We live in a country with no honor. If honor mattered, policemen wouldn’t get away with murder.
Cops feel justified killing innocent people because there is little social or legal consequence for their actions.
If honor was a cultural priority, a policeman would rather die than harm one of the citizens they were hired to protect. They wouldn’t be able to live with the shame and guilt of harming the innocent, and would rather not live than to live a life of dishonor.
Yet this is not the case. Any time a cop even feels slightly threatened, and that threat may only be in his own prejudiced mind– that is enough justification to fire your gun. The internalized racism that exists within our culture is obvious, but the consequences within the police force are deadly. If black men are consistently seen as perpetrators, the cops are always going to feel like pulling out their gun and shooting them is totally reasonable.
That is like if I were to use my AK47 to massacre every honeybee that was peacefully pollinating flowers just because it may sting me.
Maybe if Michael Brown were Michael White the cops would have felt bad. Perhaps there wouldn’t have been an acquittal. Yet last time I checked, the cops are also supposed to serve and protect all people… not just the ones with less melanin. This blatant injustice is not just problematic for our country, but it also sending a message to the police men across the country – one that says “it is cool guys… you can totally keep shooting black men if you feel like it.”
There is little risk if you are a cop and slaughter a blameless person. There is a chance that you will get punished for your actions, but there is also a chance that you won’t. Civilians don’t have that ambiguity. If we get caught we go to jail. This discrepancy lends itself to a confused culture within the police force. Police live above the law, and that has a major psychological impact. When you have ultimate power over not only people but also the law, you feel ultimately powerful.
I don’t think all cops are bad people. I think many of them join the force because they genuinely want to serve. Yet the culture within the police force needs to prioritize honor so that there is genuine accountability.
Being a cop is dangerous and scary. I understand that. You are dealing with criminals who may hurt you. That would make anybody defensive. Yet at the same time, this is what you are signing up for. It is not like you see fireman walking past fires because it is too hot. If you choose the life of the police force, there is an understanding that you are potentially risking your life. But that doesn’t mean your life is more important than the people (of all colors) you are supposedly defending.
I have more respect for the protestors, who although may be destroying property, are risking their lives for a cause.
