Category: Police Brutality

Police Brutality and Riots in Los Angeles

According to Henry Jenkins it saud: “I recalled that the LA Riots were not only about conflicts between angry blacks and the LAPD but had also revealed other conflicts within and between the multiracial groups inhabiting South Central”.

Protests in Los Angeles have caused the city to revisit its legacy of racial problems arising from police brutality. Underfunding the police, and here you are building a new police office, I think there had to be a change in culture among some of our officers to truly realize what we were doing. At the same time, the US expects decades of racial discrimination to become a well-disciplined force that controlled crime by violent and proactive tactics. It fueled the conflict between black residents and the LAPD by rioting and once again burning black neighbourhoods.

The tension exploded with the beating of Rodney King and the subsequent acquittement of the officers responsible for the white privilege of justice. The focus was on police brutality, Black mass incarceration. The LAPD and the African Americans of Los Angeles exploded of conflict. The outrage broken over after LAPD officers were found not guilty of attacking the King, which culminated in the generations of pain and frustration, which have not been bottled up for many days of widespread abuse, plundering and arson throughout LA.

The riots confirm that The LAPD had been riddled with bias and partiality, and had a distorted perspective on residents and an inflammatory mentality amongst the police. Los Angeles’ oppressed black community had finally suffered enough.

“For example, there was growing resentment in the Black community against the Koreans, Vietnamese, and other Asian immigrants who had bought local businesses that some thought should be under African-American ownership”. During protests, which had trouble managing local police forces due to lack of people and resource, widespread looting, attack and explosive events took place. For years racial tensions were burning among these communities. Many Black people had been angry because Korean shop owners had regularly felt disrespected and embarrassed. Neither group fully grasped the extent or the sheer magnitude of cultural gaps and cultural differences that further fueled tensions. The light sentence raised the friction with Korean immigrants, accused for several years in their own spirits of unfairly handling Black clients.I believe this loss went beyond physical and financial loss for the Korean local community; it was their American dream that shattered.

And eventually, LAPD grievances were taken seriously. A committee formed to examine the effects of its activities condemned the extensive use of excessive force of officers and the failure on the part of the high management to intervene properly. But the problem still existing today in US.

Police Brutality and Racism

In the light of the current events in the United States (May-June, 2020), the issues of police brutality, violence, discrimination, and criticism of the law enforcement system overall deserve particular attention. Purposeful use of unwarranted coercion, abuse of power, verbal assaults, intimidations, and other forms of official misconduct by law enforcement officers are the practices that the criminal justice system of the United States attempts to eradicate at their root, but the cases are still common and rarely properly investigated. Police brutality is counter-effective, creates social tensions, and leads to distrust toward the professionalism and ethics of police officers in the United States of America.

Definitions and Numbers

Police brutality is defined as the use of excessive force by police on citizens. Lyle & Esmail (2016) linked the issue of police brutality to the angry aggression theory, suggesting the policy brutality is triggered by the “fight or flight” response to the threat, and conflict model, which implies that social ills are caused by opposing forces in society. Police brutality is a broad concept that requires a more detailed classification and distinctions. Albrecht (2017) classified police deviance into 5 different types of professional misconduct: police corruption, police criminality, excessive use of force, abuse of authority, and police misconduct. Each of these types of police brutality can occur in a combination with other factors, be internally (within the department or police agency) or externally (toward citizens) targeted, and lead to fatal outcomes, criminal behavior, and unprofessional decisions.

The police service is accompanied by the use of force and police officers are provided with the right to use force when the situation requires it. In dealing with criminals, antisocial individuals, and dangerous suspects, police officers have to rely on their professional codes of conduct and ethics to determine the acceptance scope of the force use needed to fulfill their duty (Lyle & Esmail, 2016). However, according to research, almost 80% of the cases of police brutality and professional misconduct occur in police-controlled settings (Lyle & Esmail, 2016). The police-controlled settings are patrol cars or public places. In most of cases, there are no witnesses to support the victim of police brutality.

Historically, the issue of police violence against civilians can be traced back to the times of slave patrols in the 19th century (Carter, 2017). At that time, it was necessary to create laws to counter behaviors. The Emancipation Proclamation along with the 14th Amendment clarified the aspects of the civil rights violation. In later years, the 18 U.S.C. § 242 was an attempt to prevent violence against African Americans. The deprivation of individual rights based on race and ethnicity became a federal crime. As of today, under Section 242, police officers can be fined or imprisoned for discrimination. The contemporary standards of police conduct were set in the only year 1989 when the Supreme Court set the rule on objectively reasonable use of force (Carter, 2017). This law is currently used as the avenue for civilians to enforce their constitutional rights. The undue use of force by police officers is a violation of the human rights of the American citizens, which in turn shapes a negative attitude of the public toward the law enforcement system in general.

Attitude Toward Police

While the democratic society is based on the principles of justice, law, and equal treatment of all citizens, the issue of police brutality is widely covered by media reports, leading to the formation of certain attitudes toward police officers among the public. Lyle and Esmail (2016) noted that such cases as deaths of young African Americans at the “hands of cops with dubious use of force” contribute to the formation of a negative perception of police (141). Given the statistics that nearly 31 percent of all shooting victims by police represent 31% of African Americans, and yet more than 50 percent of 14,800 police agencies do not report police officers involved in homicide statistics (Lyle & Esmail, 2016). Based on these numbers and the fact that most of the cases are unreported, police brutality leads to mistrust among American citizens.

The job of a police officer is difficult and requires a high level of physical preparation, emotional stability, rational thinking, and the ability to cope with stress. Without the use of force, police officers cannot fully deliver their duty to the public. However, the key aspect with respect to policy brutality deals with the question of legal and responsible use of force and weapons. With almost 15,000 police departments across the country, there are over 780,000 police officers, but the policies on the use of force are not standardized on a national level (Lyle & Esmail, 2016).

The attitude toward police officers in the context of authority abuse was explained in the study reported by Lyle & Esmail (2016). Researchers noted that approximately one-quarter of police officers observed their co-workers harassing a citizen because of race. At the same time, nearly 80 percent of police officers do not support the so-called “code of silence”, when the observation of professional misconduct is not reported. However, almost 70% of police officers believe that reported incidents of misconduct will not be investigated. These numbers illustrate the culture of acceptance of police brutality among law enforcement officers. As the outcome, the attitude of society toward police brutality is justified because there are a few investigated cases of misconduct, even when they are reported by law enforcement officers.

In addition to the established attitude toward police officers, the perception is also shaped by previous experience with officers and media reports on violence. Obenwittler and Roche (2017) noted that procedural justice (when a police officer treats citizens with respect, explains actions, and sustains fairness) must follow due process. When police officers demonstrate authority, do not show respect, and do not provide a rationale for their actions, citizens can become either fearful of law enforcement officers or develop distrust, express a lack of willingness to cooperate, and pass negative attitudes toward police officers to their communities. Interestingly, the studies show that people who had positive encounters with police officers tend to have the same perception of police as the individuals who had no prior contact with the law enforcement system (Obenwittler & Roche, 2017). Further, Hispanics and African Americans are more likely than others to have prior experience with police officers based on mistreatment. According to research, 44 percent of African Americans in the age group of 18 to 30 years old reported they know someone who experienced harassment or violence by a police officer, and 22 percent of them reported being harassed or mistreated by a police officer.

Police Brutality and Racism

One of the important aspects of police brutality deals with the question of racing. The predominant majority of cases discussed in media as well as by the public are closely correlated to race as one of the defining features. As discussed above, African Americans are more likely to experience racial profiling and excessive use of force by police compared to other racial and ethnic minorities. The tendency resulted in a number of studies focusing on the relationship between racism and police brutality, ultimately leading to the recommendation of enhancing diversity programs for law enforcement agencies.

Discussing racism with regard to police brutality, Egharevba (2016) pointed out that the correlation between the two factors is deeply embedded in structural inequality. As the history of social, economic, and political equality among races and ethnicities is relatively young, the law enforcement agencies are not free of bias and prejudice, despite the proclaimed values of justice for all and equal rights for all citizens. Racism continues manifesting itself in unfairness, inequality in education and employment, and of course in criminal justice and law enforcement. The discourse on racism in the discussion on police brutality is a reflection of broad social patterns of inequality in the United States.

According to statistics, the United States ranks in the top 20 countries (out of 182) in terms of the public perception of government corruption. In other words, American citizens believe that up to 30 percent of officials engage in acts of corruption (Egharevba, 2016). These numbers are alarming and show that American citizens distrust the government in general and police officers in particular. The official rate of police misconduct, as reported by Egharevba (2016) is as low as 0.5 percent. It implies that less than 1 percent of all law enforcement personnel were subjects of allegations of criminality. These findings contradict the previously reported statistics, as discussed above, according to which more than half of police officers observed brutality and excessive use of force by their colleagues. The objective of complete eradication of police deviance is achieved mostly through the decrease of the reported incidents rather than through the decrease in the cases of brutality and excessive use of force, which is particularly true for the cases involving racial minorities because such cases instantly trigger the public attention and are mostly silenced.

While many cases of police brutality are silenced and a few of them being covered by the media, there are no reliable statistics and numbers to unveil the real situation with police brutality. At the same time, when the stories of brutality, especially when racial minorities are victimized and abused, trigger a wave of public dissatisfaction with the law enforcement system. For example, Zoorob (2020) noted that the media coverage of police brutality stories leads to a decrease in the 911 calls from the public, both for African American and white communities. Consequently, when police brutality is accompanied by prejudice and racism, the diverse public responds in the same way – the level of trust drops.

Given the fact that prosecution of police officers who were accused of brutality and professional misconduct is rare (less than 10 percent of the reported cases result in a conviction and less than 2 percent end with incarceration), the question of police brutality requires a more systemic approach (Burnette, 2017). The majority of the cases that are prosecuted are of high profile, such as murder. Due to the code of silence, which is unethical and unofficial, police offers refuse to testify against their coworkers and in many cases even cover up the evidence, complicating the process of investigation. For the public in general and families of the victims, it implies that no relief is obtained and no police officer is punished for the crime. As Burnette (2017) noted, it fuels the perception that black lives are not valued. When the crimes committed by police officers are not punished in the same way as the crimes committed by other citizens, there is no deterrence effect on other police officers, which ultimately may reinforce the culture of abuse and repetition of the same behavior.

Classifying the cases of police brutality against African Americans, Alang et al. (2017) suggested that the impact of racial prejudice among law enforcement agencies against racial minorities has a much broader impact on the American nation. In particular, police brutality targeting African Americans contributes to the increase in the mortality rates, leads to the negative psychological responses, stress caused by racist public reactions, the financial strain that comes along with arrests and incarcerations, and the reinforcement of the integrated oppressive structures. The experiences of African Americans with police brutality extend beyond individual encounters (Alang et al., 2017).

The Cost of Police Brutality

The cost of police brutality is not limited to the loss of trust among the public or the promotion of racist views and tensions in society. The research indicates that the estimation of the true cost of police brutality should include the costs to the victims and broken homes and families, the costs to the states and local governments, the costs to the communities, loss of trust in the social compact, and the cost to the reputation of the country in general (Lumsden, 2017). In addition to social costs and tensions, each case of police brutality covered by the media requires enormous financial expenses allocated to the investigation, training, new hires, and related aspects. On a social level, police brutality implies that people no longer feel protected and secure. Instead, they feel oppressed and intimated by law enforcement officers who are entrusted with the duty to maintain order and security.

The Recommendation

The issue of police brutality should not be left without attention not only because the public is eventually losing trust in the law enforcement system but also because the excessive use of force violates the key principles of police service. The recommendation, as suggested by Lyle & Esmail (2016) is to invest more time and resources into training police officers on acceptance defense tactics, how to deploy weapons safely, and how to avoid racial profiling. Ray, Ortiz, and Nash (2018) added that diversity training should be conducted across all police departments and specifically target those employees who are in direct contact with the public, offenders, and suspects. By testing police officers and identifying those members of the law enforcement system who have prejudice toward racial and ethnic minorities or the propensity to abuse physical and emotional force, the issue of brutality could be eradicated on the system level, resulting in higher trust toward police officers.

In conclusion, police brutality is one of the topics that require a systemic approach not only to the structure of law enforcement but also on cultural and social levels. Frequently discussed with reference to race, racism, and discrimination, police brutality, use of force, and professional misconduct should be the subjects of proper attention by policymakers and the public. While the history of racial equality is still recent, the changes need to be made now.

Cause and Effect Essay on Police Brutality

Police Brutality

Police officers should always speak with the truth, show their commitment, and bravery, and act as the law says to, but unfortunately not all who say to protect us actually do. We’ve come across many police brutality cases that have honestly shown the other side of some police officers. Their job as officers and as representatives of our country is to protect us not kill us. We live in a world where there’s a diversity of different kinds of races but that shouldn’t change the fact that we should feel protected instead of afraid. As citizens, we should feel safe that the police will handle a problem and fix it but instead we fear that our loved ones will get hurt instead of defended. As a community, we should come together to help one another and find a solution to this kind of problem. Police brutality has been a result of discrimination, excessive use of force, and innocent deaths.

One of many big issues as to why police brutality has been committed against innocent people is discrimination. We’ve let our inner ego and beliefs take control of what we see and think is correct to do without actually knowing the history behind it. During the past years many people have dealt and have history; especially black people, with being discriminated against unfairly. According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, by Max Lundberg, it states that “The lawsuits claim their races motivated Isaacs discipline decisions, and the city’s handling of the situation violated their 14th amendment rights and state employment law. Hill used the N-word while making an arrest after a fight in Westwood. He said, “That goddamn alcohol got you (N-word) out here acting stupid.” Not only did he call him something to be considered very offensive to a black man but insulted him together instead of handling things with respect as his job should consist. Many people have seen the N-word be something ok to say but don’t know the history or damage they’re acting doing in saying it. For instance, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer, by Max Lundberg, it states that “A few months later, in December, Barnette used the N-word to refer to a black woman as he arrested her.” The use of this word has been a form of discrimination because it’s seen to be only used to refer to black people. This isn’t the way people or even officers, who should be the ones setting an example of professionalism and respect, handle any situation. As human beings, we should all respect, care for, and treat each other equally.

Another cause of police brutality is the use of excessive force. Officers now have taken advantage of the power they have as the police to use their force in a brutal way toward innocent people. It’s caused much unfairness and harm to those who don’t mean any harm but to say their rights and sadly the officers have not respected that. According to Timesunion, by Kenneth Crowe, it states that “Relf was going out to his car on Oakwood Terrace, where he was visiting relatives when he was confronted by Elza, the German shepherd K-9 partner of Officer Justin Ashe. Frightened by the dog, Relf jumped on the hood of his car, and Elza bit down on his left knee, according to court papers. Relf was 50 years old at the time he was bitten.” This man was hurt by a dog who belonged to an officer who should have been defending a man in danger, not an innocent man who was just visiting his family. These types of dogs are trained to help and listen to their partner which in this case was Officer Justin Ashe. They should listen and obey their Officer which can be shown that the Officer must have given some sort of command to stop Relf from leaving without any proof to detain him. According to Timesunion, Kenneth Crowe, it states that “ It was the third time that Elza had bitten a non-suspect during a search or pursuit, according to the court papers.” This shows how not only was the dog not trained well enough to actually attack when there was a suspect trying to get away but also the control Officer Justin had. We all have rights that can be said to protect ourselves from injustices.

Many innocent people have been killed due to injustices done by police officers. We’ve lost our loved ones that have been killed by police officers and have changed our perspective on them. Many people now see the police as our killers instead of our protectors. We seek to make a change and set an example to officers in how to actually solve a problem with no violence unless violence is made first. According to Coates, in “The Paranoid Style of American Policing”, states, “When Cooksey said that her son’s father should not have called the police when she says that they “ are supposed to serve and protect us and yet they take the lives,” she is saying that police in Chicago are police in name only” (101). This means that the police didn’t have any right to just come and shoot a teen who had issues which is why he was acting the way he was. Instead what was more correctly right to do was detain the teen and give him psychological help instead of just shooting him. The point of calling the police was for their help not to have resulted in killing someone with issues. According to Coates, in “The Paranoid Style of American Policing”, it states that, “When police can not adhere to the standards of the neighborhood, of citizens, or of parents, what are they beyond a bigger gun and sharper sword? By what right do they enforce their will, save force itself ?” (101). This shows how now people can really trust the police and don’t know in what position to stand in anymore. Should they trust that they’ll do their job or should they just wait and see the unexpected? It’s up to the world to see the injustices they’re doing by allowing these things to happen and not finding a way to make it stop.

Now that we’ve discussed the causes of police brutality, it’s important to do something about it. More restricted rules regarding police power, but most importantly for our citizens to not be denied their rights. We should come together and come up with a solution to fix this issue. For instance, organizations that can help those who have experienced police brutality and be able to not stand alone in being able to defend themselves would be a huge help, along with groups that have had a bigger impact on police brutality and need psychological help would really help their case. It’s time for our voices to be heard without mattering our race or social status.

To conclude, all these causes have led up to the action of police brutality. In order for this to stop happening, we should unite as one. Love each other for who we are, no matter what color or our history is. Always be aware of our rights and be trained well to make the world a better place and not destroy it. Finally, not only protect our own kind but show what real professionalism, respect, and equality are.

Works Cited

1. Coates, Ta-nehisi. “The Paranoid Style of American Policing”, 50 Essays. Print.
2. Crowe, Kenneth. “Jury: Bite by police dog did not violate civil rights”, TimesUnion. Print.
3. Lundberg, Max. “ Suit: Cincinnati cops who used racial slur claim they faced discriminatory punishment”, The Cincinnati Enquirer. Print.

Persuasive Essay on Police Brutality

A Better Understanding of Police Brutality and How It Still Exists in Today’s Society

In society, there is a set of rules and regulations we must follow in order for everyone to be at peace while allowing society to function properly; this concept is called the “law”. Laws are set to keep everyone in check without one civilian thinking he/she has more rights than the next. These laws are enforced by a force specifically designed to take care of the people while keeping order; this force is known as the “police”. However, some within the police department take advantage of their position and act unlawfully and brutally toward civilians knowing their department is where they file a complaint regarding the law being broken. Understanding this, unlawful police take advantage of civilians’ rights; this is known as “police brutality”. Police brutality comes in many forms such as unlawful beatings, racial profiling, unjust shootings, false arrests, sexual abuse, etc. As corrupt as it may appear, this is the reality we currently live in.

Any unlawful, unnecessary force by the police when engaging with civilians can be looked at as “police brutality”. Police brutality occurs more often than you may think. Out of all human rights that are consistently violated, police brutality stands at the top of the list. This is because police brutality is the hardest to crack down on. When laws are broken and people wish to report the situation, most of the time they contact the police. However, if a police officer violates you, where do you go? Report to the police? Many times this will fail due to the close ties within the police force. Many police officers have each others’ backs, so if one is reported unlawful to another then it may never reach where it needs to be seen. Sadly, acting unlawfully in return will only worsen your situation. Thus, it’s hard to successfully report this crime, making it the worst among human rights violations. If all the police crimes that go unreported every day continue, then society will eventually take matters into its own hands; the worst-case scenario lead us into a civil war. Nevertheless, although unlawful, there are many forms that police brutality exists in. One reason worthy of taking note of is racial profiling. It is a proven fact that the black community has dealt with more police violence than the white community. According to “Mapping Police Violence”, a black person is three times more likely to be killed by the police than white people. Twenty-one percent of black victims of police violence were unarmed compared to fourteen percent of white people. As we can see, the black community has had higher statistics regarding police brutality compared to the white community, thus, indicating that the police racially profile some of their victims. This conditions the world to divide itself by stereotype since it creates a perception that if you look different you’ll be treated differently.

Another example of racial profiling by the police would be in the article, “The More Things Change, the More Things Stay the Same: Race, Ethnicity, and Police Brutality” when it states, “Racialized profiling and ‘stop and frisk’ practices are bound to thrive in these areas. New York City is known for its stop-and-frisk policies. It is no surprise at all that all five of its boroughs are among the counties with the greatest risk of black police homicides in the analysis.” These lines indicate that the NYPD (New York Police Department) is one of the top departments in police brutality compared to other police forces. This goes to show the way the police can take advantage because New York has always been known as an overpopulated, confident state that stands up for itself. For police brutality to exist in New York as much as it does shows a lot regarding tactics for police brutality. Police brutality, especially when involved with racial profiling, does more than hurt the victim; it influences society in an extremely negative way.

Furthermore, police brutality exists in the form of severe beatings. The police have the right to use force when it’s deemed necessary or the circumstances they follow have been met. However, there is only a certain amount of force based on the circumstances that can be used when dealing with civilians. When this limit is passed, it is considered excessive force. This is unlawful and is very well known to the public at this point in time due to social media. Many people scroll down Instagram and see videos of the police illegally beating a person. It has given our society a sense of reality allowing them to know their rights better and to know what is excessive force. Moreover, another form of police brutality that can be seen is sexual abuse.

There are countless unreported sexual abuse crimes by the police that go unheard of every year. This is one of the scariest aspects of police brutality. In an article by Jonathan Blanks titled “The Police Who Prey on Victims”, it claims, “Two officers were indicted last week for raping a teenaged woman following a traffic stop arrest for loose prescription pills and marijuana possession. The officers first admitted to sexual contact after the rape kit test revealed the presence of their DNA, supporting the woman’s story, but their lawyers released a statement soon after stating that the acts were consensual. The accused detectives, Eddie Martins and Richard Hall had been demoted and pleaded not guilty to the charges Monday.” These lines convey a scenario where the police took full advantage of their power to sexually abuse a woman. Sad to say, this is a case that was reported; many cases like this and maybe even way worse go on every year unreported. Many victims lose the strength to report the police to the police, it’s a hard battle to win since it’s biased before it even starts.

In conclusion, police brutality exists in this corrupt world we currently live in. By standing stall together as civilians we can fight against police brutality. We only begin to lose this battle when we deem the battle unworthy to fight. As long as we continue to stand up against police brutality we will be able to one day have it come to an end.

Works Cited

1. https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/
2. https://democracyjournal.org/author/jonathan-blanks/
3. Alang, Sirry HD. American Journal of Public Health; Washington Vol. 108 Iss. 9, (Sep 2018)
4. “The More Things Change, the More Things Stay the Same: Race, Ethnicity, and Police Brutality
5. Wootson, Cleve R, Jr; Berman, Mark. TCA Regional News; Chicago [Chicago} 30 July 2017.
6. “Police chiefs across the U.S blast Trump for endorsing ‘police brutality
7. Lazo, Alejandro Wall Street Journal (Outline); New York, N.Y [New York, N.Y] July 2016: n/a
8. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

“Pheonix Police Use Pepper Spray, Tear Gas During Brutality Protest; Demonstrators prevented from blocking a highway in a march against police brutality”

Police Brutality: Argumentative Essay Thesis

Police brutality occurs when police officers abuse their powers by killing and harming innocent people, causing nationwide protests and outbreaks.

Without action on this issue, police officers will continue to abuse their power and make wrong decisions. This will end up in more violence in the world as more innocent people will be harmed by police every day.

Where it is happening?

Although police brutality occurs all over the world, in North America it is mainly pointed towards the USA. Where you live really matters for the occurrences of police brutality.

Although it can happen to anyone there are some ethnic groups that are mainly affected by police brutality.

African American people are most likely to be killed by police. They are 3 times more likely to be killed by police than white people. Black people were 25% of those killed despite being only 13% of the population. (Mapping Police Violence, 2017)

Movements against police brutality are protesting police violence through movements and groups who are acting by protesting as it seems to be a popular method of communicating as it gets the group’s message to be heard.

Recent occurrences

As mentioned before police brutality is something that occurs every day in our world.

Some notable occurrence that has ended up in notable violence was the death of Philando Castile

There are many arguments on this topic with one being that police violence often results in no punishment.

As I mentioned Philando Castile was an innocent man who was shot and killed by an officer. As the case went to court the officer involved had no charges laid against him, he was not found guilty of second-degree murder which caused a nationwide protest. As a result of this case, it allowed many other police officers to keep their duty. When a case does come to court, it usually ends up with no punishment or charges being laid against them.

Another argument against police brutality is the exposure of videos of police brutality which are not always released for the public to see, this includes videos and images of police violence. This leads to government inaction, as police shootings are being measured against human lives, situations are often caught by surveillance systems, bystanders, or officers’ body cameras as they still decide to use lethal force. Injustice in society may be created through social change which can become difficult to digest.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many consequences of inaction involving police brutality. Police Violence is an important issue, not doing anything about it, will promote police brutality to occur every day. Police officers need to become more aware and there needs to be more training on how they should handle situations. Police brutality is a major issue in the world and by progressing better, the issue of racial discrimination in the Criminal justice system can end.

Essay on Police Brutality

There are many contemporary social justice issues that we are experiencing on a day-to-day basis amongst communities across the globe. These issues include poverty, racism, immigration, ecological destruction, incarceration, socioeconomic relations, and more. One social justice issue that truly grabs my attention anytime it is brought up is the uprising of police brutality across the United States. Police brutality lies under the scope of understanding in which police officers are unwarranted or use excessive and often illegal use of force against members of a community. The concept of social justice and humanity are at risk if solutions are not formulated and expressed to suit the betterment of our people. By standing together, hand-in-hand, we can make a difference and strive towards achieving these goals and others alike.

There are many forms of police brutality, ranging from assault and battery to turmoil, torment, and even officers going as far as committing homicide. Many people find police brutality to also embody feelings of provocation, extortion, verbal and emotional abuse, and other forms of maltreatment. Police brutality has seemed to follow a trend since its uprising, targeting minority groups of a given community. Minorities belonging to different races, ethnicities, and other specified classes have felt that police brutality has targeted them at some point in time. There have been many prior events that have highlighted the topic of police brutality in the United States over the last century (Moore, 2016).

To touch base on past events; in the early 1900’s poor white men and women, as well as members of Judaism and other immigrants, felt that they were experiencing brutality. Members of Italian-immigrant communities in the 1920s within the largest cities in America experienced tactics by police officers that were specified to them. In 1943, the LAPD attacked Mexicans during riots that were taking place across the city. Homosexuals felt that they were facing police brutality in 1969 during the Stonewall riots in which police officers raided a gay bar that ultimately gave rise to the gay rights movement. On September 11th of 2001, Muslims across the globe were violated by police officers that were falsely profiling and wrongfully harassing them for reasons unknown (Moore, 2016).

After witnessing different levels of police brutality in the United States over the years, the minority group that has experienced the worst of this social justice issue has been African Americans. Many people believe that the reason behind the prevalence of police brutality against African Americans is racism, but this is but a small fraction of the foundation of the issue. Many officers believe their peers must accept them or their department by taking on tasks that they feel take precedence. They utilize their self-proclaimed power in order to gain that respect and acceptance from their peers by subconsciously aiming at minority groups because it is what police officers in the past have deemed normal.

Many victims of police brutality come from poor and low-grade socioeconomic ranks. Members of humanity that fall within this scope have found themselves lacking any influence in politics, finance, society, etc. Anti-brutality acts and campaigns have risen in all of the major cities in the United States, especially those with a high minority population. The actions of these campaigns and activists include picketing, boycotts, and monitoring all police actions for any potential violations and mishaps that may come about. In 2014, an unarmed young black man named Michael Brown was shot and killed in the streets of Missouri. The police officer that committed the crime was not indicted and never faced the consequences of his actions. After this occurred, activists across the country formed a movement that is more formally known as the Black Lives Matter movement. Just recently, the Black Lives Matter movement has led protests in over 15 major cities in our country after the police killing of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. During a protest in 2016, five members of the Dallas police department were shot and killed, and three more were gunned down in Baton Rouge just days later (Moore, 2016).

Anti-brutality has been on the rise year after year up until today. A new study found that shootings, chokeholds, and other levels of force that young men experience in America, are the sixth highest cause of death for men whose age ranges from 25-29. This study, conducted by researchers at Rutgers University, found that African American men are two and a half times more likely to be killed by law enforcement than African American women, American Indian men, and women, and Caucasian men and women throughout the span of their lives (Andrews, 2019). Until 2014, many police brutality stories were under rocks and never scratched the surface until later on. Having social media platforms and videos being taken of episodes containing actions of police brutality sheds light on this topic and gives viewers a sense of enlightenment. In 2018, there were more police killings than there were in the previous five years combined. In the year of 2014, when the activism of campaigns and rallies began, members of society thought that police brutality was at its worst, but that was only the case because of the fact that at this time people began to publicize and grant access to resources in order to become knowledgeable on the matter (King, 2019). There are important statistics to learn and understand when understanding the uprising of police brutality in America. At the beginning of 2014, 293 people had been killed by police in the United States. By the end of that year, there were 1,114 people in America killed by police (King, 2019). In the year 2015, police officers or other government officials killed an additional 1,222 people in the United States. In the year 2018, the number at the beginning of the year had increased by 378 casualties and ended up with over 1,300 people killed by police officers that year (King, 2019). The numbers have continued to increase and will continue to increase if this social justice issue is not recognized and admonished.

I believe that this social justice issue really violates all of the Franciscan values that are taught to us at the University; from respect for the dignity of each person, peace and justice, and reverence for creation, to the education for truth and service. The one that I feel is most violated in relation to police brutality would be peace and justice for all. The actions that have been conveyed by police officers and other government officials across the country violate the rights that human beings have to live a peaceful life of integrity. Every member of humanity has the right to live in peace and justice by being respected by government officials. We should feel a sense of safety and compassion from police officers and should feel that they provide a peaceful environment full of equity and justice. With police brutality, the sense of peace and justice is stripped from an individual, leaving them with a sense of hopelessness and defeat. In the future, there are many things that can be done to put an end to police brutality. I believe that some interventions include educating members of a community and police officers on the roles that each should take in providing a safe environment. They should each know what it takes to be a good person that brings justice to the table at all costs. I believe that we can also create organizations that coordinate a feeling of understanding between the officers and community members, allowing them to participate in activities that give rise to education, compassion, care, and a sense of brother/sisterhood amongst all mankind.

When delving into the ideologies of the monotheistic religions, you see that they have the same viewpoints on peace and justice and particularly about issues that relate to police brutality. As citizens of this world and this country, we are obligated to welcome our strangers, combat discrimination, pursue peace, and promote justice for the common good. Catholic social teachings strive to practice these virtues and offer these morals and ethics in order to shape our lives and the lives of others. This society that we are supposed to build will lie a foundation of respect for human life, economic and environmental justice, cultural diversity, and global solidarity (USCCB, 1998). In Islam, peace should be introduced to the world at every level and should be given and spread between all of mankind. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated, “You will not enter paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I indicate to you something that will surely lead to your mutual love? Spread the greeting and spirit of peace between yourselves.” (Shakir, 2008). This statement sheds light on the teachings of this Prophet and Jesus as well to teach all of mankind about peace, justice, and all of the stepping-stones to a successful life and hereafter.

After reviewing the foundation of police brutality, it is clear to see that there is an ulterior motive behind the actions that fall within the scope of this social justice issue. All may not see it, but many social justice activists put their best foot forwards in providing the necessary information to enlighten all members of humanity on the matter. Citizens of all communities must take advantage of the knowledge that we are obtaining by standing for what is right and fighting injustice in an appropriate fashion. Police brutality lies under the scope of understanding in which police officers are unwarranted or use excessive and often illegal use of force against members of a community. The concept of social justice and humanity are at risk if solutions are not formulated and expressed to suit the betterment of our people. By standing together, hand-in-hand, we can make a difference and strive towards achieving these goals and others alike.

Police Brutality Argumentative Essay

Many different conflicts arise throughout the world. I wanted to focus on one that takes place in the United States. Police Brutality is a major issue in America and I feel most passionate about this topic. There have been many incidents that have left America in shock. Creating division in our country because of the different stances on this issue. We ask ourselves why is police brutality still prevalent in today’s society. Is it the blatant racism existing in the police force or officers who just weren’t trained well? Many excuses are made to back police officers, but no excuse can make up for the unneeded violence. I will be using the OODA loop to analyze police brutality.

When observing police brutality we have to take into account all sides and all the factors. Police brutality is the use of unnecessary and excessive force against another individual. For example, the victim could be complying with the cop’s orders but the officer may use excessive force and throw the victim to the ground, punch, kick, or choke the individual. This ends up leading to distrust in our law enforcement officers and makes the citizens question their safety. Although this is a major problem today, police brutality has been around forever. Police brutality was mainly seen back during the civil rights movements where African Americans would be beaten by cops. This excessive force was to suppress African American voices and preserve the power of white people. The police are given too much power and then feel they can act, however. Officers should use their power to serve and protect the citizens, instead of taking advantage of their power and using it to brutalize innocent victims. It seems almost as if police brutality is causing more harm to the public than actual criminal perpetrators. People then feel the need to get that power back which causes an uproar. We live day by day obeying the law that police officers enforce but some are using this power violently. One thing we all know is the media’s portrayal of police brutality which is much different from reality. Nowadays, we turn on the TV and can immediately tell which party the news channel supports. Spreading information through biased and deceitful ways is an easy way to spread misinformation. We constantly see new videos of police brutality popping up on social media outlets or news channels which then shows us that it is very real and could happen to anyone.

Officers already work in an environment generating hate towards all criminals, no matter how big the offense may be. This causes officers to act on their emotions rather than in a professional manner. Acting on emotions leads to unnecessary excessive force in times not needed. We have officers who go as far as lying, hiding evidence, or not telling the whole story, making us question just how efficient our justice system is. We were taught at a young age that law enforcement officers are here to protect and serve and that they are to be respected. For the large part, this is true. Because we are humans with different DNA and emotions, there will be bad apples in every facet of our society. We should, therefore, not apply the actions of these bad apples to all of society. Everything should be evaluated on an individual basis.

If we consider cultural influences and internal factors, there is a certain targeted group associated with police brutality. It seems many African Americans are victims of police brutality especially because of racial profiling. Racial profiling is assuming a certain race may act a certain way and is usually seen in a dark light. Officers usually have a set notion of what type of age, race, and class usually perform criminal acts. The problem with this is that many minorities fall under that category. Minorities then always become the primary suspects even when doing nothing wrong. Police shoot and kill African Americans twice as much as any other racial group. This shines a light on the corrupt justice system bias. This then leads to movements and discusses the position of “Black Lives Matter.” Black Lives Matter is a movement started to protest police brutality. This movement was made to show that Black Lives do matter. Not that they matter more but that they simply should be treated the same as every other single person. It’s crazy how we have protested against a group performing criminal acts, that should be protecting us from such. You also have individuals with larger platforms pushing for a solution to this problem or simply for the rest of America to recognize this conflict. For example, Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the pledge of allegiance. This was to raise awareness of police brutality, and while Colin Kaepernick caught a lot of heat, he still got his point across.

Some statistics include that in 2015: 1,307 Americans were killed by police. That is a huge amount considering that there are only 365 days in a year (Petrohilos). “In that number, police have killed at least 104 unarmed black individuals. That makes up about 35% of unarmed African Americans who were killed by police while African Americans only make up about 13% of the population in America. This number also could be much higher due to underreporting.”

Currently, some officers who use excessive force end in little punishment. We need to make a change in our system that won’t allow police brutality to happen anymore. To restore the trust in the American police, they must be routinely and randomly drug tested along with being tested for racial bias. There is no reason why there should be racist cops. All officers must wear body cameras and no exception for turning the cameras off. Communities of color need less policing. Start by decriminalizing addiction and petty offenses. We must also start to diversify our police departments. Hire more women and more minorities. These are simple and reasonable adjustments that should be in effect now.

Citizens should be able to have trust in the officers that protect their community. Police brutality and the inability to stop it shows that the government is drawing out the racial suppression prevalent in today’s society. As a result of the public eye, this makes officers reluctant to do their job because of the criticism. Subsequently, causing communities and officers to feel threatened by each other. We need to make a change now, there are no exceptions or excuses that can make up for the violent behavior officers have been performing. We do not live in a utopian society. Our views and beliefs are different from the world as well. The one universal constant is our “humanity”; and as such, each human being on the face of the earth is not alike. Our human emotions sometimes dictate how we may act or react to certain situations. Our humanity encompasses the good, the bad, and the ugly. There will be conflict and dissension. It seems the bad and the ugly are what’s being prominently portrayed around our country and the world. We must acknowledge that we are a nation of rules and laws. Without these, we are barbarians. 

Essay on Songs about Police Brutality

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, born in Compton, California is an African American whose music highlights the social injustices faced by the African American society.

Lamar’s album “DAMN” was released on April 14, 2017, by Aftermath Entertainment and was the first non-classical or jazz music to win the Pulitzer Prize in 2018 which is a great milestone because it is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition in the United States (Wikipedia). The Pulitzer Prize Board called ”DAMN”, a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life’ (Pulitzer Prize Board). The Pulitzer Board was overall impressed with the totality of the album. The album also won the Grammys on 28th January 2018 for Best Rap Album of the Year.

Usually, Lamar’s writing is confessional and includes references to racism, black empowerment, and social injustice. His language and style convey the ideas of social injustice in the forms of brutality, wickedness, discrimination, and violence. This paper will investigate Lamar’s unique language and style to explore these ideas. This brought a rise to the research question: How does Kendrick Lamar’s language and style explore social injustice and its effect on society in his album ‘Damn’?

Methodology

I used purposeful sampling in selecting the songs from the album to analyze. I carefully listened to all 14 songs and perused through the lyrics to specifically choose the songs pertinent to my research question. I chose 5 songs that were pertinent to the theme of social injustice. This included aspects of racism, discrimination, police brutality, and violence. I went on to select the lyrics I thought were relevant and touched on the important issues I wanted to explore in the album. I intended to look out for invectives, plosives, symbols, figurative languages, and rhythms that brought out those issues. I also analyzed the album cover art as it was an important aspect of how the themes have affected Lamar and it gives a fair idea of what the listener should expect and should reflect on in the album.

Analysis

Lyrical Analysis

Language

Kendrick Lamar discusses an array of themes ranging from police brutality, wickedness, and racial discrimination. Kendrick Lamar echoes the issues of social injustice within the African-American society and how it affects his society.

Throughout Lamar’s lyrics, an aspect of violence is used to emphasize the wickedness prevalent in society. His choice of words is harsh, offensive language. The title of the album, “DAMN” is an effective use of invectives to call attention to the condemnation he feels as an African- American or to express his anger or frustration on the themes of police brutality, wickedness, and racial discrimination explored. I chose three songs from the album where Lamar utilizes this aspect of language to explore social injustice: “FEAR”,” FEEL” and “DNA”.

“FEAR” is based on Lamar’s fears throughout his life from childhood to adulthood. These fears include the fear of being beaten up or corrected for a mistake by his mother as a toddler; the fear of dying in a street of high crime rate and violence as an adolescent and the fear of losing his newfound fame and life.

The use of invectives highlights the severity of the punishment he may have been threatened with at a young age by his mother. This can also be interpreted as the violent behaviors that persist in the community he grew up in. It signifies a reflection of how the gang members may have interacted with one another in Compton which exudes a sense of wickedness in their relationship. Kendrick indicates that there is no peace in the black community because the offensive language he uses is a violent reference to the black community and this distinction reveals some form of discrimination. In effect, how will the white community respect or make peace with the black community if the black community is already divided?

I beat yo’ ass, keep talkin’ back

I beat yo’ ass, who bought you that?

You stole it, I beat you ass if you say that game is broken

I beat yo’ ass if you jump on my couch

I beat yo’ ass if you walk in this house

(Lamar, FEAR)

His exposure to the Compton community and his father’s involvement with a gang exposed him to violence and misfortune when he was a young boy (Woolf). This is what influenced Lamar’s language because he has witnessed this social injustice for a long time now and is venting his anger and frustration.

In Lamar’s “FEEL”, he explores his dissatisfaction with the toxicity that surrounds his fame and race and the stereotypes associated with African- Americans. In Lamar’s “FEEL”, he explores his dissatisfaction with the toxicity that surrounds his fame and race and he feels alone and disregarded in those moments. Invectives play a powerful role in Lamar’s song “FEEL” as he explicitly states the stereotypical nouns targeted at African- Americans. The association of these four derogatory words (Niggas, bitches, honkies, crackers) with Compton gives an insight into the manner of people that inhabit that community. The words refer to black people (niggas), degraded females (bitches), low-class white people (honkies and crackers. The mention of lawsuits and subpoenas gives insights into the frequency of investigations into crimes and acts of injustice leveled against those inhabitants of crackers, honkies, etc. of Compton.

Niggas, bitches, honkies, crackers, Compton

Church, religion, token blacks in bondage

Lawsuit visits, subpoena served in concert

His realization of all this negativity and segregation leading up to social injustice and the unfair treatment of African- Americans make him burst out in anger with the line “Fuck your feelings”. Lamar also feels like he is being opposed by all these forces because of his elevation as a black African-American rapper. He shuns all this name-calling and believes that they are most probably associated with “imposters” rather.

Fuck your feelings, I mean this for imposters

(Lamar, FEEL)

In “DNA” Kendrick Lamar celebrates his black excellence and how his character alternates from good to evil because of his exposure to a violent society. Similar to many rap artists, Lamar’s use of the invective “Bitch” in “DNA”, shows his aggression and anger towards his rivals when he switches to “inside your DNA” showing that he is speaking to a targeted audience. Lamar’s sentence structure is affected by his rage and this reflects in his inability to form a full sentence as he rushes to get his emotions and feelings out. The pronoun “your” highlights the presence of two opposing parties and creates a sense of division between them because Lamar distinctly shows their difference by associating them with such a disparaging word.

See, you’s a, you’s a, you’s a—

Bitch, your hormones probably switch inside your DNA

This abusive language used is most probably targeted at Geraldo Rivera for comments he made about Lamar’s BET Awards performance for his song “Alright”. Rivera commented that “hip-hop has done more damage than racism” (Maine) which caused an outburst from Lamar as he believes that he is creating awareness of the social injustice being experienced by people of his race for generations.

Lamar uses short sentences to create an aggressive and violent atmosphere. Kendrick Lamar represents black society as he generalizes social injustice by relating it to himself, “inside my DNA.” Lamar highlights his bad side which is inherently a part of him. This is made evident in his repetition of “inside my DNA”. Lamar emphasizes how alike the past and present are because the traits he possesses now are those of his ancestors which have been passed down from generation to generation creating a vicious cycle of social injustice and prejudice towards the African American society. Lamar highlights the similarities of what he and other African Americans have been through from the exposure to street violence and racism which has been in existence for a very long time and its impact on their mental and emotional being.

I got dark, I got evil, that rot inside my DNA

I got off, I got a troublesome heart inside my DNA

(Lamar, DNA)

“BLOOD” is the opening song of the album and sets the tone of wickedness and ruthlessness for the development of the album. Lamar narrates his encounter with a blind woman whom he politely asked to help. However, he is attacked with a malevolent response from the blind lady and eventually loses his life for a good deed he intended to do.

The introductory lines of the song are posed as questions to bring forth the two main forces that are prevalent throughout the song.

Is it wickedness?

Is it a weakness?

You decide

Are we gonna live or die?

(Lamar, BLOOD)

Lamar explains that he tries to lend a helping hand to the blind woman who seems to be looking for something from the ground. Lamar switches from wickedness to weakness which demonstrates a vicious cycle of the society.

This quote below represents weakness and vulnerability on his part. Lamar connects how in society, being weak or having sympathy for people can lead to your downfall because people tend to take advantage of you. Lamar indicates that if he does not help the woman he is regarded as wicked, but if he does he is regarded as weak.

So after watchin’ her struggle for a while

I decide to go over and lend a helping hand, you know?

‘Hello ma’am, can I be of any assistance?

(Lamar, BLOOD)

The ellipsis used creates a suspenseful mood and we ponder on what the blind woman will do after. The woman shoots Kendrick Lamar in return for his kind gesture. This illustrates how the weakness of an individual in society causes wickedness and a provocation of callous thoughts and feelings in general. This characterizes social injustice as a vicious cycle where doing good or bad will not reap any benefits.

She replied: ‘Oh yes, you have lost something

You’ve lost… your life.’

{Gunshot}

(Lamar, BLOOD)

The gunshot signifying Lamar’s murder at the end of the conversation functions as a flash forward that connects the album’s outro (Duckworth) to the beginning of the album.

Lamar stated his views on police brutality

With that line in the song, quote:

‘And we hate the popo, wanna kill us in the street fo’ sho’.’

Oh please, ugh, I don’t like it

(Lamar, BLOOD)

The quote above is from an extract of Fox News reporters misreporting Lamar’s lyrics as a means to conceal the raw brutality of the police criticize his views on social injustice from his single, “Alright” for his performance at the 2015 BET Awards. The lyrics are originally quoted as:

“And we hate popo,

Wanna kill us in the street fo’ sho”

This highlights the idea of police brutality evident in African-American society. The context of the words “wanna kill us” emphasizes the brutality shown to the black race as in Trayvon Martin’s death. Trayvon Martin was a young teenage boy who died by the gun of George Zimmerman. He was represented as a violent person or ‘thug’ by news corporations in an indirect attempt to justify Zimmerman’s claim of self-defense (CNN). This scenario birthed the Black Lives Matter movement as a “whitelash”(Morgan).

Lamar’s technique of using internal regular rhymes is a way of showing how he transitions from less aggressive to more aggressive as he puts more emphasis.

Loyalty, I have royalty inside my DNA

(Lamar, DNA)

In Lamar’s ‘DNA’, his reference to “Cocaine quarter piece” addresses how his family was in the cocaine business and were making some cash out of it. During an interview on The Arsenio Hall Show, Kendrick Lamar openly addressed a lesson he has learned for life as he grew up in a family that used and sold drugs. Lamar declares that he will not follow in their footsteps and wants to be a quintessential for living a drug-free life (doctor). Currently, he speaks against the advertisement of drugs that are used in song tracks by prominent artists such as Wiz Khalifa who sings about the drug “Molly” in one of his tracks.

Cocaine quarter piece got war and peace inside my DNA

Lamar goes on to associate war and peace with the wickedness and weakness of society. Kendrick informs the audience that he has seen it all; be it good or evil. Lamar’s “DNA” represents the African-American society as a whole and his expression of having “war and peace in his DNA” symbolizes the gang violence and wickedness in the streets of Compton.

I have power, poison, pain, and joy inside my DNA

I got hustle though, ambition flows inside my DNA

(Lamar, DNA)

The repetition of the consonant ‘p’ in the alliteration in the first line exhibits a monotonous mixture of sounds in the tone of the song. The emotional tone and strong language used to describe Lamar’s supposed qualities invoke anger, sympathy, and discomfort from the audience. Kendrick was exposed to things a kid of his age was not supposed to know about. These include gang violence, murder, and drugs. Lamar’s parents relocated from Chicago to Compton to escape the gang culture. However, Lamar’s father had links with the ‘Gangster Disciples gang’ in Compton. Lamar grew up around street violence of the West Coast gangs and witnessed his first murder at the age of five which could leave lingering emotions of trauma and fear in him. However, Lamar did not make these experiences scar him for life. He says “After that, you just get numb to it” (Josh). Lamar rather made meaningful, significant songs with it to acknowledge who he is as a black person. Lamar’s DNA is an acknowledgment of rap’s ability to bring out powerful, vivid emotions which serves as a reflection of his Pulitzer Prize win.

It is rather unfortunate that it took such a long time before black struggles were acknowledged in the form of rap. The ‘power, poison, pain’ of Lamar is a reflection of his life in Compton and how it birthed his gangsta rap style. This raises social awareness within his community and enables listeners to understand the forces that created the environment in which he grew up (Dover & Pozdol). This environment is what he emphasizes to be a part of his DNA or in other words, who he is and embraces. ‘Joy inside my DNA’ is an indication of the true forms of expression of pain and truth explored by Lamar which is now gaining the recognition it deserves as a true art form. The vernacular authenticity of this album is perhaps what made him win the Pulitzer Prize because it reflects the real struggles of black society through Lamar’s lifestyle.

I got hustle though, ambition flows inside my DNA

I was born like this, since one, immaculate conception

I transform like this, perform like this, was Yeshua’s new weapon

…

Bitch, your hormones probably switch inside your DNA

(Lamar, DNA)

Epistrophe is a major technique used by Lamar throughout this song as he repeats “inside my DNA”. Lamar switches from a personalized point of view, “inside my DNA”, to a general and outward perspective later on, “inside your DNA” to emphasize how Lamar is a different and unique being. He hammers on this difference through his repetition of ‘like this’. Perhaps unlike other rap artists, Lamar has “hustle…ambition” flowing through his ‘DNA’ which highlights his black power and resilience in the face of social injustice. Lamar individually praises himself for his “hustle” as he has lived through many struggles and violence from his youth.

As Lamar talks about the police brutality that exists in society in his album, his choice of words as he personalizes it with ‘I’ also suggests that he can relate to the situation and that he has seen it all through his childhood up to now. He personalizes the type of brutality he faced growing up which goes on to emphasize how social injustice through racism, brutality, and wickedness exists within the African American society and negatively takes a toll on current generations and generations to come. Lamar explains how his experiences have shaped him into what he is now. Lamar utilizes alliteration which is evident in the use of the consonant sounds ‘b’, ’d, and ’f’. Lamar uses this kind of rhythm to effectively stress this part of the song. Lamar also employs internal rhymes, which is a way he normally flows in his raps to express his emotions and in this case, the aggression he feels.

I know murder, conviction

Burners, boosters, burglars, ballers, dead, redemption

Scholars, fathers dead with kids and

I wish I was fed forgiveness

(Lamar, DNA)

Lamar begins his album with the track “BLOOD” and ends with “DUCKWORTH”. His album can be interpreted in two different ways, such that when it is played from front to back (BLOOD- DUCKWORTH) it shows a progression from wickedness to weakness which is influenced by choices. The songs at the beginning, “BLOOD”, “DNA”, and “And FEEL” show evidence of Lamar’s aggression whereas “FEAR”, “GOD” and “DUCKWORTH” end calmly. DUCKWORTH ends in weakness because Lamar ends it off with an anecdote about his father and Lamar’s current producer, Anthony (Top Dawg). Lamar narrates a story about how his father offered Top Dawg free food because he knew Top Dawg had robbed his last workplace and sensed that he was up to no good. However, the back-to-front (DUCKWORTH- BLOOD) also reveals an elevated form of his aggression and who he is through the lyrics of ‘DNA’ highlighting a progression from weakness to wickedness.

According to Ambrosia For Heads, in an interview with Kendrick Lamar with MTV, he confirmed the palindromic nature of his album and how it was a thought preconceived in the studio. “It plays as a full story and even a better rhythm. It’s one of my favorite rhythms and tempos within the album. It’s something that we premeditate while we’re in the studio.” (Lamar) Both songs end in gunshots regardless signifying the vicious, cynical cycle of society and whether you do good or bad, it will end up in death or wickedness.

We are going’ to put it in reverse

(Lamar, DUCKWORTH)

Lamar’s outro of his song ‘DUCKWORTH’ is the same as the intro of ‘BLOOD’ which foreshadows the fact that the album can be played in reverse as well or it merely signifies that the song will delve into his childhood story of growing up in a violent community and how it has affected his style of rap. (Ambrosia For Heads)

So I was takin’ a walk the other day

(Lamar, BLOOD)

So, I was takin’ a walk the other day…

(Lamar, DUCKWORTH)

Essay on Police Brutality Solutions

These factors all play together and taught Washington that his actions had no consequences (McIntyre 25). All these factors come together, and using the sociological imagination, it becomes clear why Washington raped and killed Sarah Gould–he simply felt that it was no big deal.

Even though Washington was diagnosed as having a “fragile purchase on reality,” he had a very clear understanding of how the reality of the South Side of Chicago operated. His only “mistake” in his crime was that he left the South Side, where the police were uncaring, and his victim was a white woman of affluent status. Donald Black’s sociological theory of law holds that “police officers are least likely to take legal or other coercive action against lower-status persons–especially the poor and racial and ethnic minorities–whose accusers are also of low status, but more likely to take such action against lower-status persons whose accusers are of higher status,” (Worden 24). This disinterest of police in lower-class individuals creates a nationwide apathy for police brutality and stalls the political rhetoric. The lack of sociological imagination not just from the police, but from lawmakers as well, prevents solutions from coming to fruition.

Differential Association

Differential association is defined as an explanation for crime and deviance that holds that people pursue criminal or deviant behavior to the extent that they identify themselves with real or imaginary people from whose perspective their criminal or deviant behavior seems acceptable (Schmalleger 125). According to Edwin Sutherland in 1939, crime is learned from social interactions. Social pathology, genetic inheritance, biological characteristics, and personality flaws cannot fully explain why people turn to crime. All behavior is learned in much the same way and crime, like behavior, is also learned.

In Elijah Anderson’s article “Code of the Street,” he offers differential association as an explanation for the informal rules governing interpersonal public behavior (75). The ‘code’ allows members to measure each other’s status in the group and influences the overall behavior of a large number of inner-city black youth (Anderson 74). According to Anderson, the behavior of the streets is learned from one another, and the culture surrounding the streets stems from the continuous reinforcement of that behavior. However, the code is not all about rules, as many young black men have adopted a street-oriented demeanor as a way of expressing their blackness (Anderson 85).

In policing, brutality and misconduct are observed and then replicated due to the lack of repercussions associated with that violence. Distinct personalities of police officers can be identified, with the most notable about misconduct being the “tough cop,” (Worden 26). They are most likely to use force improperly, cynical in the sense that they presume that people are motivated by narrow self-interest, conceive the role of police in terms of crime control, focusing especially on serious crime, and they see themselves as a negative force in people; ‘s lives. The “tough cop” believes that the citizenry is hostile toward police, and they identify with police culture (Worden 26). Police learn their criminality from each other. Of course, this implies that police brutality is a product of the police environment and not an innate characteristic of police officers. This directly contradicts the popular “bad apple” defense and instead brings light to the main issue: police culture. Highlighting organizational properties as influences on police behavior would seem to hold the greatest potential as a guide for police reform, as organizational factors are more readily altered than the demeanors of suspects or the outlooks of officers (Worden 28).

Theories

Routine Activities Theory

Routine activities theory is a theory that examines the interaction of motivated offenders, capable guardians, and suitable targets as an explanation for crime and suggests that an individual’s everyday activities contribute significantly to the likelihood of his or her criminal victimization (Schmalleger 187). Routine activities theory offers a “systems perspective” that explains both “criminal behavior and the likelihood of victimization,” (Duque et al. 1224). There are three parts to this: motivation, means, and opportunity.

In explaining active shooters, motivation is “aggrieved entitlement” among working-class white men, where they “see their jobs going abroad, while they are left to compete for the remaining low-paying jobs with an increasing number of non-white citizens and immigrants,” (Duque et al. 1226). This aggrieved entitlement stems from “the deterioration of our manufacturing, economic base, increasing heterogeneous threats to the U.S. – Anglo identity through immigration and diversity campaigns, which are fanned by conservative media and coupled with untreated mental illness have created a dangerous ethnocentric brew enough to motivate some to attack,” (Duque et al. 1227). The means is the physical capital available to active shooters, as there are an estimated 300 million guns on U.S. streets. Finally, the opportunity is the lack of supervision, legal limitations to exclude those with criminal records during recruitment phases at workplaces, HIPAA compliance making it impossible for mental health records to be available to employers, uncoordinated information sharing among law enforcement agencies, and three minute police times – leading to a possible 180 potential deaths. According to routine activities theory, you become a victim simply by following a routine. It is the “routine of activities” that transforms an individual into a suitable target for a motivated and rationally calculating active shooter.

For police officers, routine activities theory can also be used to explain the prevalence of excessive or improper force against American citizens. They have the motivation, whether that is racism or the belief that force is necessary to subdue a perceived threat (Worden 26). The means comes from the authority law enforcement possesses. Citizens are expected to obey every word of police officers, and this power imbalance between an officer and a citizen allows the means to use excessive force. The opportunity comes from a lack of bystanders or witnesses who would speak on behalf of the victim (Worden 33). Due to the “Blue Wall of Silence,” police officers will rarely speak against one another. These three come together and lead to the prevalence of police brutality we see in America today.

Subcultural Theory

Subcultural theory is a sociological perspective that emphasizes the contribution made by various socialized cultural groups to the phenomenon of crime. Culture is a collection of values, ideas, beliefs, and traits that characterize a human group–usually one defined by geographic boundaries, such as a nation. Like the larger culture, or the dominant culture, of which it is a part, a subculture is a collection of values and preferences that is communicated to subcultural participants through a process of socialization. Subcultures differ from the larger culture in that they claim the allegiance of smaller groups of people (Schmalleger 112).

In “Sexual Assault on Campus,” the importance of culture, institutional prejudice, and the normalization of deviance is put on display. There is a cultural expectation that partygoers at college parties will drink heavily and trust party-mates. This culture leads to vulnerability on the part of women, which some men exploit to attract non-consensual sex (Armstrong et al. 484).

Due to this identification with a culture that promotes violence, they learn and adopt the violent tendencies they have learned from their predecessors. Additionally, rookies are quickly led to believe that their academy training is merely a right of passage and that they will learn what they need to know on the street. Thus, according to this line of argument, the police culture is not only the primary reference group for officers but also the principle mechanism of organizational control over the substantive exercise of police discretion (Worden 29).

Conflict Theory

According to Karl Marx, the champion of conflict theory, two fundamental social classes exist within any capitalist society: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. He defines the bourgeoisie as the wealthy owners of the means of production, and the proletariat encompasses the large mass of people, those who are relatively uneducated and who are without power (Schmalleger 153). George B. Void describes crime as the product of political conflict between groups, a natural expression of the ongoing struggle for power, control, and material well-being. According to Void, powerful groups make laws, and those laws express and protect the groups’ interests. American society is a class system of the wealthy and powerful against marginalized minorities who have to be kept in their place (Lyle 7).

In “Left Behind,” profit motive is a cause for corruption. Teachers “young and old did not love to teach, they were just there to get paid” (Left Behind, 52:33). When monetary value is overly emphasized in comparison to other values, there are dangers in any field of work. The children suffer at the expense of greed. Even if they do attend schools, “they are going to be given a hard time, not be given an education, and the teachers are not going to be caring or not going to be there” (Left Behind, 53:44). There is an over-emphasis on trying to gain personal wealth rather than focusing on education and reform. This shows how there are larger cultural and institutional problems. In “Left Behind”, the school board struggled to prioritize the kids.

When looking at who is more likely to be victimized by the police, the answer lies in the lower class (Worden 33). The videotape of the brutal beating of Rodney King was used by those who would propagandize that American society is a class system of the wealthy and powerful against marginalized minorities who have to be kept in their place (Lyle 7). To uphold the laws written by the elite, police are the “instruments of the power elites in the maintenance of law and order,” (Lyle 11).

Cases

We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists

In the movie “We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists,” the story of Anonymous, a collective group of Internet activists is told. What started from the imageboard 4chan, Anonymous transformed from a group looking for laughs to “operations” involving attacking foreign governments. As described by Anon, “We stand for freedom. We stand for freedom of speech, the power of the people, and the ability for them to protest against the government, to right wrongs. No censorship, especially online but also in real life,” (We Are Legion 3:49).

The term “hacktivism” has its origins in writing software that people in other countries could use to communicate securely, even if their government was spying on them. It was about freedom of speech (We Are Legion 8:57). The main turning point from online “trolling” to political activism occurred with an attack on the Church of Scientology. After attempting to censor a video of Tom Cruz from the Internet, Anonymous put a video for the first time collectively referring to themselves as Anonymous. In the video, they said, “Anonymous invites you to take up the banner of free speech, of human rights, of family and freedom,” an emphasis on their moral standings, distinctly separating them from the “trolling” they did in the past (We Are Legion 37:17).

After the world drastically changed post 9/11, many online users noticed how government surveillance became commonplace in America. The right to privacy was a privilege only for the rich (We Are Legion 11:05). This was an injustice that many users refused to stand for. According to one Anon, “They don’t care to use the legal system to get you thrown in jail, they care to use the legal system to get you to stop,” (We Are Legion 48:08). This represents conflict theory, where the rich use their vast resources (the police) to go after the proletariat (the “hacktivists”) to keep them in their place. The police, in this example, exist solely not to do their job and follow the legal steps, but to prevent a behavior the elite deems undesirable.

The Newburgh Sting

After 9/11, the War on Terror reached new levels within the United States. In the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the consensus was that the “rules don’t apply anymore,” and that anything goes wrong when looking for potential terrorists (17:02). Unfortunately, part of what the FBI did was treat the entire Muslim community as suspects. It was this attitude that led to the entrapment of James Cromitie by FBI informant Shaheed Hussain.

From start to finish, the plot to blow up cars in the parking lot of a Synagogue and a military plane was entirely started, conceived, funded, and brought into being by Hussain. Led by Hussain, Cromitie, David Williams, Onta Williams, and Laguerre Payen planted a fake bomb constructed by the government in the parking lot of a Riverdale Synagogue to have the appearance of Jihad extremists (56:41). Julian Joslin, a paralegal on Onta Williams defense team, explained the entrapment as follows:

The government did not just choose Riverdale at random. Riverdale is directly above Manhattan, so it’s going to get attention as another terrorist plot being foiled right by the spot where 9/11 occurred. Shaheed Hussain had put a lot of pressure on Mr. Cromitie to find some bodies. From the FBI’s point of view, what they meant was. “We need to get some other people so we can say there’s a conspiracy,” because if Cromitie was the only person there can’t be a conspiracy, because the only other conspirator was a government agent. Shaheed Hussain tells the defendants we have to go pick these weapons up in Connecticut. But the reason was that if they hadn’t driven to Connecticut to pick these bombs up, it wouldn’t have been a federal crime. These guys had to cross state lines (45:50).

This broad overbreadth of law enforcement to convict four poor African American men is indicative of all branches of policing. Police in America will use their power, influence, and authority to keep the lower class out of society (Lyle 7).

Conclusion

In the past, sociologists have attempted to identify the reasoning for police brutality and misconduct in America to offer policy solutions. Despite this, the rate of instances of brutality has remained relatively constant throughout the years (Washington Post). A lack of empathy from the American people because those victimized by police tend to be of lower class contributes to the lack of accountability taken by police officers who engage in brutality (Worden 24).

Applying the sociological imagination and differential association provides different perspectives–the former explaining the lack of empathy of police officers and the latter explaining how this behavior occurs in police culture. Routine activities theory, subcultural theory, and conflict theory offer glimpses of how and why police brutality occurs. With routine activities theory, the police officers have the motivation, means, and opportunity to commit misconduct, and the victims are more likely to be victims due to their daily activities (being lower class or a minority). Finally, connecting “We Are Legion” and “The Newburgh Sting” together shows the wide overbreadth and control the police and by extension, the government has over its citizens.

Past solutions for solving police brutality have not effectively reduced the occurrence of violent events. Therefore, a more intricate and detailed approach needs to be made to prevent more instances of police brutality in America. Instead of focusing on reducing the opportunity via body cameras, more emphasis should be placed on reducing motivation. This can be achieved by focusing on the culture of policing and seeking to eliminate misconduct at the source.

Addressing the Multifaceted Impact of Police Brutality on Society

Neighborhood Class Impact

Police brutality is a problem that can affect the lives of the victims and the people they are connected to. This event has been going on for years, and today, police violence against minorities has become an extremely controversial issue. Many people have different perspectives on the topic. However, something most can agree on is that police violence is a crime that can be prevented or even stopped if more people act. People of different races die every day due to police brutality. The estimated number of killings of young black men means that roughly one in 1,000 black men face fatal police violence at a rate two and a half times greater than that of white men (P.R. Lockhart).

Another study found that almost 25% of African Americans and about 32% of other racial groups were not starting a problem or attacking officers when they were killed, compared to 17% of white people. (Brentin Mock). Some police will turn to violence straight away, but however, it goes beyond just shootings. Police have used other tactics to kill, such as physical force, tasers, and even their own vehicles. In fact, there are three types of police misconduct which include: unjustified street stops of citizens, verbal abuse, and the use of excessive force. (Ronald Weitzer)

Because of this, it has become a leading cause of death of young men in America, and there is a very large number of innocent people who are killed in violent acts. According to data from 2013-2018, they found that “fatal police violence is the sixth-leading cause of death for men ages 25-29 across all racial groups.” (P.R. Lockhart) This proves police brutality due to crimes occurring more often than many would think. Although sometimes, crime doesn’t even have to occur for officers to take action. If a certain color group is the main one doing the crimes in a town, that group is more likely to face the effects of police brutality (Brentin Mock).

Certain events from about five years ago have fueled the demand for police reform/accountability, and the situation involving Michael Brown is an example of this. He was an unarmed black teenager who was shot by a police officer in 2014, and his story sparked a controversy about the relationship between police violence and race (Kristin Dukes). Although previous events much like this one have had citizens all throughout the world hoping for change, only four states have laws requiring police to attempt to use other types of force when reasonable before using deadly force. This means that in most states, police can use deadly force on people without it being a big issue. Because of this, many citizens are scared to call the police because of how others are treated.

Neighborhood class is an overlooked factor, and it shapes citizen’s attitudes and experiences. (Ronald Weitzer) It has been proven that the residents of black and white middle-class neighborhoods are less likely to experience police brutality in their neighborhoods than the residents in lower-class neighborhoods. (Ronald Weitzer) Being in neighborhoods that police officers find unsafe poses a constant threat which is a cause. Police killings not only cause concerns about deaths but also has effects spreading throughout the whole community.

It increases depression and other mental health issues, such as anxiety and trauma among teens, and can worsen a child’s attendance at school. Knowing the exact neighborhoods in which these crimes occur helps community leaders know where to look out for other issues that are a result of officer’s use of force. (Diep, Francie) Heroes from stories can also be connected to the violence we see today, and two examples of heroes could be Beouwulf and Macbeth. The use of violence between the two differs. Beowulf was courageous and used violence for heroic and justifiable reasons, while Macbeth used violence for his own selfish/malevolent reasons. In “Beowulf,” the only time the hero uses brutality to solve problems is to get rid of the monsters who are terrorizing a village and to save the people.

Beowulf, Macbeth & Modern Parallels

He journeys far to the village with the intent of helping others and by “purging all evil from this hall.” (Raffel, 2003, pg 7) He states how his hands will fight for him and struggle for life against the monsters and how he will not fear them. (Raffel, 2003, pg 7) After Beowulf accomplished what he had set out to do, he was beloved by all and seen as a glorious champion. He risked his life to save others, which makes his use of violence justifiable.

However, Macbeth differed from Beowulf because his ambition and greed for power caused him to commit very unnecessary, violent crimes. Firstly, he murders the king to obtain his throne. After murdering the king and successfully getting away with it, Macbeth was ready to execute anybody in his way who threatened his power, whether they were innocent or not. For example, because he saw certain people as threats, he hired murderers to kill them. These people included his best friend Banquo, Banquo’s son, and the thane of fife, Macduff. Macbeth also kills Macduff’s family to punish him and discourage Macduff from fighting him.

However, Macbeth shows no remorse for the murders. In Act 3, scene 1 of the play, Macbeth tells the murderers to “always thought that I require a clearness” (Folger, pg 91). This showed that he did not care about the people he killed. He only cared about his image and was determined to make sure his reputation would not get ruined by people finding out about the wrongdoings he committed. This can be connected to police violence today because many police officers will use acts of violence for the same reasons Macbeth and Beowulf did.

Some will do it to be seen as the heroes, while others take matters into their own hands and believe violence is the right way to go about things but end up being seen as killers. Either way, lives can be ended, and everyone is affected by it. The effects of police brutality negatively impact many people’s lives and are a topic that should be spoken about more. So many unfortunate factors are involved in it, such as race, neighborhood class, depression & other health issues, violent tactics, and more. It has become a controversial issue that needs to be stopped before more lives are lost.

References:

1. Lockhart, P.R. “Police violence against minorities: One in 1,000 black men will die at the hands of police.” Vox, July 15, 2015.
2. Mock, Brentin. “The Geography of Police Killings.” CityLab, June 29, 2015.
3. Weitzer, Ronald. “Police use of excessive force in minority communities: A test of the minority threat, place, and community accountability hypotheses.” Social Problems 49, no. 3 (2002): 345-369.
4. Dukes, Kristin. “From Ferguson to #BlackLivesMatter: Using social media to counter hegemonic narratives of race, place, and justice.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity 2, no. 4 (2016): 402-410.
5. Diep, Francie. “When Police Kill: Understanding the Use of Force by Police Officers.” National Institute of Justice Journal, October 2017.
6. Raffel, Burton (translator). “Beowulf.” Signet Classics, 2003.
7. Shakespeare, William. “Macbeth.” Folger Shakespeare Library, 2011.