For my research essay, I will be examining racism among police, and how movements like Black Lives Matter do more harm in solving the problem than good. Over the last few years, the topic of racism in the police force has become increasingly crucial. Some believe there is no such thing as racism anymore, while others think history is repeating itself. Mainstream media has covered numerous police killings, notably those of black men by white cops. This “new norm” spawned groups like Black Lives Matter, who try to bring light to the subject matter, in hopes of changing how blacks are treated. I believe racism is in fact alive in America, but I don’t necessarily believe that blacks are targeted more than other races. I’d like to examine whether or not the amount of violence towards blacks is a matter of race, or rather a problem with police as a whole. Are they treating everyone unfairly and require reform, or is there a specific disconnect between police and the black community.
The Essential Content of the Article: The media doesn’t give all of the necessary information. Apparently Hispanics and whites suffer more casualties from cops than blacks.
What it proves: Blacks are not necessarily targets, but there is a problem with police and fatalities.
The Essential Content of the Article: Racism by police isn’t necessarily on purpose. The bias exists but individuals might not even know it.
What it proves: Racism may be too deep-rooted to treat each cop individually. Officers may think they’re doing the right thing, but are tasked to do something wrong.
The Essential Content of the Article: Society and media have painted the picture of blacks being more dangerous than whites. It has somewhat become a part of our culture, making certain people inherently treat minorities differently. Some of those people become cops, and unfortunately tragedies are the result of said bad conditioning.
What it proves: Some police are simply products of their environment. A current mindset of your average American is slightly bias, so it is unrealistic to expect an officer to not be affected.
The Essential Content of the Article: Law enforcement has slowly adopted the attributes of the military. The lines between police and military are beginning to blur, which can very well be the cause of the increase of police shootings. Perhaps some of that power needs to be taken away or toned down.
What it proves: The problem for law enforcement is bigger than race. Racial killings are the result of a bigger problem, which is the amount of power police are given
5.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/police-shootings-studies-racial-bias_us_5796f2d8e4b02d5d5ed2b4aa
The Essential Content of the Article: It’s hard to tell if shootings are racially motivated or not. However there are studies that show that police violence against minorities when compared to whites, does occur more often.
Rowan Counterintuitive 