Police Officers, Violence, Race: An End To Corruption

Something is taking place. Something serious is happening on the corners of city streets throughout America. There is a cry, a shout, a desperate plea for help, for justice and for equality.

This past week brings the total killings by police officers to 509. While some of these shootings may have been justified, there were 2 different scenes in Minnesota and Louisiana that have filled the airwaves these past few days. These shootings were recorded and showed 2 black men shot point blank by police officers. 

In addition to the police killings, there have been police officers that have lost their lives due to senseless violence. Neither situation is right or justified.

People will take different sides of this story, which is understandable. The goal of this message is to ask you to look deep and identify the root cause to these horrific situations and deaths.

My Experience With The Police

I’ve had a handful of interactions with police officers. Fortunately, I was never convicted of any of the charges I’ve been forced to fight.

Raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, I was one of the few kids of color in my entire neighborhood. While my parents and grandparents never told me how specifically to interact with cops, I recall as a young boy watching Rodney King getting beaten by police officers on the 10 o’clock news. I remember reading the biography of Martin Luther King Jr. and hearing of the evil things that black people have gone through. I also remember my principal in 9th grade call me a gang leader and then in my senior year being called into the principal’s office to be questioned by drug enforcement officers.

There was something within me that knew to stay quiet and be as respectful to police officers as possible.

When I moved to Seattle for college and was on my own, I was tested to see how I could handle the experience of being detained and questioned by law enforcement.

I remember early one morning I was driving to my college job at Applebee’s. On the freeway, I changed lanes and suddenly I saw flashing lights behind me. I knew I wasn’t speeding and proceeded to pull over.

The officer approached the car with his hand on his gun. As I rolled down my window, he stuck his head into the passenger seat and told me to exit the car.

Upon exiting, he demanded me to turn around with my hands up and walk towards him. He then handcuffed my wrists so tight that my hands ached and he said he smelled marijuana in the car.

Confused, I sat on the side of the freeway while he called for backup and searched my car.

He found nothing but still gave me a ticket. The ticket wasn’t for speeding or an improper lane change so I asked him what it was all about. The only thing he said was that I better show up to court. I uttered a few words to him, questioning his conscience and actions then drove off.

When I went to court a few weeks later the judge read my charges. It just so happened that the cop wrote on the paper that I had over 8 grams of marijuana in my possession.

Unable to get a proper attorney, I was given a public defender. The defender did little defending and told me to take a plea or risk being fined or even jailed.

After 5 different court visits, where they hope you miss so you can get a warrant, they gave me 2 years probation and a fine.

I share this story with you because while there are good cops out there, there are some bad ones as well. They lie, deceive, intimidate and in the worst case kill.

History of America

As I write this, I can’t help but be reminded of the history of this country we call America. When I look at history, I can see the root cause of these tragic effects we’re seeing.

First, there has always been an oppression of minorities and people of color on this land they call free. Whether it’s the Native Americans receiving false treaties, being poisoned, or forced off their land and killed. Whether it’s the millions of African slaves who were brought to America to be sold as cattle. Whether it’s Asian people being placed in concentration camps where they were forced to work in mines and build things like the railroad. Or whether it’s Latin people being told they have no place in America, oppression has never left the United States of America.

When I was conducting a workshop with the youth in Honduras a few months back, I told the kids to ask me any question they wanted about America.

The first question they asked is, why do the police kill so many black people?

The time has come where we must take a stand together. Stand against corruption, against injustice, against a broken political system, a time to be the Change.

To finish this post, I’d like to clear any objections that you may be thinking as we discuss this systemic problem facing America today.

Clarifying the Objections

#1 -Those People Shot By Police Deserved It – While there may be times where police lives are threatened and warrant a gun to be drawn, there have been too many cases recently where guns were unnecessary. Instead of telling young minority men and women to stop acting suspicious and giving the cops reason to shoot, we should discuss the justice system in America and the proper way to handle these altercations. Everyone’s life has value, however, it seems when a cop kills an unarmed man or a man who has a right to carry a gun, the dead man’s life is seen as worthless. On top of this, the justice system does little to convict officers who were at fault. Instead of saying they deserve this or they deserve that, we all deserve to talk honestly as a nation about these problems.  

#2 – It’s All Nonsense – He or she who says nothing in the face of oppression, sides with the oppressors. To dismiss the 561 deaths in the first 7 months of 2016 by the hands of a cop is to avoid the problem we face as a country. Instead of turning the other cheek, it is an opportunity for us to move forth into action, being the change we wish to see. This can’t be done on social media or from our couch, we must actively step forth into our communities, cities and states and shift the corruption that is rearing its ugly head across America.  

#3 – America is the Greatest Country in the World – While America offers many incredible opportunities for entrepreneurs, business development and advancing one’s life forward, there are many areas in which America struggles. One of the prevalent areas is race relations. I invite you to venture down to the “hood” in your city. Get out of your car, walk through the streets and tell me what you feel. Do you feel threatened, scared, fearful, or do you see people that have been broken, failing schools, liquor stores and little opportunity? As a half black, half white male, when I moved to Atlanta from the west coast, I had a culture shock. If I felt the hidden discrimination within myself, I can only imagine what someone who is in a predominately white state feels. This is our chance to become even greater my friend.  

Opportunity for this Week

Break down the walls of limitation, separation and discrimination within yourself. Recognize the areas where you may have prejudice or hate towards another person.

As you do this, seek to understand the other person and destroy those barriers within.

With all these things happening regarding police, corruption, and race, it is a call for you and I to step forth into Action.

We are the change we’ve been waiting for. It starts with You.

 

Peace

Happiness

Compassion

Respect

Jeffon Seely

 

Three Key Life