“Hands up, don’t shoot.” A popular phrase among the African-American community about law enforcement officers. Regarding the incidents of police officers misusing their authority in several cities and states. Incidents which involved police officers to use extreme or deadly force against people, resulting in a debate and discussion about those incidents. More specifically, about members of the African-American community. Michael Brown from Ferguson, Missouri, was an unarmed black teenager that was killed by a police officer in August of 2014. This shooting became the attention nationwide along with more law enforcement incidents. In cities such as Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Ohio, Staten Island, N.Y., etc. have had police questioned but
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The death of Freddie Gray, a victim of police brutality, set off riots and protests. The reason is because it showed the reality of the harassments African-Americans face every day and how the actions of police were not held accountable. Author D. Walkins wrote in the New York Times shortly after Gray’s death that, it was not only Freddie. Walkins grew up in Baltimore and that he himself, and many others knew stories of a similar situation. He said, ”To us, the Baltimore Police Department is a group of terrorists, funded by our tax dollars, who beat on people in our community daily, almost never having to explain or pay for their actions." The disrespect of the African-American community is far too common and the cause of it is because of the police. Roxane Gay, a contributor from the New York Times wrote this year, “Law enforcement, militarized and indifferent to black lives, is the problem...a justice system that rarely prosecutes or convicts police officers who kill innocent people in the line of duty is the problem. That this happens so often that resignation or apathy are reasonable responses is the problem." As well as, police officers views African-Americans more as criminals than they do humans. Opponents have also argued that there have been too many stories of black men being killed in the hands of the police …show more content…
There are far too many death by police officers in this country. Names that have been listed in the opponent’s argument are only a handful of people who have been killed by the police. The Black Lives Matter movement is a step into change, showing people what is happening in the U.S. and even in our communities through protests, events, and the media. Even though I am not African-American, it hurts to see people treated this way. There are people in my community experiencing discriminatory policing and it may not be affecting me personally, but this is still happening in my community and it still affects me in some way. I agree that the law enforcement’s line of work is difficult and at times they will encounter situations where decision making needs to be in a split-second. It does not mean I do not respect the police, I am grateful for the police who are respectful of the civil rights and the officers who choose not to ignore the Constitution. However, I do not agree with the L.A. officer’s statement that if you do not want to get shot, tased, or experience any type of physical force, to just do what they tell you. Nobody wants to experience any of those listed and even if African-Americans followed what that officer stated, it seems that does not guarantee the safety of their life. Do police officers use the proper and appropriate amount of force
The death of Freddie Gray, a victim of police brutality, set off riots and protests. The reason is because it showed the reality of the harassments African-Americans face every day and how the actions of police were not held accountable. Author D. Walkins wrote in the New York Times shortly after Gray’s death that, it was not only Freddie. Walkins grew up in Baltimore and that he himself, and many others knew stories of a similar situation. He said, ”To us, the Baltimore Police Department is a group of terrorists, funded by our tax dollars, who beat on people in our community daily, almost never having to explain or pay for their actions." The disrespect of the African-American community is far too common and the cause of it is because of the police. Roxane Gay, a contributor from the New York Times wrote this year, “Law enforcement, militarized and indifferent to black lives, is the problem...a justice system that rarely prosecutes or convicts police officers who kill innocent people in the line of duty is the problem. That this happens so often that resignation or apathy are reasonable responses is the problem." As well as, police officers views African-Americans more as criminals than they do humans. Opponents have also argued that there have been too many stories of black men being killed in the hands of the police …show more content…
There are far too many death by police officers in this country. Names that have been listed in the opponent’s argument are only a handful of people who have been killed by the police. The Black Lives Matter movement is a step into change, showing people what is happening in the U.S. and even in our communities through protests, events, and the media. Even though I am not African-American, it hurts to see people treated this way. There are people in my community experiencing discriminatory policing and it may not be affecting me personally, but this is still happening in my community and it still affects me in some way. I agree that the law enforcement’s line of work is difficult and at times they will encounter situations where decision making needs to be in a split-second. It does not mean I do not respect the police, I am grateful for the police who are respectful of the civil rights and the officers who choose not to ignore the Constitution. However, I do not agree with the L.A. officer’s statement that if you do not want to get shot, tased, or experience any type of physical force, to just do what they tell you. Nobody wants to experience any of those listed and even if African-Americans followed what that officer stated, it seems that does not guarantee the safety of their life. Do police officers use the proper and appropriate amount of force