2020 has been a crazy year. Just when you thought 2016 was polarizing and could not be topped, 2020 said, “hold my beer!”
We are living with a pandemic during a polarizing election year, tensions are high, unarmed black men are being murdered in public with complete disregard while with phone cameras were rolling, and people are frustrated with the status quo.
A lot of questions are being asked and demands are being made. Why do things have to stay the same? Why can’t a bad law be changed to make it right? People are standing up and saying just because it’s been done one way in the past doesn’t make it right to do now.
Somewhere along the way, we forgot to love one another and not be so complacent in our own lives.
It’s time to work on fixing the problems like racism in policing, but also rejoice in the victories like how companies can no longer fire someone based on sexual orientation.
So let’s talk policing. Police reform is more about government reform. I’ve worked as a journalist in newspaper and broadcast radio and have witnessed the best of the best and worst of the worst in law enforcement. I’ve witnessed first hand horrible officers remaining on the job because of red tape, government bureaucracy, and horribly written laws.
I know what one officer did and he knows I know about it, but there isn’t more than circumstantial evidence against him and witnesses won’t talk about it except off the record. One time I was set to do a police ride along. When I got there and the officers were deciding which one of them I would ride with, I looked at that horrible officer and asked, “what about you? Where is your post tonight?” because I knew it would make him uncomfortable. He immediately looked the ground and said he “mostly had paperwork to compete in the office” that night and couldn’t do it, even though he was on patrol all night.
As soon as I said that, a Sargent poked me in my side and said, “Not him!!! Never him!!!” Then the head of the department (think Chief/Sheriff) pulled me to the side and told me not to ride with that officer because he is a horrible officer, he will one day get the department in trouble, and he can’t fire this officer because he only has the authority to fire officers for major offenses. The department head told me that officer does something different everyday that he should get fired for, but he can’t do anything about it. Even on things he has the authority to fire an officer for, that officer has to go before an internal affairs or policing board outside the department for an actual official firing. That is a broken system! Horrible officers like this one are the ones looking for opportunities to take advantage of people, use their power to do harm, sexually assault, abuse, and sometimes even murder unarmed black citizens at will.
Our government is so overrun with bureaucracy and protection of its own government workforce, it allows horrible officers to remain on the job to the dismay of his/her fellow officers. These other officers were embarrassed to work in a department with the officer I am referring to, but there was nothing they, or the commanding officer, could do about it. This one officer made the entire department look bad despite having a lot of great officers.
I’m sure most, if not all, of the officers involved in murdering unarmed black citizens were just like the officer I mentioned. They were all protected by poorly written laws on the books, a weak law defining “necessary force”, lack of laws requiring officers to relinquishing “necessary force” down to “equal force” once a suspect has been subdued, lack of laws requiring good officers at any level of training or rank to step in and protect a citizen, and other laws that need to be changed. We have a system that allows evil and racist officers to walk the streets with more power than you or I have with no consequences.
Officers like the one I mentioned, and those whom have murdered citizens, have been allowed to get away with anything for far too long. Reform starts with new laws to allow commanding officers to clean house and relieve these horrible officers of their duties. Then continue with new laws and new policies designed to protect the citizens. It might not be easy to write a new law, but it isn’t hard either. New laws need to be implemented to take the power out of the hands of bureaucrats and ending tenure practices that allow officers to not be punished. If you are bad at your job, you will get fired. Shouldn’t officers be held to the same, but even higher, standards?! I promise, most officers I know are great. They work for far less money than most of us make and proudly volunteer to stand between you and a bullet no matter your race, religion, sexual orientation, or believes. It’s time we stop protecting those who are not in this category. Those are the officers doing harm and the racist ones will end up taking advantage of this antiquated system and protections. If you are going to put your knee on someone’s neck for almost 9-minutes, this isn’t the first time you have done something wrong and others know about it.
Everything isn’t bad though. For the first time, laws are being reviewed and action is starting!
Just this week, the United States Supreme Court handed down a bi-partisan decision to ban companies from firing someone based on sexual orientation. Things are looking up. Just remember this message and make it clear in your head: Love one another.
Pictured is Devin Williams of Arizona climbing in the Obed Wild & Scenic Area in East Tennessee on Monday. He is proudly supporting Pride Month and the court’s decision. This was a major victory in protecting individuals and a community from discrimination.
Keep fighting against what is wrong, but don’t overlook the victories along the way. Despite what you read and see from news outlets, there is more good than bad.
This world is filled with too much hate and you shouldn’t waste your energy on it. If you receive hate, keep your head high and stand strong. If you give hate, learn, listen, and stop hating. Even if you don’t agree with someone, love one another!
