Ferguson Pros And Cons

The brutality of the police force has been a long worldwide problem, but especially between the years of 2012-2016. Black people are being unjustly beaten and shot in plain sight for doing nothing while being unarmed. Journal of African American Studies “Blacks are viewed as deserving of harsh treatment in the criminal justice system” (482). “Black males with more “Afrocentric” features may receive longer sentences than blacks with less Afrocentric features like lighter skin and straighter hair”(482). Nowadays it is important to know about the police force. It’s important to know our rights as citizens and be careful around cops. Not everybody is good, but not everybody is bad also. In The New York Amsterdam News 21 people were killed by Chicago police in 2008. Entire families were being attacked. They believe it’s because of their skin color and how they are different. The year of racism started off with the world seeing the police murder of Oscar Grant. “The media have pushed people away from hearing the issue of police brutality, and it has fallen off of the radar screen.”(2) “You can’t give in. They will try to make an example out of you, try to break your spirit!”(2) African Americans say do not trust the cops with anything. “They will ruin you.”(2)

Race relations have always been a very controversial topic in this country and still are. In the mid-1900s there were many writers who felt very strongly about how African Americans and white people interacted together. In this paper three individual excerpts by three different authors will be discussed. All three of these authors have different viewpoints because of how they see the world based on their individual life experiences.

Racial injustice against people of colour is an immense, ongoing issue that has not only targeted lives but has also taken many innocent lives. In America, these racial divisions date back to the days of slavery, where black people were denied of their basic human rights because of discrimination. In present day, some individuals view America as a post-racial environment, due to such victories as electing a black president; but the brutal, fatal and unjust events in Ferguson, Missouri prove that these divisions are still present. On August 9th, 2014, an unarmed, 18 year old black teen was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. The events that led to the death of Michael Brown occurred on an early morning where Mr. Wilson stopped Michael Brown and a friend after leaving a convenience store. An altercation occurred which prompted Mr. Brown to flee and officer Wilson to begin shooting. The death of Mr. Brown caused the city to stand up against police brutality through peaceful protest, looting, and even violence, to gain justice for Mr. Brown and his family. As the protests grew, the police used military tactics such as, tear gas, to “maintain order” during the unrest of the city. In recent, news the grand jury decided that Officer Darren Wilson was not responsible for the death of Michael Brown, which led to a larger public outrage not only in America, but also across the

Despite the important racial progresss our society has made since Emmett Till’s death, from the civil rights era, to present increase of police brutality has still left the Black/African American community in shadows of segregation. The second most recent shooting of teenager Michael Brown has left citizens in ongoing battles with law enforcement officers of Ferguson, Missouri. New Statement (2014) reports, Missouri police similarly attempted to retain control of the narrative, claiming Brown had stolen cigars, and then paying for them, and then claiming he was a bad child and attacked the officer who shot him” (New Statement, 21). Brown autopsy reveals he was gun less and shot six times. Police brutality is not solely about Ferguson, Emmett Till, or the civil rights movement, but it is simply about the history of capitalism and police brutality in America and having many forms of it.

Police shootings are unfortunate events but whenever there is a shooting, the topic of race emerges. Police shootings have always been the highlights on news channels and there is always the racially biased narrative that keeps repeating itself yet no one seems to dispute this narrative. However, did you know that studies show a police officer is eighteen and a half times more likely to be killed by a African American male than an unarmed African American male is to be killed by a police officer? In fact, a recent “deadly force” study by Washington State University researcher Lois James found that police officers were actually less likely to shoot an unarmed black suspect than unarmed Caucasian or Hispanic suspect in simulated threat scenarios. Some would argue that there are still police shootings all over America and they occur when police officers

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. >> When a white Ferguson policeman fatally shot a black 18-year-old nearly a year ago, the St. Louis suburb erupted in violent protests and the nation took notice. Since then, legislators in almost every state have proposed changes to the way police interact with the public.

Just this April, the city’s Police Accountability Task Force found that the Chicago Police Department has “no regard for the sanctity of life when it comes to people of color.” Chicago’s population is 31.7% white, 32.9% Black, 28.9% Latino, and 5.5% Asian. However, the Task Force reported that the city’s police officers shoot Black residents at significantly disproportionate rates. Between 2008 and 2015, of all people injured or killed in police-related shootings, 74% were Black, 14% were Hispanic, 8% were white and less than 1% were Asian. The report found almost identical numbers when it came to statistics regarding the use of Tasers. The report also analyzed all people stopped by police during the summer of 2014 and found they were 72% Black,

Recently, there has been much in the media about clashes between African Americans and the police. Two such cases, being the shootings of Michael Brown and Laquan McDonald - both incidents resulting in public outrage. These cases result in questions about racial profiling by police. Through research, it is clear that African Americans are the target of racial bias by many police departments in the United States; in order to remedy this situation, law enforcement agencies need to (and are beginning to) undergo scrutiny on their interactions with the public and, additionally must receive training on diversity.

Now, to put this in perspective we need to look at the recent events of Ferguson, Missouri. 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot six times and killed by police officer Darren Wilson. The shooting sparked civil unrest in the community and resulted in protests, rioting, vandalism, and other such responses. In reaction to the social outcry and protest response, the police force took to militarized procedure to contain the civilians. On August 11, 2014 the local police stations outfitted

However, the political institutions in Ferguson are dominated by whites. For instance, out of the 56 police officers, only 3 are African Americans. This leads to the belief that law enforcement is racist. Local policies are also to be blamed for the prevailing perception that white law enforcement does not represent everyone in the town. About 20% of revenues in Ferguson are collected through fines and assets confiscation. This disproportionately impacts African American population as the majority belong to the poor segment of the population. Furthermore, the Mayor is a white Republican and his election does not inspire any confidence as he was elected when the voter turnout was less than 15%. The local elections need to engage all eligible voters of the town and importantly, should have a true representation of the population at the ground level. Additionally, the local government must consider the rules expounding the law enforcement in terms of in what situation police officers can use arms. The local government needs to find ways to improve the economic growth and also ensure that the local African American population is benefitting from that growth. That said, the local government must find ways for both whites and blacks to work together to improve collaboration and

On August 9th, 2014, an unarmed teenage boy named Michael Brown was murdered by a Ferguson police officer. The reason for his death remains unknown. Bystanders say that the boy in question did not do anything wrong, he even put his hands in the air when police told him so. The conspicuous circumstances of this shooting sparked an already tense situation between the majority of Ferguson inhabitants and the police to a situation which quickly escalated towards riots and protests. This “hands up, don’t shoot” movement received worldwide media attention and generated a debate about the relationship between the black community and law enforcement in the U.S. In this essay I will try to answer how the anger towards the Ferguson police manifested

On August 9, 2014, a young, unarmed, 18 year old, black man named Michael Brown was shot to death six times by 28 year old, white police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, a town just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. Some say Officer Wilson was protecting his life, I call it police brutality. The brutality has led to an uproar of all day protesting and looting, and cops and even the National Guard are working double time to keep everything under control. There are many things that led up to the shooting.

The case Ferguson vs. City of Charleston was a case based off a newly added policy called “POLICY M-7.” Being a newly formed policy it was still getting a lot of attention, it was going through reforms and changes in order to work out the bugs and any loopholes.

Research has proven that blacks and whites have different experiences with the police. From a historical and current point of view, blacks are more likely than whites to report having an unjust experience with the police. According to a survey released in 2015 by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, half of black Americans reported being treated unfairly by police because of their race; consequently, their views of law enforcement are shaped by this experience. Black Americans are also four times as likely as whites to describe violence against civilians by police officers as a serious problem (AP-NORC, 2015). There is a recorded 85 percent of blacks who think police are more likely to use force against a black person

It took one gunshot to put a city into an uneasy frenzy throughout the day, and utter chaos at nightfall. It began with policemen standing side by side and protesters ready to strike; came face to face. All around there were Ferguson citizens, each standing tall defending his or her respective sides. Protesters were holding signs with powerful words like “Black Lives Matter.” In a split second, havoc was reached, and in a blink of an eye, everyone was encircled by the fog from tear gas and flipped police cars. With the sound of sirens echoing through the streets and fires set all around, no one was safe in the city of Ferguson.