On The Riots In Paris

Once again, there are riots in Paris, as many young people in that city protest the callous treatment they feel two young men received at the hands of the police in that city.

What lessons can what is going on in France teach those of us in America?

The police in France have been accused, repeatedly, of abusing the rights of minorities and youth in France for several years, and like us, they have done little to curb police brutality. As a result, they regularly have to deal with the situation they have now. Is this what we want in the United States?

There are many people in this country who feel the"hype" about police brutality is overblown. That the police really don't abuse people's rights--that those who get the shit beaten out of them by the cops probably did something to deserve it. But a cursory search on Google or You Tube uncovers hundreds of news stories about innocent people who have been brutally mistreated--there is overwhelming evidence that there is something seriously wrong with many law enforcement agencies in this country.

Of course, not all cops are bad. My own grandfather served as sheriff in a rural county for several terms. I have an uncle who is retired a state cop. I have more than a few friends on the police force in my hometown. But one rotten apple can do an untold amount of damage to the people in their community--especially when their supervisors look the other way when they do things that are patently immoral and illegal.

Too many of the wrong sort of people get jobs as cops--the sort of people who may have become violent criminals if they had not joined the police force. The kind of people who make my grandfather and my uncle look bad in the eyes of many. Why isn't there a better screening process for new hires?