In recent years we have seen unarmed young black men shot and killed by police officers with little to no legal consequences. This has brought about a rise in the awareness of police bias and brutality when dealing with certain groups of people. Furthermore, it has caused violent protests to emerge and social movements to come to fruition.

This topic is important to me because it is something that I can directly relate to as a young black male. In addition, police officers are supposed to protect the general public but in some cases we see this objective taking a negative turn that not only affects young black males but all minorities, and frankly all persons.

Police departments are institutions that are put in place to protect all people equally but in some areas there has been corruption and depredation that only targets and affects a certain demographic. Police are role models who are supposed to act with the utmost morality and the system, a system that effects all americans, is seemingly flawed.

This concept is not one that has just come about, biased policing is a part of our nations history and the national divide is one that we have worked very hard to try and change. Dismissing the events that we see happening in our country today will only cause us to regress.

One argument: police act with more force (usually unnecessary) when dealing with minority groups compared to their caucasian counterparts and frequently stop or search minorities at a much higher rate than caucasians demonstrating a bias and racial profiling that is happening among police officers.

Counter argument: While minority groups may be stopped, questioned, and searched more often then caucasians they are no more likely to experience unnecessary or deadly force during these events than caucasians.