Police

Personally, I've never had a bad experience with the police. I've had a few run ins, nothing serious. I've been pulled over a handful of times but every time I would comply the best I could and most of the times I was just let off with a warning. Yeah I've gotten a few tickets but that's the very worst I've experienced with law enforcement. For the most part, I believe that police are legitimately good people who just want to do their part to make their communities safer for everyone. However I'm not naïve. I know that out of all the men and women on the police force, there are a few bad apples. I believe that some law enforcement officers are in it for the wrong reasons and I know for a fact that some do in fact abuse their powers. I think that, just as you would do with a bad teacher, a priest found guilty of sexual misconduct, or any other person abusing or misusing their professional position, they should be removed. If only it were actually that simple. Each case has many variables and each case should be looked into on an individual basis, taking into account all factors before dealing out justice. I've paid attention to many of the recent instances of police officers abusing their powers or using excessive force and it both frightens and angers me to see this. It frightens me because these men and women in law enforcement wield a lot of power and we are dependent on them to both protect and serve us but if the police ARE the source of danger, there's really no one you can go to for protection. It angers me because I know that every officer takes an oath before dawning their badge. That oath is to protect and serve their communities and if and when they break that oath they are spitting on the very cause they are supposed to be implementing. Officers have an obligation to go above and beyond and be an example of upstanding moral judgement, and if they fail in that endeavor than they're no better than the criminals they are supposed to protect us from. Again, I'm not naïve, I know that a large reason that I haven't had any bad experiences with law enforcement is my race. The overwhelming majority of police deal out justice indiscriminately but I can't sit here and say that race plays no role in the matter. I don't think most of these officers that have been embroiled in controversy are outwardly racist, but I do think that race is the reason many of them had felt on edge and felt the need to use excessive force. The good thing is, that the overwhelming majority of police officers take their oath to heart and do their jobs admirably. If I see an officer, I try to always go out of my way to greet them and, from time to time, thank them and let them know that I appreciate their service. Police deserve our respect, but at the same time, they should be held even more accountable than civilians for their moral conduct because that is the responsibility they take on when they put that badge on.