Police Brutality Do You Think Thesis

There have been numerous situations in which people have been aggressed because of their skin colour or because they found themselves at the wrong time in the wrong place. Police brutality was indeed an abuse of power whenever these situations occurred.

How do you come with such an abuse of power? Is it just? Or, more accurately put, can it ever considered to be just? Is there anything in this world which could make us justify the complete abandonment of power of the individual? The answer is "no" and the reasons that support it are more than numerous.

First and foremost, such an abuse of power can not be tolerated because it would be just the beginning of a series of actions that would probably end up with the construction of a totalitarian regime. Secondly, justice and law must be reinforced, but the manner in which this happens is fundamental. The application of the law is just as important as the principles which lay at their foundation.

Some might argue that police brutality is sometimes used in order to cool things down in circumstances in which the abuse of power can not be avoided. There is no doubt regarding the validity of this statement. However, the means through which a purpose is achieved is just as important as the purpose itself.

What is the solution then? Well, if we had he right answer, police brutality would probably not happen anymore. If it happens and it remains unpunished then it is an obvious proof o the weakness of the citizen in relation to the state. What can we as citizens do in order to fix things?

The answer is simple: not allow for these sort of things to remain unpunished. The power of the state derives from the people. We must always keep that in mind. How can this situation be improved? Is it through harsher punishments such as firing and fining the ones in question? I'm afraid that this method of punishment is only a method of punishment and not by far a method of prevention.Socrates argued that human nature is fundamentally good and that people do wrong only because they are ignorant of what they are doing. I believe that two thousand years of history are casting some doubt upon this credo. And I also believe that freedom is a value and a right that must be protected no matter what. Can we educate the cops in order to make sure that evil actions such as those involving brutality will not be happening anymore? I doubt it.

The fact that it is us that need to think about a plausible solution is another reason of concern. It is the state that should come up with a good solution. Since it is unable to, then this proves that the state fails to respect its mission. And this is not a good sign.

If the state fails to achieve its purpose, then this implies that its founding principles are not that infallible.

To conclude with, aggressiveness and abuse of power, coming from the state instrument meant to protect and to serve the citizen can be considered a symptom of what society has become. The postmodernist decay of values is reflected by this reality. Who is then to protect and to serve when we are our own enemies?

Bibliography:

MacKinnon, Barbara. (2008)Ethics and contemporary issues. Wadsworth Publishing

Pierce, Jessica.(2004) Morality Play: case studies in ethics .McGraw Hill Humanities/Social sciences/Languages

Scheingold, Stuart A.(2004) The politics of rights: lawyers, public policy and political change.University of Michigan

Skolnick, Jerome H., Fyfe, James.(1994). Above the law police and the excessive use of force. Free pres

Williams, Christian, James, Joy (2007).Our enemies in blue: police and power in America (revised edition). South End Press......