This weekend, yet another video has surfaced showing a police officer aggressively (which some may say is an understatement) dealing with African American youths during a pool party in McKinney, Texas on Friday night. The officers in question, have now been placed on administrative leave while an investigation takes place.
Please take a look at the video below and then help us answer: Do We Have to Teach Our Kids “How to Act” to Keep Them Safe and Alive?
As a mother of four African American youths, the answer to this question is not simple. Our kids should not be in danger of losing their lives by participating in activities that teenagers are often involved in.
Sitting here, I’m thinking back to all of the functions and get-togethers that I attended as a child, where the police were called to bring order. I’m thinking about all of the rowdy frat-parties I witnessed as a student at Penn State University. And I can’t for the life of me see how the type of aggressive force that these officers displayed with those kids was necessary. This officer pulled out his gun!!!!
But to answer the original question: Yes… all parents need to teach their kids how to act out in public….and how to have respect for themselves, for property, and for the adults. But kids will be kids… and things will get rowdy and out of hand. And we should not be afraid that some overly aggressive police officer is going to end our child’s life over a rowdy pool party.
We all teach our kids to do the right things…but they are not perfect and they will ultimately get caught up in things. Last night, I watched the Dateline Special “My Kids Would Never Do That” where hidden cameras catch kids doing things that their parents have taught them not to do time and time again. But as soon as the parents weren’t around, the kids were caught doing things like: answering the door and letting people into the home when they are there alone and getting into cars with strangers. And the parents were mortified as they watched their children do the very things they have been preaching and teaching against. They were mortified because their kids could have gotten themselves into a life-threatening predicament from their bad choices.
As so, I teach my children “how to act” in public. And even with that, I know that they aren’t perfect and so I don’t expect that very police officers that are supposed to protect and serve them would take their lives over an incident that could be handled in a different way
Finally as an African American mother, I can ‘t afford to teach my kids about how things “should” be. I have to keep them prepared for the reality that we are living in right now. So, I use videos like this as teachable moments for my kids. What should you do if this goes down at one of your parties? Should you stay and get involved? Is it ever OK to run from the police?
BMWK – watch the video and share your thoughts? Are we making too many excuses for our kids when they behave in certain ways? Are the police officers using excessive force in situations such as this? Is it ever acceptable for police officers to use fowl language with citizens in this manner?
