In the past few days, Im sure youve heard the phrase all cops are bad.

I understand why this term upsets people. But my uncle is a cop, you may say. My uncle isnt racist. Hes a good cop. Good cops hate bad cops.

And youre right: A tiny percentage of cops would brutalize someone because of their skin color. However, this does not render them innocent. The fact of the matter is, without willing employees, law enforcement as we know it could not exist. So, it follows that all cops not just those who murder, not just those who maim, not just those who fail to protect civilians support a broken system.

Our system incarcerates minorities for victimless crimes while billionaires who commit atrocities en masse roam free. Jeffrey Epstein, who systematically raped children and gave others the means to do so, was able to avoid consequences for years. While he was free, there were hundreds of thousands people incarcerated in the U.S. for nonviolent drug charges. If you are a cop, you are complicit in this injustice.

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Our system undemocratically silences dissent. Videos have surfaced of police sniping marches from rooftops, starting fires, tear gassing children and saying they will beat the f out of protestors. If you are a cop, you are complicit in this injustice.

Our system murders citizens. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Alton Sterling, Trayvon Martin and countless others. If you are a cop, you are complicit in this injustice.

If you are a cop, and you are not striking until our system is reformed, you are in the wrong. Its not enough to hate bad cops, its not enough to kneel with protestors, and its not enough to speak at marches. You must dismantle and rebuild the oppressive system for which you work.

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Letter to the editor: Police must dismantle oppressive system for which they work - Summit Daily News