In the emotional wake of the grand jury decision in the police killing of unarmed teenager Michael Brown, I've found myself struggling with the enormity and complexity of this tragic, recurring problem. I feel that silence is no longer an option for people of good will. But where do we go from here? Here, humbly, are a few ideas.
- Our interactions with, and thoughts about, other people should start from the premise that all people are created equal, with dignity and rights, and that people should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
- Governments, including police, should serve and treat all people fairly and equally.
- Police should arrest suspected criminals, not execute them, in accordance with due process of law and the right to life and security of person.
- Police should use the minimum amount of force necessary when interacting with the public and should exercise extreme caution when utilizing lethal force. Police should recognize the traumatic impact that uses of lethal force have on individuals and communities.
- Police should know and use strategies to de-escalate interactions with the public.
We should not be afraid of people because they look different than us.
- We should not be afraid or suspicious of people because they look different than us. We should undertake efforts to build understanding and reconciliation among different communities.
- We should listen to people from different backgrounds to better understand their perspectives. We should recognize how ongoing and historic forces
prevent all people from receiving equal treatment and opportunity. We should acknowledge that differential law enforcement has been one of those forces.
- A community’s police force should look like, be from, and understand the community.
- Police should actively build trust with the community. Police should recognize the corrosive effect of lack of trust in law enforcement.
- Governments should institute effective and trusted mechanisms to oversee the police and ensure accountability if officers behave inappropriately.
- We should peacefully protest injustice. We should not let the destructive acts of a few diminish the legitimate concerns underlying the protest. To do so would be to further marginalize and alienate those seeking a redress of their grievances.
- We should work for these reforms in our federal, state, and local governments, in our communities, and in our hearts.