WHAT DO PROFESSORS REALLY TEACH ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT?... THEY’RE NOT GOOD, THEY’RE RACIST.
/WHAT DO PROFESSORS REALLY TEACH ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT?... THEY’RE NOT GOOD, THEY’RE RACIST.
By: DANIEL HAGOPIAN
“They’re racist!” “They abuse their power!” “They are killing black people and black kids at alarming rates!” “They unfairly lock up minorities and put them in jail!” “They pull over black people for no reason!” If you have listened to any left-wing media or have listened to anyone from the left discuss this topic, you have most likely been met with these absurd claims; however in the university setting it is no different. In fact, it is much worse. This does not mean all professors hate or bad-mouth cops in the classroom. This is based on personal experiences as a third-year college student. UC Davis English professor Joshua Clover: “People think that cops need to be reformed. They need to be killed.”
What do professors really say?
This pertains to a lot of sociology-oriented courses or any course relating to social issues and/or race. Professors will bring up instances the media has covered on the news without context: Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, the Starbucks Scandal… and put all the blame on the cops. Professors love, just like the media, to cover racial incidents without waiting and listening to all the facts. Professors will use emotion to justify their stance and will attack you on your morality and character as a student and as a person for not agreeing with their “professional opinion.” But that is the problem; it is just their opinion with no facts to back up their claims. They will try to make you as uncomfortable as possible and they will make the class despise you and convince them that you are wrong because you are being immoral, disrespectful, (to even challenge/debate their opinions) corrupt, and just looking to start a fight. The professor will make the other students in the class look at you differently and devalue your opinion.
The problem
Brainwashing students to believe that law enforcement cannot be trusted and that they are always racist and abusive with their power is like raising a whole generation set up for failure; cops will not be seen as a source of safety and trust and they will always be working in this environment of hatred which not only puts them in more danger by those who target and kill cops because of what the news says, but they will be less likely to work their jobs as efficiently as if they were treated with support and respect.
The facts
Most professors will use these incidents to claim that the police are terrible, racist human beings who abuse power. No one is denying that racism does not exist within law enforcement, or any profession for that matter. This is clear in certain incidents, like the Walter Scott shooting where the shooting and the officer’s actions were clearly not justified. However, to claim and constantly push this agenda of “every racial incident between a cop and minority is racist,” is not only an unfair generalization, but a dangerous tactic used by the left-wing media for views that further divide the necessary relationship citizens need with law enforcement to ensure a safe, peaceful and more trusting society.
What can you do as a student?
You can start off by stating the facts and backing up your opinions on cases with them. Just make sure you cite your findings and provide proof. Professors and even your classmates may approach you with hate and confusion. They may label you as someone who is immoral, hateful, racist, prejudiced or whatever they can come up with to attack your morality. However, this is no reason to give up on logic and to give up on standing for officers and law enforcement who deserve praise in what they do, especially if they are mislabeled and some ignorant person is bad-mouthing them.
What happens frequently is that professors will point to their credentials and say, “well I have a PhD in sociology from [any university], so I know what I am talking about.” This is a logical fallacy called “Argument from Authority” in which “ a claimed authority’s support is used as evidence for an argument’s conclusion.” Professors can flaunt their degrees all they want, but it does not mean they are always right about an incident and you are always wrong as a student. Facts are facts and reality is reality regardless of what degree you have after your name, especially when it comes to forensics reports, autopsies, or videos that prove the innocence of a cop. If you are met with unfair grading and/or treatment in the classroom, universities have grade appeals in which you appeal for a grade change to the dean based on unfair treatment. When you give examples and instances of unfair treatment, then the dean or whoever is in charge has the authority to change your grade for the better.
Remember, you have as much a right to an opinion as any one of your classmates and even professors, especially when your opinion is backed by irrefutable proof!
