Are police racist or doing their job? August 9th, 2014 was a day that sparked drastic controversy throughout the United States because of the “shooting of an unarmed African American teenager” (The Carolina Reader 173). This excerpt by Tim Dickenson relates to the origin of the African American social movements which has electrified the nation. Outbreaks of these movements spread into various towns and cities all over the United States fighting against racial injustice and law enforcement. On page 174, Dickenson states “These police unwilling to accept that they themselves are a legitimate target of protest, have barraged protesters with tear gas, rubber bullets, and sonic cannons; fired from war vehicles that have no justification on civilian streets” (The Carolina Reader). This statement addresses that the police do not accept themselves as targets of the past protests that have occurred. Dickinson addressing police officers as “unwilling to accept themselves as legitimate targets of protest” illuminates our understanding of this cultural issue because it is obvious that the police did see themselves as targets. 

During the protests that sparked in Ferguson, the police definitely saw themselves as targets. According to pages 173 and 174 in The Carolina Reader, “Unarmed protesters decrying the death of an unarmed black teenager were ordered to shut up and stand down by white police officers targeting them through the scopes of sniper rifles”. This quote shows how culture is a definite initial factor in this issue because the author distinguished the skin color of both the protesters and the police officers in Ferguson. This quote also reveals that the police officers did see themselves as targets because they were not only protecting themselves with their usual handguns, but also with less commonly seen sniper rifles. Having their snipers ready to fire is an example of how law enforcement officers saw themselves as targets of protest. 

Violent riots also took place in Missouri. What started off as protests in Ferguson soon became much worse because people turned into violent rioters. When the protesters became violent, law enforcement “barraged them with tear gas, rubber bullets, and sonic cannons” (The Carolina Reader 174). A reported “25 buildings,” (The Damage in Ferguson) were burned down in these past violent acts of redemption. The use of these military grade equipment and weapons to prevent further chaos is another example of how police officers saw themselves as targets.

The death of teenager Michael Brown, created the sense of a common enemy for the African American community. The common enemy for the Black Community were police officers. The officer who killed Michael Brown is a man named Darren Wilson. Officer Wilson wasn’t “charged” (Sharif) with murder or any other offense, while he was responsible for the teens death. In the eyes of the African American community justice was not served and officer Darren Wilson was to blame. Wilson being a white man shows how ethnicity is a major factor in the social movements that occurred in the United States. Tim Dickenson stated on page 174 of The Carolina Reader that “police officers did not see themselves as legitimate targets of protest”, but they obviously did because a killing done by another policer officer was the reason why these protests and riots started in the first place.

On December 20th, 2014 there was a social movement in a mall near Bloomington, Minnesota (Anti-police brutality rally paralyzes Mall of America).  This movement had an “estimated 3000 participants” (Anti-police brutality rally paralyzes Mall of America). These protesters “staged several die-ins in front of retail stores, holding up slogans such as Black Lives Matter" (Anti-police brutality rally paralyzes Mall of America). These acts put emphasis on the black deaths that had already happened in the U.S. After about thirty minutes into the rally, “riot equipped police started to clear the area from the ground floor trying to prevent further protests” (Anti-police brutality rally paralyzes Mall of America). As the police tried to remove the activists, many put their hands in the air chanting “Hands up, Don’t Shoot (Anti-police brutality rally paralyzes Mall of America). This act of chanting refers back to the shooting of unarmed African American teenager Michael Brown. Protesters rallying and chanting is a simple act of freedom of speech, yet the Police still came to the mall equipped with riot shields to protect themselves. Coming to the scene of protest equipped with riot shields, proves how police officers saw themselves as targets.

Another African American social movement that is well known in the United States is the “I Can’t Breathe” movement. This movement started in the state of New York when a police officer “violently choke slammed a black man onto the ground and strangled him to death.” (Marcus 55). With the officer being a white man, this once again displays the racial conflict that had been going on between African Americans and law enforcement. The officers first stopped the man for “allegedly selling loose cigarettes” (Police overreach, Eric Garner and the chokehold of racism). The man’s name was Eric Garner. Forty-three-year-old Garner insisted he was “breaking up a fight” when the police were trying to arrest him (Police overreach, Eric Garner and the chokehold of racism). Since Garner was resisting arrest the officer saw himself as a target and grabbed Garner by the throat and slammed him face onto the ground. “Eric Garner cried out to the officer who had him in a chokehold “I can’t breathe” eleven times before his heart gave out” (Marcus 55). 

According to Dickenson on page 174 of The Carolina Reader, police are unwilling to accept that they themselves are legitimate targets of past protests. The upheaval of the “I Can’t Breathe” movement is a perfect example of how police officers did see themselves as targets and how it illuminates our understanding of this cultural issue because once again an officer has killed a black citizen and was not “charged with any crime, nor taken to trial” (Garcia). Looking for justice the African American community had no one but law enforcement to blame. 

On August 14th, 2016 another social movement broke out. Earlier that day a 23-year-old “Sylville Smith was shot and killed by a Milwaukee police officer” (Jamal). According to the National Review, the officer pulled Smith over and “Smith fled from the scene with a stolen handgun” (French). Smith was chased down and later caught by the police officer. The officer “reportedly ordered him to drop the gun, and opened fire when Smith failed to comply, shooting him once in the chest and once in the arm” (French). These two shots killed Sylville Smith and lead to protests and riots. Since Sylville Smith was killed by a police officer it’s clear that law enforcement did see themselves as the sole targets of protest. The African American Community outraged by yet another killing of a black man wasted no time starting up protests and had no exceptions for this officer who was also of African American decent. Law enforcement were once again the bad guys.

According to the Milwaukee police, “hundreds of residents rioted, burning police cars, looting stores, and attacking police” (French). This quote shows how what started off as protests escalated into a more violence driven riot. Not only were rioters attacking police officers, but they set their vehicles on fire along with innocent nearby businesses and buildings. One place that was “torched” by protesters was a gas station (“Police Shooting in Milwaukee sparks violent protest”). Many stores were also robbed as this riot was going on because thieves saw this as a perfect time for them to steal items without being seen. There is no doubt that law enforcement was the main target of this riot in Milwaukee. At one point officers got in their cars to leave during the riot and some “rioters in the crowd started smashing squad car windows” (“Police Shooting in Milwaukee sparks violent protest”). Police getting their squad car window’s smashed is another example of how law enforcement is being attacked. Dickenson on page 174 of The Carolina Reader addresses “that police officers are unwilling to accept themselves as legitimate targets of protest, but this movement in Milwaukee like all prior movements have shown that the police did see themselves as legitimate targets. 

Charlotte, North Carolina also had major protests that turned into riots. The incident that caused protests to rise was the death of an “African American named Keith Scott” (Lavandera, Ed). “Violence came one day after police shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott, who police say was armed and ignored commands to drop his weapon” (Eversley). “Police in riot gear crowded downtown Charlotte as protesters shouted "hands up, don't shoot," banged against a police van and broke a window of the City Smoke barbecue restaurant and bar” (Eversley). Police officers set off smoke bombs to try and disperse the crowd, but “Sixteen police officers were wounded in the violence that erupted that night” (Eversley). Since law enforcement went into downtown Charlotte with riot shields to protect themselves, it is obvious that they saw themselves as targets and in danger. 

In these recent Social Movements, the police are seen as enemies to the African American community but they are just doing their jobs. Police officers have a civic duty that they carry out day by day in order to protect the citizens within the state they work for. “The duties of a police officer, also known as a law enforcement officer, focus on protecting people and property; They patrol the areas they are assigned, which sometimes include entire jurisdictions, respond to calls, enforce laws, make arrests, issue citations, and occasionally testify in court cases” (How to Become a Police Officer). “They also make traffic stops, respond to domestic disturbances, and, at times, provide first aid to someone involved in a traffic accident or injured in a domestic dispute until paramedics arrive” (“How to Become a Police Officer”). Law enforcement officers also “spend much of their time writing reports, and filling out forms,” (“How to Become a Police Officer”) in between their patrol hours. When police officers are called to the scenes of protest they are there to protect citizens and property. 

Although racism may still be seen in the United States, police are not racist. It is only probable that an officer whose job is to protect the state he or she works for, will encounter someone of another race breaking the law. If a group of white people were running through the streets with rage and damaging property like for instance setting a gas station on fire, as seen in Milwaukee, law enforcement would show up with no regards to the groups race. The police would be there to try and stop the madness and protect all that they possibly could. 

On Tuesday April 12th of 2016 a police officer killed a white man. The man was a Denver resident named “Dion Damon” (Randal).  Damon was a “bank robbery suspect” and was killed before he was brought to court (Roberts). Like many of the African American social movements people were in the streets protesting after this man’s death. Law enforcement officers were called to the scene with no idea of race in mind, instead it was their responsibilities of restoring order that they thought of. Police are always seeing themselves as targets because they are the ones preventing the people who want to break the law from doing it. The protests that followed Damon’s death proves how the police are not racist and that they are just doing their jobs because the majority of the protestors were white; Race had no effect on the police’s reactions nor on their usual responsibilities. 

All of these social movements have crystal clear evidence proving that police officers did see themselves as targets in the past protests. The way in which Dickenson addressed law enforcement in The Carolina Reader, illuminated our understanding of this cultural issue because it is obvious that police officers everywhere see themselves as targets each time they are called to protect the state they work in; Whether it be to restore order in a mall with thousands of peaceful protesters, or to try and stop hundreds of mad rioters from burning down and damaging properties. Although racism still lingers around in our country, the police are not racist and the African American Social Movements just caused more chaos because the police would react the same way to any social movement no matter the ethnicity of the group. 
