Yes, police brutality is very much a real thing, and I am not about to deny that. It is real, and it is an issue. However, hating all police officers is not the answer.
Way too often, I come into contact with great people, people who spend their days promoting equality, but who also spend a fraction of their days promoting the idea that ALL cops are bad. These people are telling cops to stop stereotyping, but they are doing the same thing t o them, which I find extremely hypocritical.
A main reason the statement “ALL cops are bad” is incorrect is because absolutes are never going to be correct. You will never find an entire group of people who have something in common, even if it is the vast majority. For example, someone may say, “ALL Americans like pizza.” Yes, many Americans may like pizza, but, of course, there will be someone who does not. Or something could be said similar to “ALL high school students are sexually active,” which is clearly untrue. Of course, there are sexually active high school students, but there are also a large amount of high school students who are entirely abstinent.
I do not want to say that hating the police and racism are the same thing, because they are clearly very different. However, keep in mind when you are saying all people are equal, police officers are people too. Also, there is not a group of people in this world that are without fault. Yes, I could spend this whole article telling stories of times police officers have done things entirely wrong, but, truly, I could do that with any profession, race, or group of people.
I am a strong believer in trying to find the good in everything and everyone. Of course, at times, this makes me more susceptible to being hurt, because truthfully, not everyone wants that chance. However, there is way too much good out there to assume that everyone or everything is bad. Everyone deserves to be given that chance. Yes, there are bad cops, sexually active high schoolers, and Americans who love pizza. There is truth that can be found behind every stereotype, but that does not mean that we should hold people to them.
For the people who have had a negative personal experience with a police officer, and, because of that, seem to hate them all, take some time to think about other negative experiences in your life. Have you ever had your heart broken by a girl? Because of that, do you think that all girls are evil or wrong? Maybe, but probably not. Have you ever had a teacher who graded unfairly, had almost undoable tests, and/or assigned ridiculous amounts of homework? Probably. I know I have. However, I have also had some amazing teachers, who have added so much good to my life and education. I could go on and on, but the point is, you should not take just the negative experiences with police officers and then go on to assume they are all bad.
I understand if you are still a little mad at the cop who wrote you a speeding ticket for going 65 in a 60, or maybe even something way more extreme. Maybe you were personally affected by a death caused by a police officer. And it is OK to be mad, of course. But please take the time to think about the fact that it was not every police officer that did that wrong to you. Everyone deserves to be treated as an equal, everyone. Cops included.
