Over the past few years, we have unfortunately seen a rise in officer involved deaths. People all over the country are in an uproar because they feel as though these deaths are fueled by cruel hatred that once took over our country in the late 50's and early 60's. Speaking about whether the deaths were justified or not is a waste of time. Everyone is going to have their own independent view points and when you feel as strongly as many people do, it is hard to be swayed. It becomes a bigger issue. People see the negative actions of those who serve and protect the citizens of this country and put a label on it. That label is Police Brutality. People begin not to trust the men and women in uniform and lash out because “all they do is hide behind their badges – they are pigs.”
We as a society seem to be blinded by color. Whether it be black, white, or blue, someone is always being discriminated against. What we as a society seem to forget is that we are all people. We are all people that deserve to be treated like people. Don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying that every police officer you come by is a saint. There are a few bad apples amongst the orchard filled with apples. I think what people seem to forget is the instant that someone dies at the hands of someone else, whether it be accidental or not, that person is forever changed. Police officers don’t wake up in the morning and say “Hmm… Today is the day someone loses their life by my hands.” That is not how this works.
When The Force Science Institute had conducted a study back in 2011, their research had shown that the officers in the study only had .38 seconds to determine what type of force to use. They had less than half a second to decide whether or not it was going to be them or the person in question. There is an insane amount of thought that needs to be jam packed into .38 seconds before a move is made.
People also seem to forget that the definition of “deadly force” is as follows: An amount of force that is likely to cause either serious bodily injury or death to another person. Nowhere in that definition does it state that death is inevitable. In training, police officers are taught that they do not shoot to kill, solely to disable. Officers need to use their judgement and figure out (in .38 seconds) whether or not they feel as though their life is in danger and deadly force needs to be used. Again, officers do not wake up in the morning with the intent to harm someone, let alone kill them.
As I said before, I understand that not all police officers are the most ethical and moral people in the world, however a vast majority of them have a duty to serve and protect their communities and they fulfill that duty with the public’s safety in mind. It becomes extremely frustrating to see these opposing movements of “Black Lives Matter” or “White Lives Matter.” How about "every life matters?" That is what we need to focus on: every single life that walks the streets of the United States of America. Not one race over the other, or police officers over the everyday civilian. Every single life matters, no matter your race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or profession.
