Dear President,

I am a 17 year old junior from a high school in the small town of Salem, Indiana. I watch the news with parents, and I constantly see that police are being attacked for claims of using brutal force too much. The media has portrayed these cases with police being the criminal while they are still the ones that the whole country relies on to protect our citizens, I know a few police officers from my hometown. I attend church with one of them, and the other officer I know is the father of one of my best friends. Both men have families they go home to every night, but when they leave each day, they are not sure if they will see their spouse, children, or friends ever again.

July 7, 2016 was a day that many will never forget. 5 police officers were shot and killed and 7 more officers were wounded in an ambush in Dallas, Texas. The shooter did this in retaliation of police officers at a Black Lives Matter protest, who was particularly angry with white police officers. According to the New York Times, the shooter, Micah Johnson, was upset about recent police shootings of civilians and angry with white people. Recently, police have shot people for what many believe was no reason. However, there was an initial threat behind most of the deadly confrontations. The late Supreme Court Justice Byron White wrote, “If the suspect threatens the officer with a weapon or there is probable cause to believe that he has committed a crime involving the infliction or threatened infliction of serious physical harm, deadly force may be used if necessary to prevent escape, and if, where feasible, some warning has been given”. If the police are protecting citizens, then how can we as American citizens feel protected when those who dedicate their lives to protect us are being retaliated against in this country.

Retaliation against the police is an issue that needs to be solved nonviolently, and this country needs your help to protect our law enforcement and ensure trust with them within all citizens. We need to strengthen our communities and build strong trusting relationships between our officers and civilians. We need to train our police officers with the best education possible to ensure the safety of the United States. We need to start a campaign to end retaliation against police and start truly peaceful protests to support the idea of safety to all people. Please take this in consideration over your next 4 or 8 years in office.

Sincerely,

Tyler