Police Brutality: An Edgar Allan Poe Style Post
Once upon a midnight dreary, citizens of the United States live in fear of those who are sworn to protect them. Indeed, within this land of the free and home of the brave, police brutality is a frightening reality that continues to haunt many individuals.
From coast to coast, there have been numerous reports of police officers using excessive force during routine traffic stops or when apprehending suspects. The use of unnecessary physical violence has led to the loss of innocent lives and left many families grieving for their loved ones.
Despite public outrage and protests against such acts, little seems to change as these cases continue to occur with alarming frequency. It begs the question – where is justice? Where is accountability?
In one instance, it was reported that an unarmed African-American man was shot six times by a police officer during an encounter in Ferguson, Missouri. Despite being found guilty by a grand jury for wrongful death and misconduct in office charges; he received only four years in prison – A mere slap on the wrist compared to his victim’s fate.
The lack of appropriate punishment sends a message that law enforcement officials can act with impunity without consequence – making it seem like they are above the law which should not be acceptable under any circumstances.
It’s time for society as a whole to rise up against this violation of human rights. We need greater accountability from our government officials including district attorneys who must prosecute these crimes without bias or favoritism towards officers involved.
We must demand better training for all police officers so they can learn how best practices about handling situations before resorting physical force which endangers someone’s life unnecessarily.
Edgar Allan Poe once wrote “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” If we fail as citizens to stand up against injustice now and hold those accountable for their actions then what kind of dream will we pass on down through future generations?