On Tuesday April 13, Miami University Student Body President Jannie Kamara took to social media to encourage others to bully members of the law enforcement community. She posted on Twitter, “Bully a cop today bc they deserve it… you can take off your uniform babe but I can’t take off my Blackness.”
This tweet comes two days after the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright by a police officer who claims she mistook her gun for her taser. The shooting occured in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota near Minneapolis, where the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin is ongoing.
Wright’s death was an unnecessary tragedy. Thankfully, it appears the officer involved will be held accountable and she has been charged with second-degree manslaughter. Nevertheless, the frustration stemming from this event is completely reasonable and the concerns it and other incidents have raised regarding the need for police reform should be heard.
However, what is not justified is Kamara’s comment. To encourage the bullying of cops is reckless and irresponsible. Anyone who does so, including Kamara, is unfit for positions of public leadership.
No sensible person disputes the idea that officers involved in police brutality should face justice. Of course they should. Being a member of law enforcement does not mean that someone is above the law. Nevertheless, the harmful actions of a few police officers do not represent the overwhelming majority of the law enforcement community, nor do they warrant a call to bully officers that had no part in those actions.
The fact is, the overwhelming majority of police keep our communities safe–a fact far too many have forgotten. Law enforcement officers keep our campus safe as well, which makes Kamara’s tweet even more unwise. As Student Body President, Kamara should support the safety of Miami students on campus. Promoting the bullying of those who keep our campus and communities safe is the opposite of doing that.
For all the stories of police brutality, there are many more of police heroism. On the same day Kamara claimed cops deserved to be bullied, U.S. Capitol Police Officer William “Billy” Evans was honored at the Capitol after losing his life while defending it on April 2. Two days after Kamara’s tweet marked the eighth anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings. While on the run eight years ago, the bombers murdered Sean Collier, a patrol officer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Evans and Collier are two examples of heroes, and there are many more law enforcement officers like them. Does Kamara believe these officers deserved to be bullied?
The heroic actions of some officers should not excuse the damaging actions of others. Rather, the two should be separated. We can deplore the actions of abusive officers and still praise the heroism of courageous ones. The majority of officers which have not engaged in police brutality should not be attacked for the actions of the few who did.
Kamara rationalizes bullying of police officers based on their choice to be a part of the policing system. Collective guilt, however, is a dangerous idea that leads to the mistreatment of perfectly decent and innocent individuals. It is an un-American slap in the face to the entire idea of justice. Yet, this is what Miami’s Student Body President promotes.
Guilty individuals should face consequences, but when you suggest those consequences be extended to men and women who have done nothing to warrant such treatment, you lose any moral high ground on the issue. Such an argument is only made in bad faith and is grounded in ignorance and extremism. No leader should make such comments as what Kamara tweeted. Any leader who does so disgraces their office.
yes jannie!! cops are pigs. also the way this article is losing the second part of her tweet and the meaning of it… where’s the conversation about racism?
“The fact is, the overwhelming majority of police keep our communities safe–a fact far too many have forgotten”. How is this a fact? Where is the evidence? Making things up to fit your narrative isn’t journalism.
This article was addressing the Student Body President’s response, not whether or not the police keep communities safe, so this isn’t a bad example of journalism. But if you would like actual data I’m happy to supply.
Evans and Owens (2005) examined data from 2074 American cities from 1990 – 2001 and looked at the COPS program and found that police added to the force by COPS leads to statistically significant reductions in auto thefts, burglaries, robberies and assaults.
Braga et al. (2019) in a meta analysis of policing in areas of high crime areas where police go to there was a small but significantly significant effect size found on a reduction in crime
Mello (2018) looked at federal funding for local police staffing that was associated with the great recession or 2009 stimulus and found that cities that got 3.2% more police staff also saw a 3.5% lower crime rate with a larger drop in violent crime.
Klick, MacDonald and Grunwald (2016) found similar findings in campus police for their defined zones
Nobody is making anything up bud.
that’s MY president ??
Everyone who writes for this “news organization” deserves to be bullied
You’re probably like 120 pounds soaking wet irl tough guy lmao
Imagine telling a black woman how she is allowed to grieve after the death of members of her community…Jannie has done more for this university than you all ever have or will
There is real news to cover instead of crying over tweets from the outgoing student body president.
Feel free to apply to be a writer and join us!
After all you seem to have quite a knack for filtering through what is and isn’t news.
Why would I be nice to government enforcers who kill people lol go Jannie
a freshman, non-writing major as EIC of a news publication isn’t exactly a great look. Just sayin
I hope you libs remember your words towards the police when you or someone in your family is in great need of help. If you hate them, figure it out on your own. Don’t call them. You got this, you all are smart, right? ?
I’ve had plenty of experiences with cops in situations where me or someone I cared about needed help and they didn’t do shit. All they do is show up and tell you “well nothing we can do” when people are being stalked, harassed, having things stolen, getting their property broken into, dealing with domestic violence etc. Never had a cop actually help anyone I know when we are in “great need of help.” I have family who have called the cops for help and ended up being hurt BY THE POLICE THEY CALLED TO HELP. So you know what? I will figure out how to take care of me and the people I care about without the police because they do not serve or protect us.
Telling a black woman how to grieve the violence facing her community while refusing to address the racism and systemic inequalities that uphold and enable cops? This is not journalism- this is targeting a student and the trauma they’ve experienced. If you actually cared about the horrors that marginalized communities experience, you’d be writing about the senseless murder of black people at the hands of police rather than quivering over a tweet… get over yourself
i dont think this publication has any right to be talking about presidents who use twitter irresponsibly but go off