People have been saying since the beginning of political science and the study of people and societies, that positions of power can be corrupting. When discussing the corruption that derives from powerful positions, we seem to only mention political leaders. So I have asked the question, if politicians can become corrupt, why can’t others in power like the police?
Sure, politicians make the laws. Very few things can be more powerful than discerning and codifying that which is deemed wrong versus right in a society. However, law enforcement has a ton of power as well. They carry numerous weapons typically, and have pretty vague discretion to act as they see fit, even if that includes killing.
The recent killings of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and many more, lead us to believe that cops may have more power than at any time in our history. We like to think we are so advanced as a nation, but a black man can be killed ON VIDEO and the perpetrating officer is not indicted for anything. Of course no one was saying he should be charged, necessarily, with first degree murder, but he wasn’t even charged with assault. Nothing.
This wide range of discretion along with the already embedded cultural idea that the police are at the top of a social order, gives them an incredible amount of power. Somehow though, they have still remained above the fray. The same people who think every politician is a scumbag and corruption runs rampant in Washington D.C., find it nearly impossible to criticize the police force. But I do not understand. Police officers, like politicians, have power in our society. With power comes a sense of entitlement and feeling that the rules do not apply to one’s self.
We see this all the time with politicians. Famous and prestigious men and women who’s careers are ruined because they act stupidly, often thinking that they will not get caught, or that they will get away with it because of who they are. Regardless of whatever punishment may come from their actions, it speaks a lot to their psychological state that so many engage in such risky behavior. These people just think they are better than the rest of us in many situations.
This also applies to a lot of police officers. We cannot continue to act as if cops are Jesus and that everything they say and do is right or should even be trusted. We know that officer Darren Wilson, the officer who killed Michael Brown, told contradictory accounts of what happened. We also know that the police lied about what happened in the killings of Kajieme Powell in St. Louis and Tamir Rice in Cleveland. Officers say one thing and then something comes up to prove them wrong. In the above mentioned cases, we have video footage that was able to disprove the police’s initial accounts. And yet, nothing has been done to their killers as of yet (still pending).
But most times we have not had video proof. So often, the police word?is the gospel. We just assume that they are so much more trustworthy, respectful, and honorable, and that we should believe their accounts at all cost. I do not understand why we can’t view them as politicians. Each has their own merit, of course, the but the overwhelming notion is that the power that comes with being a politician has a greatly corrupting affect. The same should be applied to the police. While most cops are good, the ones that kill and act outlandishly aren’t simply “rogue.” This is an entire cultural phenomenon that has been perpetuated, telling them that they can do what the average person can’t. That they will not be held responsible. That they can kill with impunity.
While officers do risk their lives to protect us, let’s not forget that black and brown people are commonly risking their lives with each and every engagement that they may have with the police. Being in a suit, being elderly, being non-threatening, etc., cannot always save you from your black skin and the inherited belief of danger that goes along with that skin.
Power corrupts. Either this is true or not. Either we believe it or we don’t. It doesn’t make since that we continue to only ascribe this theory to politicians. We must believe that this is happening in law enforcement throughout the country. This mind-frame of entitlement and deism, has caused the deaths of so many of our brothers and sisters. Acknowledging this is the first step at combating at.
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