Protect and Server

When did the police in the United States forget what their oath means?  When a person becomes a police officer they take and oath to protect and server their community.  That means that they are supposed to Protect and Server everyone, including the suspects that they interact with on a daily basis.  Yet this is not what happens any longer.  It seems that the police are ready to protect and server themselves first and worry about their community second.

This is eveident in how many unarmed people are shot or hit with a taser many times without any provocation.  I really don’t understand how following the directions of the police is not enough to ensure that you stay safe.  The statement always given for these situations is “I felt threatened“.  Yet when the person survives one of these incidents they make the same statement.

My question is how do we as a society fix this?  I remember as a child always being told that the police were the good guys and there to help me, but now as an adult I am not so sure of this sentiment.  Are they really there to help me?  Can I blindly trust that a police officer does not pose a threat to me?  The answer to that question is actually a sad one.  I, as an almost 50 year old white English speaking woman, probably have little to fear from the police, but many of my friends and neighbors that don’t fit that description can’t say the same.

#protectandserver #justice #gunskill #personalthoughts