The recent war of words between the Cambridge Police Department and President Obama over Professor Gates arrest has truly reached a new crescendo which yesterday Obama tried to decrescendo.
Yes, I believe that President Obama shouldn’t have used the word “stupidly” in how the arresting officer acted. Nonetheless, this whole incident does bring to light how people are treated differently based on race, gender and sexual orientation. Minorities (primarily Blacks and Hispanics) are treated with less respect than that of Whites. And gays and lesbians are treated with indifference.
This is not to say that all police officers treat people poorly. There are those who will respect you and treat you humanely as long as you return the curtsey. If you’re stopped or have to interact with any officer for whatever reason, just act right. Don’t be an ass cause this will certainly put you on the bad side of the officer and could land you in the pokey. If he or she asks for identification, for God sakes, just show it. Answer their questions honestly and politely. And when you’re free to move on, just thank them.
Will there ever be a conclusive solution in how police officers treat everyone equally? No! There will always be those officers who will overstep their authority and use their position to intimidate. But in recent years with the use of dash cams and cameras, more often than not, abusive officers are being caught going overboard in their treatment of citizens. And thankfully these offending officers are weeded out. So what should you do if you’re confronted by an offending officer? Get their badge number and name then file a complaint. If your situation isn’t resolved at least your complaint is on file.
Whether you interact with a decent officer or not, always treat them respect. Yes, sometimes this may be difficult to do, but in the long run how you treat them can affect the outcome. Therefore, when being engaged remember you are basically in control of the situation and how you handle yourself is more important than how they handle you. After all, police officers are simply doing their job. Some are better at their job than others. Nonetheless, respect goes both ways and in this situation, I believe, it begins with you and me.
Yes, I believe that President Obama shouldn’t have used the word “stupidly” in how the arresting officer acted. Nonetheless, this whole incident does bring to light how people are treated differently based on race, gender and sexual orientation. Minorities (primarily Blacks and Hispanics) are treated with less respect than that of Whites. And gays and lesbians are treated with indifference.
This is not to say that all police officers treat people poorly. There are those who will respect you and treat you humanely as long as you return the curtsey. If you’re stopped or have to interact with any officer for whatever reason, just act right. Don’t be an ass cause this will certainly put you on the bad side of the officer and could land you in the pokey. If he or she asks for identification, for God sakes, just show it. Answer their questions honestly and politely. And when you’re free to move on, just thank them.
Will there ever be a conclusive solution in how police officers treat everyone equally? No! There will always be those officers who will overstep their authority and use their position to intimidate. But in recent years with the use of dash cams and cameras, more often than not, abusive officers are being caught going overboard in their treatment of citizens. And thankfully these offending officers are weeded out. So what should you do if you’re confronted by an offending officer? Get their badge number and name then file a complaint. If your situation isn’t resolved at least your complaint is on file.
Whether you interact with a decent officer or not, always treat them respect. Yes, sometimes this may be difficult to do, but in the long run how you treat them can affect the outcome. Therefore, when being engaged remember you are basically in control of the situation and how you handle yourself is more important than how they handle you. After all, police officers are simply doing their job. Some are better at their job than others. Nonetheless, respect goes both ways and in this situation, I believe, it begins with you and me.
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