Differential police treatment essays

Differential police treatment essays The recent videotaped beating of an African American man in Cincinnati, Ohio by police officers has once again called attention to the volatile relations between police and the African American community. Though this incident is still in its investigation stage, it is merely one in a long history of allegations regarding police misconduct against African American people. For critics, such police conduct includes verbal abuse, unjustified stops and the use of excessive force. Ronald Weitzer (1999) found that according to surveys done by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, police officers have used excessive force in less than 1 percent of contacts with civilians and suspects. Contrary to these statistics, however, blacks perceive excessive force as a problem. A further survey conducted by NBC News found that 43 percent of black respondents had little confidence on the police in the matter of "not using excessive force on suspects" (cited in Weitzer 1999). Definitions of "excessive force" differ from community to community. In two middle-class communities outside of Washington, DC with a majority of black citizens, the practice of "proning out" a suspect on the ground was common during street arrests. This involves putting the individuals on the ground with their arms behind the back. Many black residents charge that individuals are proned out on the ground even when the suspect presents no danger to the officers (Weitzer 1999). In Los Angeles, many members of the African American community feel that they are targeted for more violent police behavior. Often, a suspect who is already proned out was further pinned down with the feet or knees. An amateur video captured an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department slam a black teenager and slam the slender, special-education student on the hood of a car. Later investigations showed that the teenager ha ...

A Quick Guide to Effective Email - Formality

A Quick Guide to Effective Email - Formality I will confess to being an overly formal emailer. I stick with professional titles and last names longer than I need to, I continue using salutations and closing phrases even in a conversational chain, and I can’t seem to stop signing off with â€Å"best† or â€Å"regards† and second guessing my use of exclamation points. This has all been exacerbated by teaching college students as an adjunct- their instant informality, use of text-speak, and round the clock emails make me want to crawl inside a mailbox and never come out. Lucky for me, the folks at Social-Hire.com have some guidance for the overthinkers among us who are composing job application emails. Come across as too stiff, and you’re a bad fit for the office culture. Too informal, and you lack the poise and polish they expect from an employee. What to do?First ContactLook carefully at the website of the company that you’re applying to work for. Have employees contributed bios? Does it sound like a person or a marketing firm drafted the copy? Does anyone link to their social media profiles? Let the formal or relaxed tone of your email match what you see on their site.SeniorityThough many companies encourage an informal persona, a more formal approach is always preferable  if you’re writing to a senior employee or a hiring manager. Play it safe by starting with â€Å"Dear† and using whatever professional title you’re aware of (Dr., Mr., Ms.- don’t get cute with â€Å"Miss† or â€Å"Mrs.†). You never know how that might rub someone the wrong way. Use their full name, and end with â€Å"Best,†   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Sincerely,† or â€Å"Thank you.†RepliesOH THANK GOODNESS, any reply that’s not outright dismissive tells you that you did something correctly! Let their attitude guide yours- match your response’s relaxation to theirs. Don’t overdo it! My students make the misstep of taking a brief, speed y response from me as a sign they can write back with emojis and â€Å"sup† and â€Å"Thank uuuuuuuu.†Keep in mind this is American-centered advice- companies in a variety of cultural context may approach their email communications very differently.So to sum up:Err on the side of formality.Let them take the lead.Don’t drop your guard too quickly!Happy emailing! Now take that inspirational quote out of your signature.Job Application Advice: How Formal Should Your Email Be?Read More at www.social-hire.com