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Sam Ford
English 2010
Professor Whitney Nelson
Less Police shootings, less violence

How we are negatively and wrongly dealing with emotion

Approximately everyone that has been impacted from the most recent Police
shootings of unarmed African American men want change to occur. They want
justice, equality, and to be safe each and every day they step out of house.
However, what is often overlooked is the actual process to societal improvement.
Too often when we experience a traumatic event, we are so overwhelmed with
emotion that we choose violence as our means of retribution. It is perceived that
by destroying a citys structure and foundation, the change that is desired will at
once come about. What is not realized or completely comprehended is the
severe damage that these riots and reactions can do to a community, digging the
emotional hole of sorrow even deeper.
The true impact of violent reactions in the community
In the aftermath of violence stemming from these tragic police
shootings, the community must deal with problems ensuing from their
own physical action. This, in addition to the pain felt from the lost
community or family member, leaves the city in shambles. For
example, after the riots in Ferguson Missouri broke out due to Officer
Wilson not being indicted on any charges, the suburb was left to deal

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with the consequences and pick up the pieces. In an article on
Everyday Money by Susie Poppick, it is noted that TIME magazine had
reported an 80% slow of sales involving Ferguson retailers directly
following these violent acts. In the same article by Susie Poppick, Victor
Matheson of College of the Holy Cross is quoted saying Social unrest
can have a lasting negative impact on a local economy in a way thats
much more persistent than even a natural disaster. Stores and
businesses were
destroyed, and there
was a direct impact on
areas and people that
had nothing to do with
the shooting of Michael
Brown. This is just one
example in one city of the impact
reactive riots and violence can
have. In another article on The

Riots erupted moments after it was announced

Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson will not
face criminal charges in the fatal shooting of
unarmed teenager Mike Brown. Several
buildings were looted and burned

Economist online, an unnamed writer says, Rioting seldom makes life

better for anyone, and the damage can last for years. Looters often
make shopkeepers flee permanently to safer towns. Those who remain
face less competition and therefore raise prices, making life even
harder for residents. Newark and Detroit have never fully recovered
from the riots of 1967.

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So, the question is asked, is it worth it? Do we really see the change
we want to see because we destroy and rummage through stores and
businesses? It would seem as though the outcome is the exact
opposite. As quoted, there are cities that have suffered from rioting
that have still never fully recovered.

Moving forward and the impact of positive influence

Such as the negative impact often comes from the members of the community,
the positive impact must also come from members of the community. The idea of
unity we have seen from rioters must be maintained, and implemented in a
newer, more positive way of action. There are several different ways to improve
the quality of social justice, and to positively impact the issue at hand.
A large part of the reason why the police act the way they do and react to certain
situations is because of the area in which they are policing. With a high crime
rate, the police do not have that protect and serve type of mentality. They are
arriving to work every day guarded and looking to return home safely. They are
there to keep situations safe when they happen, but do not always have control
over exactly what happens. As communities, these crime rates are our
responsibility. We can work to instill dominantly proper values in children from an
early age, and work to fight against common stereotypes embedded in the minds
of Police officers regarding African Americans that cause them to shoot before
they think. With an increased sense of moral value, the crime rate of the streets

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can come down, and allow Officers to go to work and focus on their specific job,
rather than worrying about the well-being and risk of their own lives.
We also have the situation in which the solution stems only from a fix of a
problem inside the Police Force. There are obviously issues, and things that
need to be addressed. Moving forward we must identify those issues, and band
together for our voices to be heard. We must also understand that violence only
broadens the tension between the people of the community and the police. Not
every negative impact can be blamed on the community, as it has been seen that
the police force doesnt always deal with things the right way. In the same article
on the economist mentioned earlier, Gene ODonnell of the John Jay College of
criminal justice is quoted saying It is hard to point to anything that Ferguson
Police did [since Mr. Browns shooting] that was not wrong They confronted
peaceful demonstrators and rioters alike with a stunning show of force- Armoured
cars with snipers on top- and precious little tact. Rather than realizing and
respecting that the community deserved to be in pain, the police took to the
streets and prepared for war. In result of such behavior, war is what they faced.
In order to truly solve and impact these issues, groups must be formed, and
actions must only include positive, non-violent solutions. By conducting
fundraisers, public meetings, and acting upon opportunities for change, we can
be a voice that will be heard and spread across the United States. This voice will
be successfully heard if and only if it is coming from a place of respect. Without a
mutual respect for each other, the community and the police force cannot work

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together to change things for the better. Societal harmony must be achieved, and
we need to come to a place in which we call all coexist without feelings of malice.

Works Cited

Poppick, Susie. Can Ferguson Recover? The Lasting Economic impact

of violent unrest. November 25, 2014. Everyday Money: Small Business

Poppick, Susie. Can Ferguson Recover? The Lasting Economic impact

of violent unrest. November 25, 2014. Photo/description. Everyday
Money: Small Business. Web.

Unnamed. Police in a Missouri suburb demonstrate how not to quell a

riot. Overkill. The Economist. From the print edition. August 23, 2014.
Web.

Works Consulted

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Toporek, R. L. (2013). Violence against Individuals and Communities: Reflecting

on the Trayvon Martin Case - An Introduction to the Special Issue. Journal For
Social Action In Counseling & Psychology, 5(1), 1-10.