Justice is sought in the individual murders of African Americans, most recently Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. When President Obama mentions those particular murders, at the same time he mentions the systemic unequal treatment of African Americans in the American legal system. Many statistics show that police arrests, arrests, prosecutions, sentencing, and incarceration are quite harsh on African Americans. What is unclear is whether this is due to systemic racism or increased crime rates by African Americans. Each side in this debate organizes its own statistics. Progressives often refer to Michelle Alexander’s book, The New Jim Crow, which unfortunately does not contain any solutions. Conservatives prefer the simple statement of Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke, Jr. when he recommends, “Stop trying to fix the police, fix the ghetto!” Fixing the ghetto has proven nearly impossible, and the war on poverty made matters worse.
The critical interface between suspects and police generates the most publicity, especially when white police officers shoot at African Americans. This publicized interaction in cases in recent years represents only the first juncture in the legal system. There are multiple later stages of the criminal justice system under criticism. Police shootings generate controversy that then includes all subsequent stages of the system. Discussing perceived injustice in the later stages of the criminal justice system makes statistical analysis incredibly complex for any use with the problem of split-second decision-based police shootings. As a result, critics put system-wide discontent into these split-second decisions. The murder of African Americans becomes the mascot of all perceived discrimination throughout the criminal justice system … and, at times, in the American economy. Uncertainty surrounds recent shootings until investigations, grand juries, trials and even sentencing are complete.
Lately, some have turned away from the nonviolence preached by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior. With these big and complicated issues under discussion, tackling the problem of police shootings has a simpler solution than the larger controversies lead us to believe.
Most of the publicized police shootings in recent years could have been avoided if citizens had obeyed all of the following accepted rules when stopped or approached by police officers:
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Obey the instructions and orders of the police, it is the law.
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Do not interfere with or obstruct the police, as you can be arrested for doing so.
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Think carefully about your words, movements, body language, and emotions.
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Do not argue with the police.
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Keep your hands where the police can see them.
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Dont run. Do not touch any police officer.
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Don’t resist even if you think you’re innocent.
Out of respect for law enforcement and all lives, our leaders must educate the public about these common sense rules. This is what Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wants us to do now.
