Police officers are all over the news. Whether it is for good or bad, for rescuing a child from a hot car or for shooting an unarmed suspect, the police of America are becoming the news. Unfortunately, the actions of some police officers are tainting the images of the hard-working Americans who risk their lives every day for regular citizens who they do not even know.
I was born into a law enforcement family. My dad worked for my county’s Sheriff’s Department and my mom worked as a court reporter. As I grew up, they both taught me a wealth of information about the law, how it worked, and the crucial role of police officers in our world.
When I was little, I didn’t pay very much attention to what they were telling me. Yes, I knew to always respect officers. Yes, I knew if I broke the law, I had to face the consequences. Yes, I understood what they said. But in the past few years, their words have taken on an entirely new meaning to me.
The Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013 after George Zimmerman was acquitted in the death of Treyvon Martin. It gained traction through the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on Twitter and has taken off in popularity. After the 2014 deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, the Black Lives Matter movement was recognized as a key catalyst in the riots and demonstrations that followed their deaths. According to the Black Lives Matter website, its purpose is to (re)build the Black liberation movement.
All of the theories and principles of Black Lives Matter sound excellent on paper. The members of the movement are concerned with ending the oppression of black people and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. As Americans and as world citizens, we should all be extremely concerned with the way that every racial group is treated. Everybody needs to be conscientious of the way they treat their fellow humans and ensure that everyone is treated with equality and respect.
But the problem arises in the fact that members of the movement are condemning police officers. The very movement that seeks equality for everybody is ostracizing the group that keeps our nation safe.
Not every police officer is a bloodthirsty murder. Just like not every Muslim is a turban-wearing terrorist and not every Hispanic is in the US illegally. Unfortunately, amidst the tumult that plagues our nation, police are receiving the brunt of the blame. In many cases, they are being blamed for just doing their job.
Before you start accusing me of being a crazy, nut job racist, let me explain.
Some police officers are in their jobs for the wrong reasons. Some of them enjoy the power that comes with the badge and that’s wrong. Any rational person will agree that that is wrong. The majority of police officers, however, are honest individuals who do their job because they genuinely enjoy it. As a response to the police-involved shootings across the nation, regular citizens are losing respect for the authority of the police. Lack of respect is dangerous for all parties.
Without respect for laws, anarchy will soon follow. There have already been many reports of officers who were killed when conducting routine traffic stops. The person that they stopped was so anti-police that they murdered the officer in cold blood. That kind of behavior is inexcusable. Blaming many people for the acts of a few is unfair and illogical. Blue lives matter too and saying otherwise isn’t just un-American. It’s inhumane.
Since I was raised by a father in law enforcement, he has taught me how police officers think. They are not trained to kill people – they are trained to think on their feet and react quickly in dangerous situations. Police officers can’t take time to sit and contemplate whether the suspect they are chasing is armed. Usually, they only have fractions of a second to determine if the suspect poses a danger to them or to others. That last bit is something that people tend to forget about. Officers aren’t only concerned about the safety of themselves – they are worried about the safety of others, too. So, even if a suspect isn’t armed, the police officer is only doing what they think is best. They aren’t out there “trying to kill unarmed black people." Unfortunately, that has happened recently. But not every officer is a murderer, so don’t treat them that way.
As simple as it sounds, the best way to avoid this “surge of police violence” is to obey the law. It’s not that difficult. If you break the law, you need to deal with the consequences of your actions. Police officers are there to enforce the law and if you refuse to comply with the law, or with them, don’t complain about what happens next.
Black lives matter. Hispanic lives matter. Muslim lives matter. Women’s lives matter. LGBQT lives matter. White lives matter. And guess what? Blue lives matter too because they are the ones keeping you safe at night.
