In wake of the Dallas shootings, as well as the Alton Sterling shooting, America is in a state of sadness. All six of these innocent deaths (five officers and Alton) have taken a toll on citizens. The Dallas shooting of innocent active-duty police officers is the largest officer death total since 9/11. As a country, we have some serious remolding to do when it comes to racism and how we view police.
Black lives matter. Blue lives matter. All lives matter. The minority of each of these three groups should be seen as the minority, and not affect our overall view on a huge group of people. All African-Americans are not thugs, all police officers are not murderers, and all white people are not racist. As a country, we need to look beyond these stereotypes and develop an understanding of one another. AN eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.
We need to treat officers of the law with respect. They don’t join the force to have a free pass at doing whatever the heck they want. They do it to protect us. Officers risk their lives, and well-being to protect you and me every day of the week. Watch this video which shows what officers have to deal with. They protect us from the monsters of society, risking their own safety every single day. They should be treated with respect, not scorned due to actions of a few cops. I am not saying it occurred in the Alton Sterling case, but in the past, individuals getting shot have resisted arrest or have been disrespectful to officers. Don’t disrespect officers, especially if you are at fault, and they won’t have any reasons to be disrespectful back.
Having hatred for all cops, because of the actions of a few is the same as having hate for all teachers, because a few have had sex with their students. It’s the same as having disdain for all athletes, because a few of them use performance-enhancing drugs. It makes no sense. Scorn the handful of cops that hurt innocent people, not the masses that are protecting us. If I was an officer of the law, I would dread going to work after what happened in Dallas. I don’t know how you couldn’t.
The only thing an average citizen should ever have to fear from a police officer is a parking or speeding ticket. One should never have to fear for their life. However, what a lot of people are forgetting is that less than 1% of officers you encounter are going to be unnecessarily violent towards you. If you treat them with respect and class, then there is virtually no chance they will be violent with you. By no means am I insinuating that Alton Sterling was being disrespectful and deserved to be shot. As far as I know, he had no reason to be treated with such violence and hate. My condolences go out to his friends and family for the unnecessary death of their loved one.
America is full of hatred right now and needs to change some of its morals. We need to live with love, not hate. We need to respect race and officers of the law. Treat other races with respect, not disdain. Believe what you experience firsthand, not stereotypes. Thank police officers whenever you see them, they’re risking their safety for you.
