Argumentative Essay About Police Shootings

Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, and Freddie Gray are just a few of the names that in the past year have intruded our lives and made themselves known with a commanding presence. With a certain ease, their stories made waves across the country resulting in a mass migration of people to whatever side suited their opinions; the police or the ‘victims’. The ‘sudden’ uptick in racially charged police shootings highlights the problem with society exquisitely! Upon hearing an iota of detail, one side of a story, we jump to conclusions about what happened. But, why is it a problem that we do that? Well, for starters, the victims in these police shooting cases often get the ‘spotlight’ first. This allows for them, or those
close to them, to give an account of what played out and set the tone of what happened. The media is also a reason for why the reporting of these incidents shouldn’t be taken at face value. Being given an immense amount of power by the people who watch, they can, and often do, push and glamorize any story they consider fit. Having that power, allows for the media to filter what news we receive and how we receive it. Lastly, with deaths or demonization of those akin to us, our emotions, biases, and prejudices may cloud our judgment.