In 2019 10 unarmed black Americans were killed by police officers.
I am not telling you this to make light of anyone’s death. I am telling you this for perspective because right now we’re in a hysterical whirlwind of misinformation.
If you didn’t know that number was 10, you’d think it was hundreds or thousands.
I saw one exchange online between a Twitter blue-check account and a BLM supporter and the BLM supporter was sure the number of unarmed black men murdered by cops was 25,000.
She wasn’t joking.
It’s absurd to lump all cops together as “bad” when a small amount of them are making mistakes.
It’s wrong to do that to any group of people based on work, skin color, or wealth.
So, you can understand why many officers are angered when a police officer “takes a knee” before protesters.
First off, you should kneel before no man – only God should hold that honor – but to kneel down to a protester or a mob that is not talking about actual numbers and the real issues that span much farther than Mr. Floyd’s untimely passing is also wrong.
That’s how 10 Swat officers in Florida felt when they saw their commanding officers take a knee for protesters.
It angered them so much that they actually resigned their position.
Nearly a dozen officers who were members of a SWAT team in a South Florida police department quit the unit last week due to a growing anti-cop “political climate,” according to reports, as officers nationwide grow increasingly frustrated with efforts to defund or disband them.
“The risk of carrying out our duties in this capacity is no longer acceptable to us and our families,” wrote 10 officers with the Hallandale Beach, Broward County, in their resignation letter dated June 9.
“The anguish and stress of knowing that we may lawfully be called upon to do in today’s political climate combined with the team’s current situation and several recent local events, leave us in a position that is untenable,” the officers added.
They also lamented that the SWAT team was “minimally equipped, under-trained and often times restrained” in the performance of their duties, according to WSVN-TV, a Miami-based FOX affiliate.
[…]
members were upset with some of those in command after they took a knee with protesters a day earlier, WSVN reported. The officers also said they did not feel supported by city officials or ranking commanders within the department.
“The Vice-Mayor, Sabrina Javellana has openly made ignorant and inaccurate statements attacking the lawful actions of the city’s officers and SWAT team from the dais and her social media accounts,” the letter continued. “She has actively protested against us. She has shown that she takes pleasure in besmirching” the department, “having the gall to compare us to the Minneapolis Police Department,” a reference to the death of George Floyd.
You can agree that Mr. Floyd’s death was uncalled for without turning him into a national hero or a civil rights icon. You can also believe that some reforms in police departments are warranted without getting on your hands and knees.
This piece was written by Missy Crane on June 13, 2020. It originally appeared in WayneDupree.com [3] and is used by permission.