Police on the Offensive

After the murder of several policemen in the past month, there has been a vocal push by police requesting that the public show more support for the police.  The police should now understand how black men feel threatened when stopped by the police, especially European American policeman.  The fear that the police now have is what black men have been feeling for decades.  It is a shame that it took the deaths of their fellow officers before the police fully understood what black men have been saying for years.  Now you understand the pain of mothers who have lost sons to the weapons of police under the disguise that those policemen feared for their lives.

Now I've heard some advocating that the police need more powerful weapons to deal with the perceived menace to their lives.  Yep.  More weapons that they can misuse in arrest situations because they fear for their lives.  Giving police more powerful weapons is not going to happen.  That is not the answer.  I still advocate improved training and focus on community relations as one foundation area that should be worked on.  Have we not learned that guns are not the answer?

Yes, I feel sorry for the wives, children, and parents of policemen who now dread it when their phone rings or if there is a knock at the door.  Again, welcome to the black man's nightmare.  So, I understand the backlash and push to protect the police.  It's the same kind of push black men have been advocating for years but no one cared until a variety of videos showed the brutal tactics of some police who never should have been given the authority to police others.

Now is the best time for communities and the police to start working together to tear down the fear walls that exists between us.  But, I'm not seeing news stories about that effort being made as a nation wide focus.  With the events of the past month, everyone has been served notice that there is a problem.  Local government and national leaders are quite aware of the problem.  If nothing is done to start the healing process by our leaders then it will just be up to us, the people to lead the effort and replace those currently in leadership positions.