Racism and Police Brutality

Racism and Police Brutality

Introduction

Over the years, both issues concerning racism and police brutality remain to be the greatest issues that remain unsolved in the US. Police brutality is misconduct performed by police officers, which involves violating the rights of minority groups by threatening and use of unlawful powers to them. As the years pass by, police misconduct has taken root in many countries in the world, including countries where it is prosecuted. Racism, on the other hand, is described as a belief system that justifies racial and ethnic inequality among human beings. Racism is a behavior that aims to deny members of a particular group of civil rights in accessing the societal benefits. African Americans and other minority communities are being subjected to the two forms of scenario. Both police brutality and racism have continued to pose a threat to public safety, raising several rhetorical questions whether the police will be able to bring Americans together? The paper aims to research the levels by which racism has spread and how the police have abused their powers stipulated in the country’s rule of law and how they have managed to go scot-free about it.

Data collection method

To collect my data on the spread of both racism and police brutality, I used a research design technique. The study involved two separate steps. The step number one involved examining the statistical findings from the police brutality statistics recorded in April 2011. Step number two included the thorough reading of the comments which were provided by the contributors in NPMSRP. I also conducted a survey technique where I used a questionnaire to help me collect data from the public on their views concerning the issue of racism and brutality. I also held interviews along the streets to ensure I capture the first herd information. The use of questionnaire and interview were one of the most successful methods in collecting data since I was able to fetch first herd information from the communities which are most affected by both racism and police brutality issues. 

Findings

African Americans are the main victims affected by racial segregation and police misconduct. The relationship between the Blacks in America and the police officers was shaped during Great Migration. During this time, most of the white policemen were annoyed by the presence of the Blacks in their department, where they had a huge negative reaction and hostility towards them. (August al 2018). Reflecting on the white men’s beliefs, the police station located on the northern side of the country operated with the belief that the Blacks invaded an inherent tendency towards unlawful activities. Bitter history concerning the issue of slavery and racial discrimination is one of the contributing factors to the point of police brutality. The long term tension that existed back in the 21st century forced the police to start using willful discrimination of the blacks in America.

From the conducted survey, the results critically show that police brutality and racism have a connection that is easy to observe and analyze. Racism is the major Couse of police brutality. The African Americans, together with other minorities in America, are being subjected to cruelty by the police officers. Hispanics, Latinos, and Blacks are the most affected since they are always being judged and seen as a threat to the United States because of their migration history (Chaney & Robertson 2013). These groups are not given equal opportunities since they are seen inferior due to their skin the history, which claims that they came to take over the US resources. The police take this as an advantage to mistreat these minority groups since there are no set laws that are responsible for dealing with police misconduct towards the public.

In the United States today, over 50% of the minority communities experience racism and police brutality in their residential areas and public areas. A mass shooting is one of the most mentioned forms of police brutality. Discrimination of the minorities is the genesis of racial disparities that has taken roots in the Criminal Justice System where the minorities are profoundly affected (Cobbina, 2019). The larger part of the US police department is made of the whites who feel superior and who always see the minority groups and especially the Blacks as a danger and a threat to them.

It is confirmed that when a policy is on patrol in a neighborhood of a Black American, they feel the urge to use a gun for their safety reason because they see blacks as a threat and the greatest enemy who came to invade America.

The bitter truth concerning the issue of police misconduct is that most of the police brutality issues go unpunished. According to the information from the police brutality statistics, only 33% of the reported cases are punished, while 64% of the reported cases go unpunished. There many reasons listed by the public, especially the affected minorities as to why most of the police brutality cases go unpunished. For instance, the victim does not feel the urge to report the incident since they fear that this officer is a symbol of authority, and whatever they do comes from the leading authorities (Collins, 2019). Any jury will always be considered biased if he or she believes that a police officer will be prejudiced racially. It is also assumed that any member from the minority group is viable for being accused of unlawful activities where they are convicted and jailed on that matter. Brutality comes since they are blacks, or they belong to the minority group, which is seen as a threat and a danger to the country.

According to this survey, police misconduct and racism among the minority communities and especially the Blacks is one of the greatest human rights violations in the US. There are a hundred thousand cases that have been reported by the courageous citizens who are harassed and mistreated by the police officers due to their skin color or even their ethnic backgrounds. Mass shootings and the use of excess full power towards the minority communities are endless since the government takes no measures to these police officers. The survey confirms that the minority groups in America are approximately 12% of the American population, while 34% of this makes the prison population leaving 66% of the minority group outside. In other words, the research shows that one in a group of three minorities is likely to be in jail while one out of nine African Americans is likely to face prison. This shows how racism has affected minority communities in the US (Dean et al. 2005). It’s estimated in the last two years the police have killed over three thousand people where 25% of the deaths were the blacks, which mostly goes unnoticed. The ruling government is said to be responsible for this innocent killing since they are seen to be responsible for instilling fear among the black people, which has made them remain cautious while working in the dark.

Minority groups have been the main target by the judicial system, where they have been wrongly accused of wrongdoings. Lack of proper handling of the issue of racism in America has led to many minorities been put behind bars and a solution to this not yet found (Jennings, 2018). Due to the rapid growth of racism, police brutality has taken its course to kill and take all the civil rights from the minority groups. Judging citizens with bases of their skin color and their ethnic background has been identified as the biggest form of human rights violation, which has been ignored for a long time. Due to the hard time experienced by the minority groups, they are unable to thrive well and improve their lifestyle, thus making a higher percentage of poor people in America.

Conclusion

The issue of racism and police misconduct in the US has been taking root year after year since the revolution of industrialization. The minorities led by the Blacks, the Latinos, and the Hispanics suffer most. The suffering comes from their skin color, especially from the black where the white sees them as threat and danger in their country. Apart from the attacks and discriminations experienced by these minority groups, they also suffer from social problems such as fear where they feel the authorities always target them, and they fear that they can be attacked anytime. There is a lot of criticizing how the police see blacks as a threat to maintaining law and in the country’s street. Ending racism in American will be the first move to stop racial segregation and police misconduct. The change needed in America may not happen overnight, but when all Americans come together and embrace all people regardless of their color or ethnic background. Ending all these hideous behavior will be accorded by law enforcement in handling the two issues.

Reference

Angus, J., & Crichlow, V. (2018). A Race and Power Perspective on Police Brutality in    America. FAU Undergraduate Research Journal, 7, 8.

Chaney, C., & Robertson, R. V. (2013). Racism and police brutality in America. Journal of African          American Studies, 17(4), 480-505.

Cobbina, J. E. (2019). Hands Up, Don’t Shoot: Why the Protests in Ferguson and Baltimore          Matter, and How They Changed America. NYU Press.

Collins, A. A. (2019). Black Historical Caricatures and how they led to Black Lives Not Mattering          in America.

Dean, W. R., & Scott, H. M. (2005). Antagonistic synergy: process and paradox in the     development of new agricultural antimicrobial regulations. Agriculture and human           values, 22(4), 479-489.

Jennings, J. (2018). Police Brutality, Riots, and Public Opinion: Then versus Now.