October 27,2016

Dear President,

Even though I am not able to vote in the election, I have been watching the news over the past few months and I noticed police brutality is getting out of hand in all areas of America, however, it has gotten more attention as of late due to technology’s ability to record the incidents and expose the police. This is a growing problem that has to be stopped and I believe you can do something about it. The police are supposed to protect the public from trauma, but how are people expected to trust them if all they’re going to do is harm civilians? This problem stuck out to me because I feel that this situation will get worse if somebody doesn’t do something about it.

Last Summer, I was going on a run in downtown Winchester and I witnessed a group of protesters shouting “black lives matter.” Subsequently I have researched the problem extensively. A big chunk of citizens all around the country that have dealt with the police have either been abused or killed for various reasons regarding their race or crime that they have committed. For example, Zach Parker of “Hanna Newspapers”, goes in depth of the tragic action made by officer Jody Ledoux. This officer shot and killed Raymond Keith Martinez, a 51-year old man because he thought Martinez was reaching for a gun while really Martinez was reaching for his cellphone. Officer Ledoux was found not guilty of negligent homicide. This kind of behavior is completely unacceptable.

African Americans in particular have been killed under an excuse that were thought to be armed. In many situations, that is not the case at all. Implicit bias takes a big role on why police are so aggressive. The “Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity” tend to believe that implicit bias is formed upon the actions, feelings, and attitudes of people based on characteristics such as race, age, and appearance. In “Police kill more whites, but minority deaths generate more outrage,” Valerie Richardson’s views accurately sums up the racial standpoint, “Over the span of more than a decade, 2,151 whites died by police compared to 1,130 black.” The essence of Richardson’s argument is that even though more whites are killed by the police, they take up 63% of our population while the blacks only take up 12%. Yes, more whites than African Americans died as a result of an encounter with police, but blacks stand out as a much bigger amount in the total population.

In order to be an officer, all you need is a high school diploma. This has to adjusted to where you need more requirements. They need to be educated in social justice field and receive respectable training to only use fatal force when a citizen is in harm. In “Washington Times,” Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake mentions, “Police need to learn more logistics of policing but also the broader significance of their role in society.” I heavily agree with Rawlings-Blake’s words because the police training program has really lacked in these areas of character.

I believe that these are the major causes of police brutality’s rise in our nation. I also suggest that you enforce harsher policies towards police officers. This country has been well known for establishing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Please do not let this situation get worse by not doing something about it. I ask this simply to better our nation, Mr./Mrs. President, please stop the growing fear for not just me, but for the rest of the United States as well.

Sincerely,

Jacksen C.

Works Cited

Richardson, Valerie. "Police Kill More Whites than Blacks, but Minority Deaths Generate More Outrage." Washington Times. The Washington Times, n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.

[email protected], Zach. "Jury Acquits WMPD Officer Jody Ledoux in Homeless Man's Death." Hanna Newspapers. N.p., 21 Sept. 2016. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.

Swarts, Phillip. "Police Need Better Training and Community Relations, Presidential Task Force Is Told." Washington Times. The Washington Times, n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.

"Understanding Implicit Bias." Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.