“We’re working for the day when a policeman, an official, a representative of law and order is not perceived as the enemy—as the source of danger and symbol of oppression. We have to alter—most basically—the perceptions of both children and adults. But we cannot alter perceptions unless we alter people’s experiences.”
Our Quote of the Week makes the statement that law enforcement officials can only be seen in a positive light if they conduct themselves in ways that inspire trust. We share these words as we struggle to come to terms with this week’s fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis by an ICE agent.
On August 3, 1966, Sargent Shriver addressed an audience of predominantly Black attorneys at a National Bar Association gathering in Detroit. At the time, Shriver was Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, which administered the programs of the War on Poverty. Shriver’s speech is focused on Legal Services, the War on Poverty program that provided (and continues to provide) free legal services in low-income communities. However, the speech demonstrates how far-reaching Shriver’s vision of justice was—and how closely he tied justice with opportunity and dignity.
Shriver tells the attorneys:
“You know and I know that law enforcement isn’t enough. Law has to mean something more than ‘be good’, ‘behave yourself, ‘wait patiently’, and above all “cool it.” The law may be impartial—but it cannot be neutral. The law must either be a friend and a protector—or it will be perceived as the enemy.”
Sargent Shriver’s words are from 60 years ago but feel particularly timely today. May we work towards a society that fulfills his vision, in which people experience a system of laws and justice that serves and protects them, including law enforcement officials who behave with integrity, transparency, and equanimity.
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