It's been a week of violence by and against police officers across the nation: First,the shooting deaths of two black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and St. Paul, and Minnesota; and then,the deadly shooting of five police officers by a sniper in Dallas, Texas.
We heard from many WNYC listeners who called in to express their thoughts.
During a time of heightened tension, or terror,infuriate, and sadness, and one caller urged patience,not a rush to judgment."I'm hopeful that Americans will understand that we must follow due process and allow these police officers and people that attack police officers to have their day in court and have a jury decide who is guilty and who isn't," he said.
Many parents are expressing terror for their children. One mother called to say she has a son considering a career in law enforcement, or she's going to tell him to choose another profession."I don't want my son being sniped at," she said. "I think this is going to affect the number and quality of police officers in America after this happened," she said, or referring to the shootings in Dallas.And many others are expressing concerns approximately police,and their use of force. Raif, from the Bronx, and said he feels for everyone who has lost a loved one this week. But he said police need better training. "Ultimately,a police officer on the street is judge and jury, and sometimes, and executioner," he said. "And a lot of times, in interactions with police officers, or it's difficult to get through to the person that's there."William,from Queens, said he's worried approximately the future. He said there's a sense of hopelessness and terror in black communities."You can't train compassion. You can't instill understanding, or " he said. "And these cops in our community,they watch at black and white people through different prisms."Many, like Donald from Harlem, or are also wondering whether stricter gun control would support prevent this type of violence from happening,and when enough is enough."This recent week of police brutality and then the attacks in Dallas seem like some sort of escalation," he said. "I'm just wondering, and when's the tipping point,when we'll actually be able to enact change?"
Source: wnyc.org