There is a ruthless act that goes on in our society that is very serious and life-threatening. It is an atrocity that is jeopardizing the civil rights of us American citizens and the rights of people around the world; however, it is an act that often goes unheard by the vast majority of the public. I am speaking of police brutality. This is the intentional use of excessive force by an authority figure, which oftentimes ends with bloodshed, bruises, broken bones, and sometimes even death.


Police officers have more powers than the average citizen; they have the power to arrest, seize property, and use deadly force. Many officers have abused these powers, and when they do, you would think they would be fired and prosecuted, right? Wrong. In most of these cases, officers have only been suspended or given probation, this seems like a minor punishment for such an unjustifiable crime. Police officers have gotten above the law and are now able to abuse their powers as they wish. I, for one, find this truth to be extremely terrifying.


In October of 2011, Scott Olsen, a 24-year-old Marine Corps veteran, was rushed to the hospital after being shot in the head with a tear-gas canister during a peaceful protest in Oakland, California. He was in the hospital for over a month, suffering from a fractured skull. No police officers received so much as a slap on the wrist for this disgusting incident.


In the past year, there have been over 5,000 reports of police misconduct; fatalities have been linked to more than 300 of these cases. Many steps must be made if we want to protect our rights as American citizens. There must be open police records in all states, giving the public access to records of misconduct. A Federal law is needed making it a crime for police officers who commit acts of brutality and murder.

How can you live in a world knowing that your safety is at risk by those who are supposed to protect you?

Should we just sit back and do nothing while our rights are being taken away?

This unjust cruelty can go on no longer!

We as Americans deserve a fair law system making everyone equal under the law!