Racial Bias In America

In 1968, the last recorded lynching in the United States occurred. Forty-eight years later, African Americans continue to face the threat of extrajudicial fatalities at the hands of those that have vowed to protect them. In the United States, the conversation over racially biased police has grown tremendously in the last six years. In a Wall Street Journal poll, 96 percent of respondents expected racial unrest over the summer of 2015 (Hook). The deaths of Michael Brown and Freddie Gray sparked riots. As Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “…riot is the language of the unheard.” This quote aligns with the previous poll, as America is experiencing a new sense of racial discord. To prevent further racially biased police violence, law enforcement …show more content…
The names of Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice, Laquan McDonald, and many other African Americans killed by police are etched into the minds of Americans. However, with such a huge movement, many have questioned the motive behind its growing attention (McLaughlin). Many people have questioned the supporting numbers and statistics behind the claim that there exists a racial bias in police violence, as there is no government entity dedicated to recording these instances (Martinez). The argument is that without numbers to back claims, the declaration of systemic racially biased police is effectively …show more content…
Throughout the United States’ history, police have become increasingly well-armed with firearms (F., J.). Lethal force should be the absolute last resort as officers have the options of support from other officers or CEDs, also known as Tasers. To reduce the immediate resort to and frequent occurrence of lethal force, officers must receive increased training in nonlethal incapacitation and neutralization. If officers had received training on nonlethal methods of submission, the names Tamir Rice and Michael Brown would not be a blight upon United States’ race relations. Recent years did not see the purported War on Cops. Instead, violent crime is at an all-time low since 1978 (Feeney). In addition to this lack of violence, there is no long-term reputable record of the number of people brutalized or killed by officers. Police officers, according to the numbers going twenty years back, are safer than ever (Balko), as recent years display a record low for gun-related police deaths since 1920. In conclusion, there is a long road ahead to mending the rift that racially motivated police brutality has caused in the United States. To repair these damaged relations, law enforcement must be reformed extensively. There is extreme potential in the increased oversight of law enforcement. To ensure the fair protection