Recently there has been a lot of controversy about the cops who have been killed in Oakland. In the comments on our story Oakland’s Civil War: The People Vs The Police, some readers seemed to gloat over the fact that cops were killed.
There is a difference between a cop killing an African American and an African American killing a cop. Police are fully aware that they have a dangerous job in which they may get killed or injured dealing with criminals when they sign up for the job. Criminals whether they be black or white do not represent the black community but police do represent the government. Black citizens did not sign up for being at risk for police brutality or killings.
When unarmed peaceful civilians are killed by the police, they are being killed by agents of the government that is supposed to represent them. It is this failure of government that must be addressed.
In several other NewsOne stories on police brutality (4 Police Officers Killed in Oakland) I’ve seen a lot of anger, however it must channeled more effectively than just saying f- the police or calling them pigs or gloating over police killings. If this anger is channeled correctly we can take action to actually reduce the amount of police brutality. If this anger is channeled incorrectly it can result into a war with the police that will only lead to more violence and brutality.
Here are my 5 Ways To Stop Police Brutality:
Police stations, city hall and other government venues must be protested against and marched on after every incident of police brutality.
2. Record the Police
We must use our cameras every time police harass us to catch them in the act. Then we can use the Internet and the viral media to expose these actions worldwide. In their heyday, the Black Panthers would do this. They had a police watch and would follow the police with a camera and record their actions. Now that cameras are so cheap and people have cameras on their phones, it is a lot easier to hold the police accountable for their actions.
3. Vote Out Politicians Who Condone Police Brutality
Politicians who do not address issues like police brutality must be voted out of office. Rappers should be spending a lot less time glamorizing black on black crime and dissing each other, and more time documenting police brutality. African American entertainers and activists have a strong voice in America and they must also use that voice to fight the problems in our community.
4. Engage in Dialogue With the Cops
We must use moderate police organizations to work with the police to stop police brutality. Groups like 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement have done a lot to combat police brutality and people should work with them as an intermediary to deal with community issues with the police.
5. Take Legal Action Against Police
We need to take legal action as well. The best way to hurt police brutality is by hitting them in the pocket. If the police keep on getting sued for brutality they’ll be forced to deal with the issue. Every incident of police brutality should be reported to both the government and the media.
Black people pay taxes and therefore they also pay police salaries. Police should be in the communities to serve and protect not to harass and arrest. The war on drugs is really a war on the black community. Black people are treated like insurgents in occupied territory and not citizens in need of protection. We need to address how the war on drugs has become a war on black males that has caused more problems than it has helped.
So what do YOU think? If I left some good tips out, let me know in the Comments. It’s not enough to be angry at law enforcement and saying F-the Police. We must channel our anger into actions that will stop police brutality in the future.