All Cops Are Bad Apples

I cannot be more sick of the “it’s just a few bad apples” discussion regarding cops killing Black folks in our streets. 2020 has demonstrated that these “bad apples” are around every corner. There are news stories almost daily about incidents of police violence or police killings.

I am done asking the question, “When is enough, enough?”

Are you?

Glorified Corruption

Police violence is so normalized in this country that many people will defend it at all costs. They will hold opposing rallies against those who are crying out for justice for a loved one that was killed by the cops. They adorn themselves in Thin Blue Line apparel. They cover their cars with those stupid ass Punisher/cop collaboration stickers. They scream “BLUE LIVES MATTER!” at the top of their lungs amid incidents where Black men are shot point-blank in front of their children and mothers.

Oftentimes people think that only the cops that carry out heinous acts of violence are the bad ones, but that is not the case. The cops that turn a blind eye to these incidents are just as complicit. The cops who actively cover up their coworker’s mistakes and illegalities are equally as complicit as well. Those facts exponentially increase the understanding of what corruption entails when looking at the cops in this country.

Every single cop upholds a system of oppression that stems from slavery. I am not interested in videos of them playing basketball with local children. I couldn’t care less about pictures of cops kneeling at protests with their fists in the air. I laugh when police leadership stands up and talks about how they believe Black Lives Matter or that they are trying to make active efforts in supporting progress in their community. All of that is performative, and even if it isn’t, it’s not even remotely enough.

There is a common misconception that cops who speak out against other cops are somehow demonstrating ethical and moral behavior. Many folks believe that cops who express their disapproval for their coworkers who carry out extrajudicial killings are enough to address the deep injustices that these “good cops” uphold and protect every day. If these “good cops” existed in the amount that so many folks claim, then it would seem the incidents of police brutality would be few and far between.

The only good cop is one that turns in their badge, vows to never return to the force, and throws every single one of their coworkers under the bus on the way out.

Reality

Could you imagine losing a father to police violence and hearing community members say that the cops are absolved because another cop said it was bad that their coworker killed someone?

That line of thinking is illogical, callous, and immoral. Americans will fully support violence as long as it does not negatively impact the majority. They will cheer for their “heroes” that level entire cities overseas, that murder women and children in their homes in the name of war, that take the lives of the innocent back here in the states, that kidnap protestors off the street, and that pepper spray children at demonstrations.

Violence in the name of protection, safety, and “self-defense” is acceptable regardless of who the victim is as long as the oppressor is the beneficiary.

People frequently say, “Ok, so instead of complaining, why don’t you offer solutions?”. Sure, there is some value in asking that. My solution for all of this is simple, and it is as follows: Abolish the Police. No, I did not say defund or offer more training. No, I am not advocating for less policing in different areas. I am not expressing my support of having police live in the communities they serve.

The criminal justice system needs to be systematically dismantled and rebuilt in a way that offers resources, rehabilitation, and equity for all community members. We do not need police to continually enforce racist laws that disproportionately affect Communities of Color. We do not need police to shoot dysregulated or frightened individuals when the police themselves are scared. We do not need to sacrifice any more of our friends, family members, or community members and accept that this is just “the way things are.” We cannot deify men and women who proudly wear uniforms representing death, destruction, and oppression.

None of this will change until the majority decides that they’ve had enough. However, the majority has demonstrated that any acts of violence, no matter how unjust or explicit, are not enough to change what is necessary to change in order to truly stand for and support their neighbors. The televised public lynchings of Black folks by the cops are not deal-breakers for white Americans. History is continually repeating itself. It is just captured more frequently now because we have cameras that allow us to document these atrocities.

When complete depravity is the standard of excellence in this country, the cops will continue to violently operate under the complete protection of the system, the majority, and their own coworkers and supervisors.

Ask Yourself

Where do you draw the line?

Does your ethical threshold include the lives of everyone that doesn’t look like you, believe like you, or live like you?

Are you one of the “bad apples” that live under the false assumption that you are helping by giving your undying support to a corrupt and deadly system?

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This post was previously published on Equality Includes You.

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