If there is a group of people living together then laws are necessary to ensure a peaceful society and avoid disorder. The government enforces law through the police, courts and other agencies. Power can produce many positive results, but this power the government controls is often abused and in many cases they enforce law with brutality which is completely different from its original purpose. Law was established to benefit the people but sometimes through the abuse of power like police brutality, its enforcement defers its original purpose. The concept of law is very old.
It started in the ancient time with God. People had to live according to what the old testament stated good or bad. The ten amendments was one of the first written documents with the purpose to establish order. This document stated basic rules, like respect others, never steal etc. Even the the king was subject to God and the law. Law constantly changes to guide its subjects better. Today law is defined by a country or community to regulate its people and punish according what it has been stated wrong or right. For a society to be successful it is fundamental that there is enforcement of law.
This laws are necessary to create peace between conflicting forces in society and avoid chaos. A society without laws would not have a structure. The main goal of this dynamic system of laws is to maintain order in a society, insure protection to each individual, and to insure equality, therefore create a peaceful environment for the benefit of the people. Law is accepted by people to regulate common rules for the society and therefore people accept law to maintain social order and to live according to the rules set by the law.
It was also established that no one is above the law, includes everyone and t also includes every department that might belong to the government. Even the government itself has to act according to what the law has stated. Law is a safeguard against arbitrary actions of the government authorities. It is fundamental that people obey the law and the law should also be able to guide the behavior of its people. Police brutality is a strong example to show how power sometimes is abused. They are trusted and expected to respect society as a whole and enforce the law.
However, often times police are able to break the law. In extreme cases police officers ill people, they “punish” with impunity. They should protect citizens, not cause harm and fear. Police abuse can really be a downfall in a community, losing all faith in what police officers stand for and represent. They should be trained properly so they do not resort to violence and abuse of power. Police brutality has become one of the most serious violations in the United States. Race also seems to influence police abuse. Certain groups of individuals are more prone to be abused than others.
Instead of feeling protected when a police officer is around, a feeling of fear emerges from within, specially when a olice car is driving behind. The most known case of police brutality must be Rodney King’s case. On march 3, 1991, the California Highway Patrol spotted King’s car speeding. He was stopped by the LAPD and was immediately attacked by the police after King stopped his car. According to reports, he was shot by taser guns twice, beaten with batons. This attack caused “11 skull fractures, permanent brain damage, emotional and physical trauma.
Even though Rodney King was driving intoxicated and probably deserved some of that beating. He was awarded 3. 8 million dollars. The officers involved in the ssault were charged with use of “excessive force. ” It is understood that the use of force is necessary sometimes, there might be life threatening situations for police officers and other people around the scene as well. But, this officers are legally allowed to use excessive force if they feel necessary, and once some power is granted, abuse of power will most likely be a factor.
More than 5,000 cases of police brutality have been reported and fatalities have been linked to many of this cases. There are groups of people who unite to fight against police brutality and protect our rights. The bad cops need to be put in jail, the community does not have to walk around and feel intimidated by the police. Laws are made to maintain order and peace in society. A society would be chaos if people choose to obey laws freely based on their own judgement.
Every individual has the obligation to obey the law, unless the law is unjust, then protests are necessary. This dynamic system of laws benefit both people and the government that regulate law. Even though the power the government has is sometimes abused, it has many positive benefits for everyone. When someone breaks the aw, that person will go to jail as punishment. There are many laws which protect as. For example, speed limits, from car accidents, and assaults as few examples. Law is equally applied to everyone regardless of their race or economic status.
Since law imposes punishment to those who disobey the law, it allows people to create awareness that laws are made to be obeyed, therefore chaos can be avoided. Laws facilitate changes within the society and to the whole nation as well. That is the original purpose of law, the idea seems to be lost now. There are benefits the law can bring, but it is a problem when the overnment abuses this power and make laws the go beyond the needs of the society and start satisfying the wants and needs of one or many members of society, even if those many are the majority.
What good is the law if it cannot be enforced.? To avoid this problem the government makes laws based on resources that the government controls. They control the money, tools we use to exchange wealth that we produce, land is controlled by the government through ordinance, high value assets through mandatory registration and even worst they control our minds through mandatory education and media. It an be said the people benefit less than the government from this fair system.
The government because it allows them to control most of the people except those who break the law. People are protected by the law at some extent, except when there is police brutality involved or unfair punishment. People have no choice but to accept this as a contract between them and the government and bend to live as the law states. If people do not comply with the “contract,” then they will face jail or death penalty. Perhaps, we do not even need laws, we could live in harmony by just following common sense or the ten mendments could be enough, a thought.
Laws need to be imposed on people to avoid disorder, even though sometimes the government abuse their power. The police sometimes use excessive force and break the law without having to suffer any consequence, but sometimes they also provide protection. The law is completely different today than what it was probably made to be. It is a necessary system, used all over the world to control the society and even go to war. This complex and dynamic system of laws are made to guide society in a good way and prohibit movement in a direction that is bad.
