Police brutality has sparked up a lot of tension and chaos in the recent past. This form of brutality refers to any unnecessary excessive force applied to victims by the police (Bird and Smith, 93). Members of the black community are often the victims of this brutality. Young black males have been killed in cold blood by the police who claim that the former are armed and are a threat to their lives. What has sparked a lot of anger is the fact that some of the slain men are usually unarmed is and a non-threat to the police. This paper looks into the concept of police brutality focusing on why the victims are mainly from the minority community, and particularly the black community.
In the year 2015 alone, the police coldly murdered an approximated 346 black males. Recently, public uproar has resulted from two separate killings of innocent black men, Castile and Sterling. These killings portray a moral decay in the law enforcement agency. On a different perspective, it is necessary to ask why the black community is the most targeted group ion these killings.
It is without a doubt that police brutality on black people arises from the stereotypic views of the black community. Throughout the history of the American nation, the black males have associated themselves with crime and gangs. The music videos that they produce and the lyrics of most songs uphold crime and gangs. The police, therefore, deal with black males as high-risk individuals rather than as fellow human beings who deserve a chance in the society. Police brutality violates the very foundation that the great Forefathers laid down for the country, a foundation that upholds freedom and equality for everyman irrespective of the color of one's skin. The police must learn to deal with black people as individuals and not as a group of people. Generalizing all black men and associating them with a crime only paves a way for more criminal activities.
Additionally, most African American males are usually armed. Most who are in gangs or the drug business tend to be armed to the tooth. These weapons are more often aimed at protection from rivals rather than from the police (Clarence Taylor 200). The police cannot, however, be blamed for misinterpreting the intentions of an armed colored man. Inasmuch as the police try to enforce the law, they also want to protect themselves from the possible danger that lies in an armed black man.
Contrary to the above argument, killings by police, no matter the reason have to be stopped right away. The emotional tension and disruption of normal flow of events that arise after these killings are not good for the country. Unity and equality should start from the government branches. The past and recent killings aimed at the black community exposes a decaying law enforcement system. The officers involved in these unnecessary violence and killings should be prosecuted accordingly. Moreover, the law enforcement systems should encourage lawfulness amongst its officers. The law enforcement is a critical branch of the government, and whatever is done within this branch exposes the government for what it stands for. Each citizen should be given a chance in a court of law instead of assuming the worst and attacking or killing aimlessly. The police department should be cleansed of officers who are out to contradict the law through their actions in the field.
Works Cited
Bird, Darlene and Simon G Smith. Theology And Religious Studies In Higher Education. London: Continuum, 2009. Print.
Clarence Taylor, "INTRODUCTION: AFRICAN AMERICANS, POLICE BRUTALITY, AND THE U.S. CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM". The Journal of African American History 98.2 (2013): 200. Web.
