GeorgiaBensonWaterdown

Ms.Gardner
English10/Period6
9November2015
JusticeforAll

Intheory,someoneoflawthatservesthecommunityasasafeandreliablefigure,should
nothesitatetosavealife.However,anescalatingnumberofpolicebrutalitycaseshaveshown
thatsometimesthereismorehesitationinsavingaliferatherthanlosingone.Accordingto
PortlandHeraldPresswithintherecentmonthofSeptember101unarmedpeoplewerekilledby
policeofficers.Thisbeastlybehaviorhasbecomeapopulartopicandraisedmanybold
questions.Whatisthedifferencebetweenselfdefenseandharmingothers?Whatisthe
differencebetweencopandcitizen?
Withinhistoryandpresentday,policebrutalityhasbecomecentralizedalongsideracism.
RobertBowersstatedwithinhisarticle
TheNatureofPoliceBrutality,
anestimated75%ofthe
peoplehavebeenAfricanAmericananother18%havebeenHispanic,leavingonly7%ofthe
peopletobeCaucasian.Outofthe101casesfiledinSeptemberonlysevenstorieswereshown
ontelevision,evenmorestoriesgoundocumented.Amoreheadlineappealingcasedocumented
byPortlandHeraldPresswasofayoungfemaleofcolorwhogotnotonlydraggedaroundher
mathclassbutalmostchokedoutbyawhitepoliceofficerinSouthCarolina.Thepoliceofficer
didnotgetfiredfortheassumedreason,hedidnotfaceanycharges,hewasfiredbecausehedid

notholdontothegirl.Nowyoutellme,isitfairforapoliceofficertolosehisjobbecausehe
losthisgrip?
Inaperfectworldtherewouldbeasimplesolution.Inaperfectworldtherewould
notbeaproblem.Inaperfectworldjusticewouldbeforall.Nowwhatcanwedotochangeand
whatchangecanwenowdo?Withinthearticle
ConnectingPoliceViolenceagainstPeopleof
Color,
LeahHarrisquotedMartinLutherKingJr.whooncesaidLawcannotmakeamanlove
me,butitcanrestrainhimfromlynchingme,andIthinkthatsprettyimportantalso.Twoyears
laterhewasshotandkilledbuthisdreamhaslivedthroughourlegalsystemandstillstands
againsttheracialbiasesoftoday.Idonotbelievethatpoliceofficersarebad,Idonotbelieve
thatthereisnojustice,butIdobelievethatthereisalossinfocusandathirstforpower.Asa
communityandanationwemustpromotethepositivityofjusticeaswellasaddressthedownfall
ofinequality.
Inmanyopinionsthelawenforcementofourcountryaremerelydoingtheirjobs
andthisisjustanissuethatcomesalongwiththeresponsibility.Somepeoplemaynotwantto
changehowtheyviewothersandhowothersaretreatedwhenitcomestotheenforcementof
lawsanddisciplineyetwhenonelookthroughtheeyesofastrangertheygainanewperspective
.Thepoliceoftodayandthefutureshouldtreateverymanequal,andwithrespect.Manycan
arguethatanofficermustdowhathemustdoyetiftheyweretheoneswhohadjustlostasonor
acousinduetopolicebrutalityi'msuretheiropinionswouldbedifferent.Asimplerequestfor
brutalityinthepoliceforcetoendcanhappenifthecitizensstandasoneagainstthelustof
powercreatingthisinequalityforjustice.

SohereIaskyoumyneighbor,myclassmate,myfriendisariotingcountrywhat
wewant?Arethesebrutalattacksonusasawholegood?Wetogethercanchangefromchaosto
calm.Wetogethercanfightforothersandstandforwhatsomeofthebravestpeopleinhistory
haddiedfor.Wetogethercanstandbrave,proud,respected,andsafe.Makeourcities,our
towns,ourpeople,andourpolicememorableforthegood.LetslettheWorldknowwestand
asone,asanequalcountrywithequalpeople.LetslettheworldknowwearetheAmerican
dream.Letslettheworldknowwehaverightsandwewillprosperwithlibertyandjusticefor
all.

WorkCited
Bowers,RobertJ."NatureoftheProblemofPoliceBrutality."
ClevelandStateUniversity
.N.p.,
16Nov.1989.Web.14Nov.2015.
Harris,Leah."ConnectingPoliceViolenceagainstPeopleofColor."
Truthout.org
.N.p.,16
Dec.
2014.Web.14Nov.2015.
Kinnard,Meg."SchoolPoliceOfficerFiredafterTossingTeeninSouthCarolinaClassroom."
PortlandPressHerald
.N.p.,28Oct.2015.Web.14Nov.2015.
"UnarmedandKilled."
KilledbyPolice2015.
N.p.,1Oct.2015.Web.14Nov.I2015.