the problems of policing minority communities and improving cultural sensitivity amongst their officers. Many departments have sought to reform recruitment and selection policies in the hope of attracting greater numbers of minority applicants, while others have instituted diversity training and education programs aimed at improving police understanding of minority cultures and communities. To date, however, these efforts have yielded mixed results. Some departments have achieved notable successes, but on the whole, relations between the police and minority communities across the country remain strained. of cultural diversity and the police.
Have you ever asked yourself what it would be like to become a police officer. Becoming a police officer isn’t an easy take because they have to risk their life everyday to protect and serve the community. They have to go through the dangers of arresting criminals when there is a chance that they could die. However, in today’s society only a small amount of police officers actually serve their community and protect citizens from danger. Right now, most police officers abuse their power to the point where they don’t seem to care for the safety of the community. They would usually arrest innocent people, make accusations, and even use their power as a source to show their dominance. If you think about, whenever you are stuck in traffic some
The role society plays in how these crimes are perceived, discussed, and what measures are taken to try to resolve these issues is ultimately what can change the thinking that how police officers handle things now is right. Racial injustice is occurring at the hands of people who are suppose to keep this country safe. There are many people who contribute to this problem, but where
The media has portrayed Officers in a new light. Rather than protective guardians, they are now unstable, power-fueled workers of the law. It is their choice what they will do with the duty of enforcing the law. Anyone can fall victim to Police Brutality. However, America’s social and economic society is improving at an alarming rate. America is at a time now where peaceful protests and the like are promoted, while aggressive out lashes, unlawful activities, and excessive force is frowned upon. The economy today is a result of the hard work of ancestors who protested and ensured a better future. In the future, it is possible that Officers will no longer be stereotyped as abusive, or unlawful. A united front is required for this future, where there are no more sides, violence, or
Have you ever asked yourself what it would be like to become a police officer. Becoming a police officer isn’t an easy take because they have to risk their life everyday to protect and serve the community. They have to go through the dangers of arresting criminals when there is a chance that they could die. However, in today’s society only a small amount of the police officers actually serves their community and protect citizens from danger. Right now, most police officers abuse their power to the point where they don’t seem to care for the safety of the community. They would usually arrest innocent people, make accusations, and even use their power as a source to show their dominance. If you think about, whenever you are stuck in traffic
A great deal of society views law enforcement officers as heroic and honorable individuals, whose main purpose is to protect and serve the community. For many officers, this description is accurate, however for others; violence and brutality against innocent citizens is part of getting the job done. For years, minorities have fallen victim to police brutality based on racial profiling, stereotypes and other
A police officer is a law enforcement official whose job is to protect and serve the people, not to abuse their power. Due to the fact that the U.S is consisted of many different races and ethnic groups, the ongoing conflict between police officers and citizens of color is at a constant rise. Although policies today no longer directly target those of colors, the policies applied by law enforcements in African-Americans communities are discriminating. Officers sometimes abuse the policies resulting in citizens viewing it as discrimination. By changing the way laws and regulations that unfairly impact Black and Brown communities can improve the justice system (Policy 5).Racial impact has changed the view of the government resulting in more inclusion of people of color in the system. Policies that are not racially excluding anyone of color should be used within police departments to evaluate the impact of different policing.
The Presidential Election of 2016 is not until November, but both parties are beginning to narrow their fields down and begin their preparation for an election that is expected to be highly contested. With previous election seasons, the current primary season has already seen some notable in-fighting within the two major political parties, with potential candidates attacking each other in an attempt to get their party nominated. What is very interesting is how fluctuating the support for a candidate can be during the primary season. For example, Republican Donald Trump once had a formable lead over the next contender Hillary Clinton. In the democratic field, the top three candidates were Hillary Clinton , Bernie Sanders, and Martin O Malley. [1]
In today’s society police forces all across the nation are undergoing extreme scrutiny due to numerous instances that have taken place. While the media seems to be focusing on the negative aspects of these instances and stirring even more controversy, I think that a pivotal part of the story isn’t being told. This part of the story comes from the officers’ perspective; the perspective of the people that are sworn to uphold the law and to protect the citizens in their community. This paper is designed to bring light to that side of the story, the side of the officer, the importance of their position, the dangers that they face on a daily basis to protect members of the community, and how as a public we can better understand and appreciate what police officers do for us each and every day.
These past few months, America has been in a great state of turmoil due to one of the most controversial presidential elections in history, the outcome of which has left the country divided with the question of whether the surprise presidential elect, Donald Trump, is actually fit to be president. He is one of the only people in this nation’s history that has managed to become the presidential elect without being a career politician or having any background experience in that area, and that alone deserves at least a little bit of recognition. For as long as anyone can remember this country has been ran by politicians who have time and time again disappointed the American people. The huge amount of distrust that has built up over the years is why the people began to demand a change and chose a man with no real experience. He is brash and outspoken, yet the formality is just one example of the many changes that are going to begin. While there has been a lot of debate over whether or not presidential elect Donald Trump is fit for office there are positive points to his election such as his views on imposing congressional term limits, bringing jobs back from overseas, as well as his stance on immigration and Obama Care.