America’s Protectors?
by Nathalia Davison
Police Brutality is a horrible thing experienced all over the world. Currently there has been an uprising for the fight against it in America. Police brutality is the excessive use of force by law enforcement, which can legally be defined as a civil rights violation. Between the years of 2000 and 2019, 26,000 people have been killed by the police, making an average of 1300 people killed per year. Many say police brutality happens because of the misuse or abuse of law enforcement's power.
Police brutality and civil rights are intertwined with each other. Civil rights to Tahj Reese, Junior at Hillgrove High School is, “equal rights that every human has from the day they are born until the day they die.” Kendall Gibson, Junior at Hillgrove High School, says, “It’s, it’s just being treated like every other person, it doesn’t matter if you are black, white, gay, straight, trans, it doesn’t matter what you look like,who you believe in, you should have the right to be treated like a person… it all goes back to the golden rule: treat people how you want to be treated. If you don’t want to be treated like trash, if you don’t want to be shot at, if you don’t want to be spit on, then don’t do that to other people.”
Civil Rights is meant to give rights to everyone, no matter their race, religion, gender, etc. Police Brutality to many is considered a race thing. Tahj Reese continued, “Police officers are supposed to make us feel protected but is that the case? No. Specifically, [as] African Americans, we are scared. Scared that we can get pulled over for busted taillight and end up in the hospital... or worse on a t-shirt.” Minorities are targeted more than white people by these power abusers. "Oh, it [police brutality] stems from segregation and racism in our country,” Mia Alexander, Junior at Hillgrove High School, says.
Police are meant to serve and protect their country from harm, not add to it. Your race, gender, age, religion, sexuality, or anything else should not determine the treatment or protection you receive from police officers. “It feels bad to know that people, including myself, have to worry if something will happen to them walking down the street [when] the police drive by,” Alexander says. Our police and justice system must be better at protecting its people and incarcerating the people who commit these malicious crimes. If everyone is treated the same the world may just start to be a better place.
Police brutality and civil rights are intertwined with each other. Civil rights to Tahj Reese, Junior at Hillgrove High School is, “equal rights that every human has from the day they are born until the day they die.” Kendall Gibson, Junior at Hillgrove High School, says, “It’s, it’s just being treated like every other person, it doesn’t matter if you are black, white, gay, straight, trans, it doesn’t matter what you look like,who you believe in, you should have the right to be treated like a person… it all goes back to the golden rule: treat people how you want to be treated. If you don’t want to be treated like trash, if you don’t want to be shot at, if you don’t want to be spit on, then don’t do that to other people.”
Civil Rights is meant to give rights to everyone, no matter their race, religion, gender, etc. Police Brutality to many is considered a race thing. Tahj Reese continued, “Police officers are supposed to make us feel protected but is that the case? No. Specifically, [as] African Americans, we are scared. Scared that we can get pulled over for busted taillight and end up in the hospital... or worse on a t-shirt.” Minorities are targeted more than white people by these power abusers. "Oh, it [police brutality] stems from segregation and racism in our country,” Mia Alexander, Junior at Hillgrove High School, says.
Police are meant to serve and protect their country from harm, not add to it. Your race, gender, age, religion, sexuality, or anything else should not determine the treatment or protection you receive from police officers. “It feels bad to know that people, including myself, have to worry if something will happen to them walking down the street [when] the police drive by,” Alexander says. Our police and justice system must be better at protecting its people and incarcerating the people who commit these malicious crimes. If everyone is treated the same the world may just start to be a better place.
