...The American Dream has evolved many times over the years. From the time it was created to be liberty for all to the present where it is based on individual success. But everyone asks what is the True American Dream, and if it can be attained or is it still just a dream. The True American Dream should be freedom and equality for all. There are many problems facing America today and one of them is Police Brutality. According to “Michael Brown, Police Violence, And Why It’s So Hard For Victims to See Justice” by Nicole Flatow, “But Brown is part of a long and painful trend of a black, unarmed men killed by the cops, including two others that made national headlines in just the past week.” This means that many unarmed black men have been shot...
Words: 931 - Pages: 4
...Eventually everyone experiences racism in some form. From being on the receiving end to being racist, it is a very controversial topic today. Racism plays a key part in police brutality which increases the fear of Officers of the Law. Every day we see stories about how police officers abused their power and did actions that were deemed racist and unneeded. The typical victim of police officers is often the minority. Those that associate themselves with minorities often fear for their lives whenever they see a cop. This fear is because of how racism has become tied with police brutality. As each day goes on there stories about officers killing or hurting minority folks. The officers always claim the same few reasons; they looked like they were...
Words: 1268 - Pages: 6
...Police Brutality Throughout the several decades, there have been lots of issues between police and citizens. Many conflicts are between races, mainly African Americans. Police are abusing citizens, killing them, and shoot them several times to the point where the victim is on the ground in a pool of blood. An officer pulling a gun on a citizen causes the rate to go up, destruction in the community (riots), and the history of brutality, is common. The family of the victim has lost their loved ones. The main question is what causes the police to react this way? Is it fear? Could it be hatred? With the police killing innocent victims, the brutality rate continues to rise, with unwanted gun use. “This has led to 5,986 reports of misconduct,...
Words: 1037 - Pages: 5
...control police brutality is against colored. My central idea that police brutality is way out of control. I want to let you know I'm not being prejudice against any race, i just feel the police brutality against colored needs to be discussed. For instance, would you be scared when you get pulled over for simple speeding or even tinted windows and the primary law enforcement already unclipped their gun ready to shoot, when you have the slightest move? When you don't want to reach for your wallet to provide the former officer with your license and registration because you know it's a high percent chance you will be gunned down like a gun range target board. Most colored feel they are a mouse vs. a snake in a prey and predator habitat. I want to convince you to not be bias, but see and feel my side of my opinion on police brutality against colored and do not judge because of skin color but feeling, facts, actions, stereotype, racism, etc. Problem Police brutality is out of control against colored(Mexicans,African American, Latinos, Native Americans, etc.). Many of them are dying because of police brutality. Police have already killed nearly 800 people many of whom were “ unarmed, mentally ill, and colored”. Crazily it's still happening and there's rarely if any consequences. Articles show that...
Words: 655 - Pages: 3
...democracy and the ‘champion’ of human rights in the world. The United States of America is at a critical stage in its historical development poised between political regression and economic decomposition. The year 2014 was marred with a myriad of African-American shootings, incarceration of protesters and other deplorable acts of police brutality. It is my view in this paper that these incidences are much more profound and anchored in historical aspects the most astounding being racism and oppressive legislation proffered since the days of slavery and Black oppression. I will deliberately use the ‘Black and White’ epithet so as to traverse my arguments. The years in between the Occupy Wall...
Words: 3644 - Pages: 15
...Police brutality has been alive for years and has begun to evolve into one of Americas major concerns in today's society. On March 3, 1991, in California, Rodney King an African American, was halted after a high-speed traffic chase. Soon after he was brutally beaten by four white police officers. For months now, politicians have invoked King's legacy to implore black citizens to stay peaceful in the face of routine violence. The irony of this plea seems lost on its askers, but it does fall in line with a question that's haunted Black Lives Matter protesters for the past 10 months. The problem is national: no police department in the country is known to be completely free of misconduct. Yet it must be fought locally: the nation's 19,000 law enforcement agencies are essentially independent. Nowadays every type of thing that is seen as wrong in the aspect of a group is considered to be a criminal activity The state of California, for instance, has created 1,000 new crimes in the past 25 years, while Michigan currently has 3,102 crimes on the books. New York City alone has 10,000 crimes, rules and codes the...
Words: 1063 - Pages: 5
...husband was fatally shot by the police while reaching for his wallet. Police brutality has become one of America’s biggest, and most controversial topics. Scrutiny surrounds the law enforcement as new cases of shootings, beatings, and assaults emerge every month. Minorities, especially African-Americans, in the country feel targeted, and hopeless against a system they perceive as oppressive, and racist. This issue has created a divide between the police, and the public. In addition, citizens question if the cops are protecting them or not. Although, it may seem like a problem with the law enforcement, both sides contribute to this issue, and continue to increase racial tensions in America....
Words: 763 - Pages: 4
...Police brutality in America is an everyday truth of life. The issue posed by the illegal exercise of police power is a current reality for individuals of color and class. Like the Patrick Lee case, a twenty-one-year-old who was allegedly acting in a strange manner, the officers decided to tasered him nineteen times, spray him with pepper spray and beaten with batons to death for resisting arrest. The jury found that the police did not use excessive force in this case and lawyers said that they (police officers) had done their best with the tools they were given. Another victim was Sean Bell; he was killed by the NYPD when his car was shot at fifty times because they saw a gun inside the car. These two men that were shot at by the police have...
Words: 1929 - Pages: 8
...Sean Bell, Daniel Shaver, Walter Scott, John Crawford, Michael Brown, Ezell Ford, Raupheal Thomas, Tamir Rice, Nicholas Thomas; all these men have something in common: they were unarmed, shot and killed by police. All these officers were let off due to typical excuses such as self-defense, raised suspicion, or probable cause, without a single form of punishment. Law Enforcement, more specifically police officers, should be held accountable and receive reasonable punishment for their misbehavior and wrongdoings. These men and women hold such authority and responsibility that should not be abused whatsoever. These men and women are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of the community they protect and serve. Police officers are meant to enforce the law, but why in some cases, does the law not adhere to them? With that being said, police officers need to be held accountable for such intolerable acts and need to be shown some sort of punishment because too many innocent men, women, and even kids are paying the price for the officers’ mistakes. As a way to try to prevent police brutalities and misconduct, body-worn cameras have been issued to document the behavior of police officers. This might have sounded like a good idea to stop police...
Words: 1648 - Pages: 7
...controversy on police brutality and whether or not police officers are being too violent. In the last couple of years mostly, starting with the Michael Brown case, people have started to be against officers. There are ways officers can get training for de-escalating situations, wearing body cameras, and getting enough training. Money needs to be set aside for police training and all stations should get the same amount no matter how poor or rich the community is. More violence in communities that require police force. Many violent situations require force to be desculated. “If we ask people instead of telling them, and if we give them a reason for why we’re doing something, we get much less resistance,” said Gary T. Klugiewicz, a retired Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office...
Words: 1006 - Pages: 5
...Police Brutality in America “An act of violence against any innocent person eludes moral justification, disgraces the millions of americans who have united peacefully protesting police brutality, and dishonors our proud inheritance of nonviolent resistance “ Benjamin Crump. Police brutality in america has become a major problem leading to riots, division, and protest everywhere. I often ask myself who is wrong in a situation; the people protesting and speaking up about police brutality,and breaking the law while doing so, or the police who continuously murder innocent people in cold blood while the government is just standing by doing nothing. To me it's a clear cut decision, the people protesting are right morally, and justifiably. Steven Magee says “It is the common people's duty to police the police”. In Charlotte, North Carolina riots between police and citizens break out over the death of an innocent black man. Hundreds marched through the city only to be met by police with tear gas, and rubber bullets. One person was shot and seriously injured according to www.citylab.com. Peaceful protest should never end in any type of violence. Purely do to the fact that we are a country built on protesting and fighting for...
Words: 679 - Pages: 3
...it it’s all the same thing, and it has been around for years. Lately racial discrimination has been greatly decreased, yet not completely eradicated. One would think that the last place there wouldn’t be a single shred of any discrimination in law enforcement, however, there is and the fact that there is racial discrimination makes for some very controversial cases; such as the case of the shooting of Michael Brown, the brutal beating of Rodney King, and the wrongful beating of Abner Louima. All of these incidents happened because of an unfair percentage that police are to show more brutality to a minority group than to whites and there are plenty of facts that support this such as the amount of white officers over colored ones, and the biases and stereotypes that are to blame for “racism” in law enforcement. The case of Michael Brown in Fergusson, Missouri a predominantly black society, with a predominantly white police force, there are multiple stories that both tell stories of what people saw. One account states that the teenager Michael Brown had his hands in the air and was surrendering whilst unarmed; the officer opened fire and killed him. However, what the authorities say is the exact opposite in which Michael Brown actually attempted to attack the officer in his car and tried to take the gun. "Get the f*** on the sidewalk." The young men replied that they were "not but a minute away from our destination, and we would shortly be out of the street," Johnson said. The officer...
Words: 1535 - Pages: 7
...Critical Reflection My experiences writing this Research-Based Action Essay where quiet useful in helping me to further understand how specific groups of people play different roles on how law enforcement is viewed, but also the corruption that is under looked in specific police departments. Addressing how police brutality has not only been a issue of the past, but is currently an issue of today. Discussing how police brutality has always exist and yet the officers who commit police brutality receive little to no criminal punishment. Situations as this go unresolved appropriately by law enforcement when police are seen to preserve the peace and only act on situations where probable cause is determined by fact. In my paper I provided information on cases where police used excessive force unlawfully such as the death of Eric Garner by Police Commissioner William from a coking or Dillon Taylor who was shot by a police officer in front of a 7-Eleven when trying to walk away from an officer. The purpose of this discussion was to inform that everyone can be a victim of police brutality. My audience, which is the Internal Affairs Unit are responsible for investigating and report such incidents to find that those guilty are prosecuted for their crimes. This course of action may result in the restoration of stability and professionalism within the police department. In my paper, I introduced current issues were police have used deadly force on unarmed suspects which court decisions resulted...
Words: 661 - Pages: 3
...Racism in Police Brutality Race is an immensely large issue still being dealt with in the world today. The pursuit of an entirely color blind society is still in the process. Black History Month is a time to celebrate how far African Americans have come, but also a time to realize how much further they need to go. Hindrances, such as racial slurs and acknowledged discrimination, are part of the huge race problem still present in America. The result of this is that black men are more at risk to suffer injustices, specifically regarding police brutality. Black males are physically handled harsher, killed at a much higher rate, and are handcuffed or restrained more than white males. In Staples’ essay, “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space,” he says black men are recognized as threatening public space. Despite race and gender both being present in stereotyping, race is the main variable in establishing whether a man poses a public threat....
Words: 1121 - Pages: 5
...Allegations of the use of excessive force by U.S. police departments continue to generate headlines more than two decades after the 1992 Los Angeles riots brought the issue to mass public attention and spurred some law enforcement reforms. On Staten Island, N.Y., the July 2014 death of Eric Garner because of the apparent use of a “chokehold” by an officer sparked outrage. A month later in Ferguson, Mo., the fatal shooting of teenager Michael Brown by officer Darren Wilson ignited protests, and a grand jury’s decision not to indict Wilson triggered further unrest. In November, Tamir Rice was shot by police in Cleveland, Ohio. He was 12 years old and playing with a toy pistol. On April 4, 2015, Walter L. Scott was shot by a police officer after a routine traffic stop in North Charleston, S.C. The same month, Freddie Gray died while in police custody in Baltimore, setting off widespread unrest. The policeman in the South Carolina case, Michael T. Slager, was charged with murder based on a cellphone video. In Baltimore, the driver of the police van in which Gray died, Caesar Goodson, was charged with second-degree murder, with lesser charges for five other officers. There have been no indictments in the earlier cases. These follow other recent incidents and controversies, including an April 2014 finding by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), following a two-year investigation, that the Albuquerque, N.M., police department “engages in a pattern or practice of use of excessive...
Words: 2121 - Pages: 9