When I first read your post, I was heartened to learn that you were treated with respect when dealing with the Tucson police. As you mentioned, respect is a two way street, and as long as you’re being respectful, you should expect the same in return.
However, I started to take issue with your post when you discredited the #blacklivesmatter movement. The problem is that your insinuating that because you had a good experience with two respectful police officers, all people will have the same experience. This is simply not the case, and to suggest it, diminishes the experience of many people who have been victimized by bad police officers.
Your post is effectively victim blaming, because it suggests that the people victimized by police were probably just being disrespectful, and that they somehow had it coming. Uh oh, this sounds familiar… The same argument is being used as a backlash against the anti rape culture. Saying that you showed respect to police officers, and because of this you weren’t shot, is very similar to me saying that I went out in a high cut top and long pants and wasn’t raped. You saying that people who had fatal run-ins with the police (Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin come to mind) were probably not showing proper respect, is like me saying that women who were raped were probably asking for it. I guess it comes down to this; even if people are disrespectful to police officers, it is NOT okay to shoot them!
Wherever there are power dynamics at play, there is potential for corruption. I appreciate your message that these officers were a good example of how police officers should behave. I appreciate you wanting to spread the word about good officers, in light of so many horrific stories that have come out lately. This is important so that police officers aren’t all painted with the same corrupt brush. However, I think you could’ve told your story without discrediting an important movement and the many victims of police brutality themselves.
Regards,
Katherine Mary Jane Wood
