Think back to the last time you were walking down the street or driving in your car and saw a policeman. What thoughts were going through your head? Have you ever been genuinely glad that an officer was standing there? Or even been appreciative towards what they are doing with their service? This is where I believe the problem lies, that people are disconnected from the police specifically and enter situations with them in a negative way from the start, and for good reason. Fireman come and stop our houses from burning, ambulances come when we are hurt, and policemen come when something is wrong.
But this disconnect stems from not just the recent actions of officers, but from the way they respond to them. Officer Wilson killed an unarmed black male in the line of duty, causing great uproar when he was proven not guilty of crimes. He then steps into an interview with George Stephanopoulos, and describes his actions, which everyone wants to hear. But not once did he express any sympathy for his actions, feel bad that he killed someone's child, even if he is backed by the law. Where is the human heart? You see plenty of videos now on facebook or twitter where an officer is shoving someone's face in the dirt or talking forcefully to someone. And what does this do? It makes them look like animals, beasts, the brutes themselves.
This idea of a separate group has been perpetuated throughout all the stories we've read this year. In Camus' The Stranger, Meursault is convicted of a crime and sentenced to death at the dismay of many. In Light in August, officers are shown as racist and simple through their decision and are quick in their murder of Joe Christmas.
So how do we deal with this separation? Officers need to show some heart. Not just individuals, but as humans. None of these official suit-and-tie-typed-up-by-another apology (see Ray Rice), but just say sorry. It does't have to prove anyone guilty or weak or a liar or anything, just see them as a person. People want to be right and strong but act stubborn and thick skinned through trials.
As Aristotle once said, "The only stable state is the one in which all men are equal before the law."
I really like your connection between policemen and a brute stereotype. We have definitely begun to create a narrative of the evil policeman who is out to get innocent citizens, even stretching beyond racial cases.
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