Police brutality in the US is an issue of rising concern because of the severity and highly prevalent instances of newly reported cases. Although hate crime policies in the US seek to abolish the mistreatment of others based on their identity and personal features, the current regulations are deeply flawed because they do not target the root causes of violence, are exposed to bias, and vary across the country. Individuals in top government positions and come legislators challenge the law’s intent by attempting to add law enforcement officers to the class of individuals protected by hate crime legislation. However, lawmakers and the general public should advocate for altering hate crime laws to include more defined frameworks in punishing incidents of police brutality and other bias-based violations against individuals.
Hate crime policies in the US are flawed because they fail to prevent the unjustified murder and harassment of individuals by police officers. The issue is problematic as minority groups, primarily individuals from the Black community, suffer at the hands of law enforcement. Although the plight of victims is evident and often receives high media attention, courts do not prosecute most perpetrators because of limitations such as insufficient evidence with regard to existing statutes, thus obscuring appropriate judgement. Therefore, if I were in a position to alter a domestic policy, I would change the existing hate crime laws to enable the punishment of perpetrators of hate crimes based on the aspect of bias.
Hate crime policies effectively prevent malicious actions against others due to their characteristics. However, their variable nature from state to state prevents them from fitting into particular contexts. For example, some hate crime laws require an assailant to commit the crime due to specific characteristics such as an individual’s race. In contrast, others demand action as long as a person acts against another due to numerous attributes (Taylor, 4). On the other hand, some provisions require proof of bias before a case is prosecuted, which introduces issues when dealing with cases involving police officers. Therefore, it is necessary to align hate crime laws and develop a framework that targets general motives instead of diving deep into jargon and legislative concerns. Altering these laws can encourage more officers to act rationally before firing their weapons.
The legislative process and the presidential executive action are initiatives that allow altering domestic policies and laws. The legislative process begins when a representative sponsors a particular bill, and it is assigned to a selected committee for further study. After a committee approves the bill, it is put on a calendar to allow voting, debates, and amendments to the proposed legislation. The bill then moves to the Senate if it achieves a majority of 218 out of 435 votes (Carp et al., 1). The bill passes through another committee in the Senate and is sent to the president, who can either veto it or sign it into law. On the other hand, a presidential executive action refers to a signed, published, and written directive from the US president to alter or amend a particular act of the constitution (Carp et al., 1). Thus, these procedures can assist in amending hate crime laws and enhancing their effectiveness.
American citizens play a significant role in determining the conditions by which they live and advocating for policy changes that enhance their comfort. Therefore, their contributions to altering hate crime policies depend on their dedication and reasoning. The public can influence policy changes through several channels, including establishing activist groups and public opinion based on research findings and framing evidence into dominant narratives (George, 2). However, it is necessary to press for changes because of conflicting interests and diverse individual opinions. A news report by Kiara Alfonseca on ABC News suggests that more than half of police-related killings in the US over the past 40 years have never been reported (Kiara 3). Thus, these statistics reflect the ineffectiveness of the current hate crime laws as more people prefer that crimes go unpunished instead of dealing with the flawed system.
All American lives are precious and should not be undermined by regulations that do not address actual problems. Hence, altering the current hate crime laws can prevent law enforcement officers from abusing their power and authority to harm others. Moreover, it will help the US realize its dreams of equality and a peaceful democracy where all people enjoy their freedoms.
Sources
Carp, Robert A., Kenneth L. Manning, Lisa M. Holmes, and Ronald Stidham. 2019. Judicial process in America. Cq Press.
George, Alexander L. 2019. “Domestic constraints on regime change in US foreign policy: The need for policy legitimacy.” In Change in the international system, pp. 233-262. Routledge.
Kiara Alfonseca. “More than Half of US Killings by Police Go Unreported: Study.” 2021. ABC News. ABC News Network. Web.
Taylor, Helen. 2019. “Domestic terrorism and hate crimes: legal definitions and media framing of mass shootings in the United States.” Journal of policing, intelligence and counter terrorism 14, no. 3: 227-244. Web.