When I was a child, I was taught I could trust certain people based on their professions: a teacher, a police officer and a nurse. I was told these professionals were ‘the good guys,’ that they cared about my safety and my well-being. Although I know police misconduct is a reality in the United States, as I watched the video taken at the University of Utah Hospital, I felt something foundational shift in my personal perception of the world. I do not think I was alone. Why has this video been viewed so many times when we already have lots of clips of police misconduct and brutality? Why is it considered newsworthy when we are bracing for another hurricane, North Korea is threatening war and President Trump is moving to end DACA? I believe it is because this video directly challenges an unconscious perspective which automatically aligns authority with honor by pitting two ‘good guys’ against each other.

I remember when Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, Missouri by Officer Darren Wilson. There are some conflicting facts on what happened that evening, but the medical examiner determined at least six of the eight bullets that hit Michael hit him from the front. I remember relaying the details of his murder to a friend who simply shrugged and said, “Wilson is a policeman, he was probably right to shoot that guy.” My friend was not alone in this belief; Officer Darren Wilson was not indicted.

I received a phone call from this friend on Friday, “Did you see the video of the nurse getting arrested by that psycho cop? He had no right to do that!” I readily agreed and told her again about the Michael Brown case. “That makes me angry! It is innocent until proven guilty, right? It all just seems so real now. I mean, it could happen to anyone.”  

We watched the video of Eric Garner being choked by police in my history class the spring after Michael Brown’s death. We had just finished our chapter on the Civil Rights Era, watching police and other white Americans attack peaceful protesters. After the video finished, Mr. Garner’s final shouts of “I cannot breathe, I cannot breathe!” seemed to be echoing in the classroom. It was shattered when one of my peers loudly claimed, “This is bias material. That man was a con, the officer was just doing his job.” Again, my peer was not alone in this belief; Officer Daniel Pantaleo was not indicted. This weekend, my peer posted on his Facebook wall how appalling he found Officer Payne’s actions, “My mother is a nurse, and she should never have to be afraid to do her job.” I think if he re-watched the final moments of Eric Garner’s life now, he would understand Eric Garner was someone’s father and grandfather. I hope he understands millions of black Americans are currently afraid due to police violence and growing racial tensions in our country.

While I would like to think the majority of our law enforcement officers are exceptional and compassionate, I do not want to propagate my childhood worldview as it is built upon my own privilege and does not promote accountability. It makes sense that as a parent, I would want my child to automatically trust police officers in case of an emergency. However, I would not want my children to believe these professionals are exempt from consequence due to their job title. Maybe the solution is to watch Spider-Man as a family so my kids understand that ‘with great power comes great responsibility.’

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