When I decided to start a blog, I let everyone know that this space would always be available if anyone ever had something they wanted to say. I have asked several people on numerous occasions to submit an essay, an opinion piece, or some fiction. They always tell me they will think about it and then they disappear into the ether. So, you can imagine how happy I am to post the following essay by Leslie Fraley.
The Way Forward
by
Leslie Fraley
I am so tired, hurt, appalled, and outraged by the actions of police officers in this country. They have been not only victimizing the African-American community for 200 years; they have been trampling the rights of all citizens in this country and getting away with it for far too long. Anyone who thinks this is a new problem is naïve or in denial. The only reason we are able to document these abuses now is due to the ubiquitous smartphone. I thank God every day for the technology that brings the evil that men do into the light.
People have been calling for better training, better laws, citizen review boards, and the like as a watchdog to contain overzealous actions by a police brotherhood that protects its own, even when they are clearly in the wrong. “Protect and Serve” is meant for the police as a motto focused on citizens, not to render a protective blanket around themselves, at the expense of the public good. How could a man put his foot on another man’s neck, I am speaking about the treatment of George Floyd by Officer Chauvin for those of you who don’t know, for nine minutes while the man is in handcuffs on the ground. How do you justify the feeling that your life is in ultimate danger in this position? I guess that dark skin just scares the hell out you, doesn’t it? How could several other officers watch this occur and do nothing? When George Floyd was saying he could not breathe, how much effort would it have taken for someone to walk over and check on him?
How much effort would it take to say to your fellow officer, “Chauvin that is not necessary, get off of him”? How could a group of 30 cops in Buffalo being given the orders to clear the streets think that it is okay to push down a 75-year-old peaceful protestor, observe that he was bleeding from the head, and just act like they did a good job? How could anyone think that this type of behavior is okay? And then when the offending officers in Buffalo get called out for their misdeeds and are reprimanded, the entire team of 57 officers quits in protest! I can’t even wrap my head around that reaction.
Who do you think you are? You must believe yourselves to be above the law! No amount of training is going to give people that lack moral courage a different perspective. No amount of training is going to stop people from being racist if that is the way they were taught. No additional laws are going to protect the public from an out of control police force that gets off with a slap on the wrist when the perpetrators are put on trial. Asking for permission has become way out of fashion; we would rather ask for forgiveness. If the police and District Attorneys stack the deck in their favor by changing venues to more favorable locales, how do you hold anyone accountable? Does the Rodney King incident back in the 1990’s ring a bell for anyone? The Los Angeles police beat a man senseless and were found not guilty after they moved the trial to a venue more disposed to not caring about what happened to a person of color. Too many of these officers think that giving them a badge is a license to do whatever they feel they want to do, and so far, this has been the case. I was filled with hope and vindication last year when Officer Amber Guyger was convicted of murder, and sentenced to prison for the slaying of Botham Jean. She only received ten years, but it’s a start. A small price to pay for walking into the home of a black man minding his own business and killing him; and then claiming it was a mistake.
Far too many of these officers are not equipped with the right mentality to do the job. I will not say all officers are to blame, that is too easy and blatantly false. We have good people trying to do their jobs to keep us safe, and I appreciate their efforts. I see your acts of kindness in buying food for those in need. I see you taking some time to play basketball with kids in the street when you were called in to break up the game because they were disturbing the peace. I recognize that there is a myriad of officers, both female and male, who deescalate conflicts. I applaud you for doing a job that is tough to do. However, do not for one minute think that because you put your life on the line, it gives you carte blanche to do whatever it is you feel you can get away with. It has become axiomatic that some of these officers we have trained lack compassion for their fellow citizens. You can’t dictate to someone how to feel about others. You cannot create legislation and expect it to provide a conscience to people. I mean, really, what is the difference between what the Nazis did in the 1940s to the Jews and what is being done today in America? The Nazis were more efficient at it. I have one potential solution; that might help as a training aid. Give every officer a card that they have to pull out of their pocket and read before going on a call that says the following: “I am a police officer sworn to uphold the law. I need to treat everyone that I encounter like it is my mother or father, aunt or uncle, sister or brother, childhood friend, or military buddy.”
A very good friend of mine told me about a tradition at Harvard. They bring in all the new students and tell them that a unique opportunity has been bestowed upon them. It is a privilege to study at a great university, and because of that honor, much is expected of you as an individual. The same is true of being a police officer. You are given much authority, so you need to conduct yourself to a higher standard. You can’t let your prejudice, hatred, fear, or having a bad day affects how you execute the functions of your daily job.
I have to give Colin Kaepernick a shout out for his willingness to ruin his career to make our society a better place. Some people like Drew Brees would say he was desecrating the flag and the service of our men and women in uniform. One has absolutely nothing to do with the other. He didn’t burn a flag, nor did he raise his middle finger to our soldiers, sailors, and airmen. He used his national spotlight to make people think about what is going on in our country. It is easy for people not affected by police brutality to say it doesn’t belong there in our face when we want to just enjoy a game. To you, I say, where does it belong? Do teachers discuss it in classrooms? Do we have town hall meetings about it? No one ever talks about it or does anything until a high profile person takes the time to bring it to everyone’s attention. Unfortunately, Colin also made a major mistake. He admitted that he does not vote. That brings us to my other solution.
My second solution to help make America great again is for everyone to vote. We citizens need to look at the records of our politicians at every level of government and vote out those individuals that do not uphold the ideals of fairness and justice for all. How long did it take for everyone to get the right to vote? A person not availing themselves of this right is not only a disgrace; she is giving a middle finger to the flag, to our military, and to the people that fought so that we all could vote. A society should be judged by how its most vulnerable citizens are treated. America does not have the best record in this matter, but we keep on pushing forward, learning from our mistakes, and trying to make tomorrow a better place. All US citizens have a right to be here, have a right to equal justice under the law, have a right to vote, and have a right to go about their daily lives without harassment.
I have to be an optimist and think that we will someday reach this apex, but it is going to take the efforts of everyone to make this happen. I am not a high profile superstar. I do not have one million followers on twitter. I am not a politician. This is my contribution to the dialogue that I hope pushes us in the right direction. The late Michael Jackson said it best, “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change.”
Leslie Fraley