Why do I dislike cops so strongly?

If a cop was trying to get evidence and was trying to talk to me I wud rather not snitch because I don't like or trust cops and I don't like being around them. I think its cuz of all the times I've heard from ppl ik about black ppl who they get confused and look like someone else and go to jail but not do nothin wrong and lots black inmates. And I'm black and idk lots of black ppl don't like cops, but y don't i? Cuz all my black friends b like fuck the police and I'm kinda like tht cuz I jus don't like em. But idk y, we jus don't like em, I think its the history of police brutality and all tht.

No question, cops aren't perfect. If you know of any instance of improper conduct on the part of the police, the right thing to do is report it to the police department, the Federal Justice Department, elected officials and/or the media.

But that's an entirely different issue than refusing to cooperate with the police in dealing with crime in your community. When you refuse to cooperate, you're supporting the violent side of the equation. People have as much of a civil right to walk the streets and go about their business without being victimized as they have to live their lives without racial discrimination. It is much more than coincidence that the high rate of black-on-black crime takes place in the same neighborhoods where the "no snitching" attitude prevails.

I agree with Rob...

I'm black, too... It's a little complicated...

I have no problem with cops in general. In fact, I appreciate them. When I encounter one, I make a point to say, "Thank you for what you're doing." I teach my children to do the same. I'm glad they come running when I call. I'm glad they keep communities safer than they would otherwise be. I can't remember having a negative personal experience with a police officer.

Many of us grew up in this post-Civil Rights era, upper middle-class fantasy land of the 80s and 90s believing that even though we were black, if we looked the "right" way, spoke the "right" way, and did the "right" things, we'd be ok.

That was shattered my sophomore year (mid-90s) at an Ivy League school when a friend of mine -- who must have been wearing at least $2000 worth of designer clothes his wealthy parents bought him -- was arrested by the city police when he tried to use his malfunctioning student ID card to enter a building to attend class. They didn't even bother to check with his professor or classmates to see if anyone could "vouch" for him, which would have been egregious enough. They accused him of breaking into a dorm to steal the clothes, and then trying to break into a class building to steal computers. They hauled him across campus in cuffs in the middle of the afternoon. They killed a part of that boy that day, and killed a part of all of us who heard, and felt, what happened.

Even if you do the "right" things, you can still have problems. But if you do the "wrong" things, then you brought those problems on yourself, and you can't blame the cops or "racism" for that!

I do have a problem with racist cops (well, racists in general). Being a black mother, even though I feel immense joy when I look at my son, I also feel a tinge of sorrow because I know that despite all the progress that has been made, his life still means less. He's still a black male in the US. And there's this little nastiness that's always in my gut when my husband walks out the door and gets into his luxury car. There isn't a moment that some part of me isn't concerned that he won't be profiled, and possibly physically harmed, for looking like he stole his own car.

These are feelings you can't fully explain to people who don't belong to communities that do experience the very real harm that racism and entitlement inflict. Most people in the majority say this pain doesn't even exist, or we should "get over it." That way of thinking -- that subtle ignorance -- is a luxury of being "privileged" enough not to know the brunt of racism.

So here's my guess:
You may not like "cops" because of racist cops, who can have much more power to be destructive than any run-of-the-mill racist. And when you hear about profiling, false arrests, false witness identification (because we all look alike...), police brutality, etc. you FEEL it in a way that other people can't understand... and it hurts and it makes you angry. We all know the stories of someone who's life was ruined for looking the part.

I challenge you to do something positive with those feelings, rather than act like your friends and spew the kind of negativity that only adds fuel to the fire. Become an investigative reporter. Study African American history in college and then teach it. Study law and become an attorney. Be a positive role model and volunteer as a mentor to disadvantaged youth. Volunteer at a relevant non-profit advocacy organization. Train for a career as an activist.

Do something to create positive change. Don't just be pissed.

My sister became a police officer because she wanted to become a "positive force *on* the force." You could even do the same.