Black Lives Matter Essay
Racism and brutality have been concerns for a very long time, with the people of color being on the receiving end on many occasions. Many human rights activists and organizations worldwide have tried to protest against the murders of black people, especially in the hands of authorities. The problem remains persistent to date, as many cases of police brutality against black people keep occurring. The world must consider better ways of addressing the problem of racism and police brutality against black people. A proposition in the form of the policy can serve as a better solution to the problem of racism and police brutality, as it will ensure proper courses of action to take when such incidences happen.
Black Lives Matter is a movement that is picking momentum, especially in the United States due to the effect of police brutality against black people. The issue of law enforcement officers using more force when apprehending people of color has become a big issue in the U.S. and across the world. Black people have been experiencing “disproportionate interactions with the criminal justice system” for a long time (Williamson et al. 401). The reason for the quick emergence of the need to address the issue is that police brutality often sparks the rise in cases of violent protests. Witnessing violent protests in the U.S. is gradually becoming a norm, as every time a black life is lost due to police brutality, a reaction by the residents of the specific areas affected is imminent. The protests are spreading globally with recent evidence pointing at the case of George Floyd’s death. Many nations besides the U.S. are protesting against police brutality (Poujoulat). Hence, violent protests call for immediate intervention to seek solutions to the problems of police brutality and racism against people of color.
Black Lives Matter movements will keep protesting if a better solution is not established. Statistics show that 780 Black Lives Matter protests have occurred since the death of Michael Brown, who was killed by police in 2014 (Williamson et al. 403). Blaming the protesters is difficult, as they witness black people experiencing injustices from government officials who should be protecting the people of color. Protests are increasingly becoming frequent whenever the death of a person due to police brutality is registered. Owing to the reactions that the public exhibits, police brutality and racism against people of color are a great concern that should be addressed immediately to avoid the escalation of Black Lives Matter protests.
On many occasions, police use excessive force to disperse crowds that are protesting whenever death incidences attributed to police brutality occur. Law enforcers must maintain law and order when protesters come to the streets. However, the situation becomes worrying when the police unleash violent tactics of dealing with crowds. According to Nolan, police have created a culture of using brutal techniques and “non-negotiable force” as opposed to mediation, when handling protesters. The consequence of using excessive force on protesters results in innocent people losing lives, and the crowds get angrier.
ion of policies that address the issues of racism and disproportionate interactions between police officers and black people is the best way to solve the problems. One of the most influential policies could be ensuring that the police concentrate on averting crimes rather than conducting arrests. Arresting criminals is warranted, as the perpetrators cannot be left to get away with the crimes they commit. However, cases of police brutality against black people have had more concerns in terms of the reasons for arresting the suspects. Police should focus more on preventing crimes as opposed to conducting arrests. Problem-oriented policing adheres to the principle that better ways of ensuring crimes are averted, which helps to avoid situations that necessitate arrests (Lum and Nagin 350). The effectiveness of concentrating on preventing crimes is displayed when police are able to influence people to engage themselves in meaningful activities. The essence of judging police based on the crimes averted is that it helps the law enforcers to realize that they can reduce their interactions with the public if they focused on better ways of handling crime in society.
Reducing the force by which police use to deal with protests is the key to finding better ways that they can interact with black people without creating problems. Black Lives Matter protests have existed for a long time. During demonstrations, police often decide to use excessive force, which results in scenarios that involve disproportionate encounters between them and the people of color. Formulating a policy that limits the involvement of excessive force by law enforcers when handling protesters is essential in getting rid of the issues of police brutality. According to Oliver et al., small black counter-protests witnessed during Glenn Beck’s rally at the Lincoln Memorial in 2010 did not have significant incidences of police roughing up people of color, as police did not use force to disperse the crowd (11). The essence of reducing the use of force during protests is that it helps to maintain order. When the police do not provoke protesters, they are unlikely misbehave. Hence, better policing involves using skills such as mediation to solve problems between police officers and suspects.
Protests are not likely to end any time soon, and that is why the interactions between people with color and the police ought to improve. The likelihood that law enforcers and black people will interact is high. The police should partake the duty of ensuring that they enhance their interactions with the public to ensure that whenever protests occur, altercations between them and the people are not witnessed. A majority of the events with black people since the year 2000 have seen them advocate for the bridge-building (Oliver et al. 15). Bridge-building herein means that black people are taking the initiative to mend their relationship with law enforcers. Many occasions of the deaths of black people in the custody of police officers constitute stereotyping cases. Oliver et al. argue that the bridge-building initiatives by black people have been pivotal in the sensitizing people about racial discrimination (15). Hence, the police have to find ways to improve their way of handling protestors, especially people with color.
Police brutality and racism against black people has been a problem for the U.S. and the world at large for a long period. Protests regarding George Floyd’s death are a recent example that indicates solidarity among nations worldwide. Policy formulation is ideal in ensuring that black people stop suffering from deaths resulting from police brutality. A proposition of two policies is essential in contributing to finding a solution to police brutality against people of color. The law enforcers should focus more on preventing crime than they do on arresting suspects. Police officers can help the public avoid criminal activities, and that will help them avoid unnecessary interactions with people of color. Reducing the use of excessive force can help police officers to minimize their involvement with protesters. Since protests are recurrent, new and better policies are required to regulate police activities. Black people have already demonstrated their willingness to make things right by engaging in initiatives that are aimed at bettering their relationship with law enforcers.
Works Cited
Lum, Cynthia, and Daniel S. Nagin. “Reinventing American Policing.” Crime and Justice vol. 46, no. 1, 2017, pp. 339-393.
Nolan, Tom. “How Militarizing Police Sets up Protesters as ‘the Enemy’.” The Tyee, 2020, thetyee.ca/Analysis/2020/06/03/Militarizing-Police-Protesters-As-Enemy/. Accessed 19 June 2020.
Oliver, Pamela, et al.. “Black Protest Events in the Us 1994-2010: Issues, Campaigns and Trends,” 2019, pp. 1-36.
Poujoulat, Anne-Christine. “Protests across the Globe after George Floyd’s Death.” CNN, 13 June 2020, edition.cnn.com/2020/06/06/world/gallery/intl-george-floyd-protests/index.html. Accessed 19 June 2020.
Williamson, Vanessa, et al. “Black Lives Matter: Evidence that Police-Caused Deaths Predict Protest Activity.” Perspectives on Politics vol. 16, no. 2, 2018, pp. 400-415.
