“It is the freedom to make public use of one’s
reason at every point. But I hear on all sides, “Do not argue!” The Officer
says: “Do not argue but drill!” The tax collector: “Do not argue but pay!” The
cleric: “Do not argue but believe!” Only one prince in the world says, “Argue
as much as much as you will, and about what you will, but obey” – Immanuel Kant
Freedom with restrictions is no freedom at all;
instead these limitations are set forth to mislead the people. To create a
belief that the people are in control is the reason why some of these so called
"freedoms" are given to the people. New York City has its fair share
of crime and murder and the NYPD is trusted to bring peace and justice to its
surrounding communities. But it feels as though communication with the police
force is one sided. They have the right to come into our communities to ensure
the safety of its residents. That is obviously their intended purpose, and I
don't personally think anyone would argue that or think that they shouldn't have
that right. But what happens when we as residents feel as though these police
officers are abusing the power that they've been entrusted with. This is not to
point a finger at every single NYC police officer. I myself have had good
experiences when it comes to NYPD but then again my only interaction with them
has been primarily asking for directions. In minority communities throughout
the city there seems to be an agreement that young black men are the NYPD's
primary targets. They are consistently being harassed, arrested, and in some
incidents they are even killed. One of the issue's is that there is a rift in
communication between the force and the community. We are told that the NYPD
has the right to take certain actions but when as a community we disagree or
bring attention to an issue there is no resolution. How can NYC residents make
public use of their reason when we've seen from past experiences that nothing
productive happens when they do. Our community has seen no real changes, and
black men are still walking around with targets on their backs. On the side of
a NYPD police car are three words Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect. It
doesn't seem like the NYPD are living up to their motto.
