When you promote The Equality in Policing Act, formally known as The Uniform Reporting Law Enforcement Improvement Act (URLEIA) in a public setting, some people may make disparaging comments designed to discourage others from joining the effort to “Strip Law Enforcement of Unbridled Power.” The following are some negative comments you may encounter and possible responses:

African American children are out of control. Law enforcement agents (LEAs) are supposed to arrest people who break the law, not shoot them. The job of the court is to determine the penalty for a crime or an offense. Law enforcement agents were never meant to be judge, jury and executioner.

African Americans should focus on black-on-black crime. It’s true: African Americans kill more African Americans because blacks tend to live together. Whites kill more whites because whites tend to live together. Killing people without due process of law, however, is never acceptable, whether by drug dealer, foreign terrorist or law enforcement agent. When a person’s life is extinguished by a law enforcement agent, that person is denied due process of law to which he/she is entitled. 

Implementing this act will cost too much money. This effort will significantly reduce the need to compensate victim families since The Equality in Policing Act will  reduce the number of injuries and deaths. Also, The Equality in Policing Act seeks to create a national policing environment where the federal government and states have a dual role. States and localities will continue to bear a significant share of their policing expenses. 

With a Republican-dominated Congress, you will never get this legislation through. Unconstitutional law enforcement is leading to the death of countless non-African Americans. Policing is not a Black v. White issue. If we believe all lives matter, then we must take steps needed to ensure all lives are protected, including law enforcement agents’ lives, Black lives, White Lives, as well as everyone else. 

Families are compensated for unjustified killings. They receive redress. There is no redress for a person wrongfully killed by a law enforcement agent. While the person’s heirs might be awarded a settlement, the settlement is no benefit to the deceased. Also, many families receive no redress for the wrongful killing of their loved one by a law enforcement agent. Taking a life is an irreversible action; it robs a person of life and time.