People in the comments have been asking me what #Ferguson is about if its not only about this one teen getting shot by a police officer. While it is about justice and accountability for #MikeBrown, its also about something far larger. Theres a pattern of behavior, going back decades in Ferguson and elsewhere that really makes it hard for people of color to trust that the police have their best interests at heart. Commenters keep saying, If black people respected the police, maybe theyd get respect in return. To which I respond that respect doesnt come from the barrel of the gun. It comes from seeing other people as human beings and treating them as such. The way our police are generally trained is apparently more about enforcement, and less about de-escalation and listening. A recent study found that police officers with body cameras turned on perform their jobs with far more professionalism and far less complaints of brutality, because they know theyre on camera. Use of force went down 60% and complaints went down 88%. The cops who participated loved it, because they knew the video would tell the whole story, and it reminded them to be better at their jobs after years of mistrust. We cant get to a better place without the people in power setting the example that allows people to once again trust them. And we also cant get to a better place without putting ourselves in the shoes of people who have no reason to trust that law enforcement has their back. There can be common ground. But only if we actually acknowledge that peoples fears are real and valid.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 15:38:45 +0000
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