Shis issue: ( The hole in Timmy-Ho’s marketing (¥ Genuine sadness shouldn’t be a competition CAV arelcmol ama nlaaalU And more! Have your voice heard! Contact: Elliot Chan, Opinions Editor M opinions@theotherpress.ca www. theotherpress.ca Americas most-watched » Why police officers on duty should be filmed Elliot Chan .. Opinions Editor = M opinions =i, @theotherpress.ca Seuny cameras are an integral part of many organizations, from low-level retail to big brand manufac- turing. Whatever is recorded is rarely shown to the public or even kept for long periods of time, but when something occurs it’s always good to have video evidence, especially in this day and age when it’s essential to justice. So ifthe barista at Starbucks has to be on camera all day long while serving coffee, why shouldn't police officers be on camera all day ing citizens? Law enforcement is a tough job—I don’t deny that; however, I’m convinced that often the coercive mea- sures taken to enforce the law might be overly drastic. Recently, several police brutality videos have been shared on the Internet to ensure that the citizens being detained receive at the very least an apology for the force- ful way in which they were . apprehended. It’s sickening : to seea police officer throw : furious jabs at a man who has : his arms behind his back, or : worse, see a 200lb man wrestle : down a woman and continue : to pummel her while she’s : onthe ground. Whether the : victim deserved the physical : punishment or the police : officer overstepped bounds : is beyond me, but what Iam : sure you can agree on is that : transparency is the key to : establishing harmony between : the law and the people the laws are meant to protect. In the States—California : specifically—there are initia- : tives for police to wear cameras > when they are on duty. Instead : of having spectators film police : whena wrongdoing occurs, long while serving and protect- : : that in their operations. If they : have done nothing wrong in : the course of action, then there : is nothing to worry about. the police should just include The argument is that if : certain people see a police with ? a camera attached to them, : then a certain level of fear is : omitted, but I don’t believe that : : to be the case. After all, I sure : as hell don’t want video evi- : dence of me showing disrespect : toa police officer. Nevertheless, . would want even less to have : a video of me being assaulted : bya police officer. Moreover, : why the hell should citizens, : who have done nothing wrong, fear cops anyways? Well, that’s because go per : cent of people are law-abiding, : but 99.9 per cent of people are : unnerved by the unpredictabil- : ity of law enforcement officers. : Simply put, people just aren’t : educated in what the police : can or cannot do to us. The : RCMP, and other departments : in charge of our safety, need : to meet us halfway. Certain : public places are constantly : under surveillance. It seems : tome that wherever a police : officer happens to be, that isa good place for an extra eye. Cops are people too, and : they perform a tough role in : our society. Wearing a camera : on the job is not an expression : of mistrust. Instead, it should : be seenas how guns, Tasers, : and other technological : advantages are used to help : them perform their job. It’s : an affordable measure that can save a lot of people from : injuries and stop officers from : stepping over the thin blue line. we, On crimes and punishment » The many victims of the Michael Brown incident Margaret Matthews Senior Columnist hile honesty and integ- rity are of paramount importance in everyday life, there are some who lack self-discipline, fall short of ethics, and succumb toa baser nature. Such was supposedly the case of an unarmed black 18-year-old teenager, Michael Brown, who allegedly stole a box of cigars from a convenience store in Ferguson, Missouri. Later that night, Brown was stopped by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, for “blocking traffic” by at the time of Brown’s death, : there were no legal charges : laidagainst Brown with regard : : to his alleged shoplifting. Did walking down the middle of the street. An altercation arose between Brown and Wilson. : Brown reportedly did not resist : arrest, but held up his hands : in surrender. Wilson fired six : shots at Brown, one : of which—the fatal blow—was : aimed at his head, and Brown : fell to the ground, dead. Police brutality can be : severe, and sometimes police : officers overstep their boundar- : : ies in an abuse of power. What : are the determining factors : used in deciding when to : shoot at a suspect, other than : in self-defence? What if the : scenario was different? What : if the thief was a white teen? : Would Wilson have fired? It should be noted that : Wilson overreact to Brown’s : “blocking of traffic,” which : could have been a teenage : prank on the part of Brown? : There are “jaywalkers” who : violate traffic laws, but do so : when they are ina hurry or if : there is construction and the : normal crosswalk is closed to pedestrians. Are police officers : : taught to shoot at jaywalkers : for breaking this traffic law? The untimely death of : Brown has sparked racial : tensions between the black : community of Ferguson and : the law enforcement officers, : and the ensuing riots—result- : ing in looting, plundering, : injury, and vandalism—leave : much to be desired. The protestors defied : overnight curfews instituted : by Missouri Governor Jay : Nixon in acts of civil disobedi- : : ence. Protestors advocated jus- : : tice for Brown and that charges : : be laid against Wilson. Wilson : : has gone into hiding for secu- : : rity,and peaceandsolidarity : : have not returned to Ferguson. : Reports have indicated that a grand jury has been : chosen to review the entire : case of Wilson shooting and : killing Brown, and the grand : jury will determine—with : allthe evidence and witness : statements at hand—whether : charges will be laid against : Wilson. Since the grand jury : in Missouri meet only oncea : week in court, it will not be : until October that that deter- : mination will be made public. Being shot and killed Did Wilson overreact to Brown's “blocking of traffic,” which could have been a teenage prank on the part of Brown? : for allegedly shoplifting a : box of cigars froma store : or for “blocking traffic” : was too severe of a penalty : to be imposed on Brown. : Execution on the spot goes : beyond reason and definitely : deserves investigation.