I don’t understand why we as a Nation tend to stereotype groups based on the actions of individuals. A perfect example is what is going on now with our approach to law enforcement personnel. If some police officer does the wrong thing, we immediately assume that all police officers are suspect. That is just plain wrong.
In every group in our society there are some “bad apples”. Some folks will inevitably do the wrong thing for the wrong reasons. The law enforcement community is not immune to that (nor are politicians, athletes, educators, military, etc). People do stupid stuff.
What we shouldn’t do is label an entire group based on the actions of one individual. If an individual does something bad, focus on him. Take appropriate actions against him. Do not paint the entire group with the same paint brush that you paint that one individual.
Let’s stop labeling people. Stereotypes not only demean a portion of our society, but reduces their worth. Folks are now looking at all law enforcement personnel with a skeptical eye….but I guarantee they are not all bad people. In fact, they are dedicated civil servants trying to protect and defend us.
I also wish the media would stop using a single incident to inflame the population. If it is a local story, let it remain local. There is no need to give it National coverage.
People appreciate being valued for their contribution to our society. Let’s not reduce their value because of the actions of single individuals.