Being killed for the color of your skin is not something unheard of. There is a history of this, and it is still happening today. Racist police officers accuse minorities of committing crimes, and kill them for no reason. We live in the United States, “the land of the free,” I guess there’s an exception to this if you’re a person of color. My idea of living free isn’t being scared for your life whenever a cop drives by. Capitalism is the root of this issue, and it’s something that can and needs to be stopped.
It seems like every day there is a new video posted on social media of a police officer terrorizing or killing an innocent person. Minorities experience violence and murder by police officers in a disproportionate way. In fact, ProPublica released a shocking fact that young black men are 21 times more likely to be shot by police than white men. Police officers believe they are helping fight crime in the United States. While they do their fair share, in reality they are just tools used to suppress the growing anger of those who are living in poverty.
But why is police brutality happening? Police officers have received the “ok” from the powers that be. Who are the ones who rule? Well, we are living in a society where there is a growing gap between the rich and the poor. However, the rich make up a small percentage of our population (that’s why they’re called the one percent), and it is apparent that they take part in almost every political decision taken. This is inherent within the profit-driven system. While resources are privately controlled, people will make a great amount of money, and in turn will promote laws and institutions that help their own goals.
According to Census figures released in 2013, “Blacks and Hispanics are more likely than whites to be poor, and to be in poverty and deep poverty.” The ruling class of the United States (the rich) has always done what it can to stop people from revolting. Why are our jails so populated? For the same reason there is such an increase in police brutality. The killings of Eric Garner, Michael Brown and Tamir Rice have caused uprisings. People are participating in die-ins, walk outs, vigils and protests. There is a growing anger in the working class, and the government needs a way to control it.
There is often the counterargument to police brutality, saying that if you’re going to commit a crime, you should deal with the punishment. The main flaw in this counterargument is that many of the people killed by police officers have not committed any crimes. For those that committed a crime and were killed, I believe death was an unjustified punishment they should have received. Personally, I don’t believe a man should be killed for stealing cigarette wrappers, and a 16 year old boy shouldn’t be tackled by nine cops for standing in a bus lane. The amount of violence being used by police officers is unnecessary.
The only way to solve this issue is by getting rid of the root cause of this violence, which is the capitalist system. The capitalist system is supported by racism and violence, which are used by the rich in order to keep us divided. We need to better our living conditions by not allowing big corporations to be in charge and by fighting against racism, which are intertwined. By continuing to educate ourselves, organizing, and demanding solutions to issues, we can make this a better world. A world that is actually “the land of the free.”