In the wake of racial tension between the police in minority communities in the United States, the largest union of law enforcement with more than 330,000 members has endorsed Donald Trump for president This action seems entirely counter productive to the goals outlined by the Obama administration and many people in law enforcement who seek to strengthen the relationships between the police and their communities. Donald Trump’s law enforcement policies promote division and would undoubtedly spawn more violence related to police brutality.It is hard to understand the logic behind the union’s decision to endorse someone who has a documented history of invalidating those who protect and serve our country. Donald Trump has even gone so far as to denounce John McCain as a war hero.
The state of affairs between the police and local communities, especially monitory communities, is tense at best. Donald Trump’s xenophobic attitude and persistent hatred of minorities and immigrant communities will serve to further deteriorate this already tenuous relationship. This recent endorsement could lead to some speculation that the Obama administration really has not done enough to protect the safety of police officers. In reality, the endorsement seems to be less about safety of officers and more about loosening oversight. The Black Lives Matter movement, born from the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, has called for increased oversight and repercussions for police who kill unarmed civilians. Conservatives and law enforcement across the country have done their best to demonize this non-violent movement with the help of Donald Trump.
Unfortunately the endorsement of Donald Trump sends a message to the American public that aligns with the accusations made by the BLM movement; many law enforcement officers are clouded by racial bias in their enforcement of law. The divide widens.
