We have seen a lot of police brutality in the media lately. I’m not so sure it has escalated as much as I think It is just being caught and publicized. It has been going on for a long time prior to people catching it on their cell phones and distributing it to the public. We just haven’t seen it before like we are now. At least it is getting the attention it needs.
Don’t get me wrong, I am all for the police and grateful that they are protecting me on a daily basis. What I am not for is how some police are using force and / or killing individuals when there obviously could be a better way. What is driving them to do this? Is it racial prejudice (most cases involve white officers on black alleged offenders) or is it something else? I certainly don’t know the answer, but I do know something needs change across our nation. Maybe it is the training and maybe it is the selection of officers, but whatever it is it needs to be done now.
I personally know a few police personnel and they do not advocate this type of violence. Yes, a lot of criminals have made the job our police offers perform every day a difficult job. Yes, it gets tiresome day after day trying to make sure you stay alive while protecting the public. And yes, it is a dangerous job, but it should not include kicking and hog tying a homeless man simply because he resists signing a ticket or killing someone who is running away with their back to the police.
This is what is happening in the public. It makes me wonder what is happening in our prisons. I can only guess some of the same thing. The only difference is there is not a bystander filming it with cell phone. What would we see if there were?