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Unveiling the Shadows: Examining the Dynamics and Impact of Police Brutality
Social Media’s Role in Exposing Police Brutality
Police brutality has been a major issue in the United States for a while now. We, the people, used to look up to the police because we thought they were going to protect society from criminals. It turns out that the criminals are actually the policeman themselves. The power given to the police has led to an abuse of the people they are meant to protect.
Police brutality has become such a common occurrence that citizens have turned to social media to bring this issue to light. “Private video technology emerged as a valuable tool for exposing police brutality in 1991 when a civilian recorded the beating of African American taxi driver Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers.” ( Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2018) Technology is a huge advantage in this generation because the millennials grew up with technology on their side.
Nowadays, they use technology for everything they do, which is both a good and a bad thing. The reason why it can be a bad thing is because of the lack of face-to-face communication. But I feel like it has many more pros, and one of those is exposing policemen. Any light shined on people being abused by police is a very important thing. Using social media apps to expose their actions, like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, can bring awareness to this issue. “Diamond Reynolds of Falcon Heights, Minnesota, live-streamed the death of her boyfriend, Philando Castile, using Facebook Live. Reynolds and Castile were in a car when a police officer stopped them for a broken taillight. As Castile reached for his wallet to retrieve his identification, the officer shot and killed Castile.
The use of Facebook Live brought the incident to immediate national attention, with 3.2 million views by the following day.” (Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2018) As much as this tragedy sucks, it brought so much light to police brutality, and it helped the people be more aware of the huge issue. Policemen act like just because they have a badge, they can use excessive force on everyone else. “I’ve witnessed how police officers are treated with suspicion, spite, and scorn by some. But I’ve also witnessed crime victims and frightened citizens who were relieved and comforted by an officer’s presence.” ( Davis Paul, P.1, 2018)
Citizens nowadays can be very disrespectful to the police because they know that if they slip, they can risk their careers as cops. Some citizens, on the other hand, are frightened by the police because they don’t want to be killed by the people that were supposed to protect them. There is a “growing anti-cop campaign in the country that unfairly labels all police officers racists, crooks and murderers.” ( Davis Paul, P.2, 2018) The cops have earned labels from many people because they don’t trust them because of their actions. In many police brutality cases, they seem to fit one of those labels. “In my view, there is nothing more dangerous than a cop killer.” ( Davis Paul, P.3, 2018) Cops violate civil rights due to excessive force. They are usually entitled to seek damages for deprivation of their rights using a civil suit.
Addressing Racial Profiling and Accountability
Police are shooting citizens for no reason, and they are getting away from it. This is one of the major issues with police brutality because it’s easily proven. “Antwon Rose Jr., 17, was the 490th person shot and killed by police officers in 2018, according to a database maintained by the Washington Post. So far this year, there have been 27 more killings by police than during the same period last year. At least five other people were shot and killed by police nationwide since Rose was gunned down” ( Philadelphia Inquirer [Philadelphia, PA], 27 June 2018). The amount of citizens that died by the people who were supposed to protect us is insane.
Year by year, the number of deaths is only increasing as police brutality gets out of hand. “Black lives matter” is not a cliché. The truth it expresses is far from a given. Its anti-truth is evidenced in the fraught every day of black lives: Walking while black, driving while black, speaking “as” black, speaking b(l)ack, shopping while black, being at home while black, being black at school, at the pool, in the hands of police, in prison. Just being black.” Martin Luther King Jr was the most visible spokesperson and a leader in the civil rights movement. All he did was speak, and he was killed because he believed.
White policemen and their racial profile against citizens. “The bagel incident, unfortunately, wasn’t the first time I’ve been racially profiled, the national phenomenon of quick assumptions made based only on race. Sadly, I expect it won’t be the last. And I know that what happened to me goes much deeper than my own discomfort; profiling has been deadly for so many.” ( Williams, Bailey, P.1, 2018). Sometimes people are unlucky when they are confronted by the cops just because their race.
People tend to label white cops to be racist because of their actions. “as a Black person, I’ll be judged by the color of my skin, and my character will continually be questioned if not outright ignored. That is until White people do more to interrupt racism in all the places it is. You don’t have to wait for another viral video or hashtag to take action—death and physical violence should not be the catalyst for acting.” ( Williams, Bailey, P.1, 2018) If you’re any race other than white, there’s a chance you might have difficulty with the police.
If there’s a way of stopping this abuse, it’s through the policemen’s point of view. “Cities around the country have started to adopt cameras for their officers to create a record of police interactions, and the early returns are positive. Having a video record of events not only deters the use of excessive force but also helps dispute or demonstrate claims of police brutality.
And in either case, it improves community confidence in a just result.” ( Schiff, Adam, P.2, 2018) If cops are being monitored by everyone else with a camera, there’s a chance they might not abuse their power. Police brutality is a major issue that we all hope will resolve over time. Just listen to what they command so you don’t put yourself in a risky situation. Always record the conflict for factual evidence. Knowing your rights is a very important trait everyone should learn, and just because someone has a badge and suit doesn’t mean they have rights over you.
References:
- Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. (2018). Private Video Technology Exposes Police Brutality.
- Davis, P. (2018). Police Officers: Guardians or Abusers?
- Philadelphia Inquirer [Philadelphia, PA]. (27 June 2018). Police Shootings and Brutality Statistics.
- Williams, B. (2018). Racial Profiling and Police Violence.
- Schiff, A. (2018). Implementing Police Body Cameras to Prevent Excessive Force.
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