I used to feel sick to my stomach when I watched videos on the news of a white police officer brutally attacking a black victim; it would enrage me and I would question if we’ve made any real progress as a society since the civil rights  movement. While the short videos, like the incidences of Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin and other tragedies of black people dying at the mercy of white cops are extremely discomforting, to say the least, there’s something huge we’re forgetting here.

We turn on our TVs to the news and we’re immediately hooked when we see a video of a white cop attacking a black victim. Let’s face it — we can’t stop watching it because it taps so deep into our emotions; it really digs and pulls on us. We think, “How could a white officer take down a black man just because he was selling cigarettes on the street?”

This is when we have to learn to take a step back and realize that the media knows that we eat that up. Most of the time, the media only shows one side of the story and focuses on the police officer as a monster. The media has a preconceived narrative of events, and if a white police officer vs. black victim surfaces, it’s like cake to them.

But, do we really think cops wake up in the morning and decide “I am going to brutally attack a person of another race because I am so deeply racist and I am willing to lose my badge, my credentials and reputation for this?”

Absolutely not.

Take the most recent events at Spring Valley High School, for example. Spring Valley is my alma mater, and it is extremely diverse. The teachers, of all colors, truly care for the well-being of the students. 

Deputy Fields is no exception. By day, he was the school resource officer and after the final bell rang, he was off to help coach the football team. He was my sister’s powerlifting mentor and he helped push her to achieve national titles and even pushed her to join the football team, abandoning all fears of being the only girl on the team.

A few months ago, I did a powerlifting session with Deputy Fields and my sister at Spring Valley’s weight room. As a curious journalist, I asked him what his craziest story was while he was in uniform.

He told me about a time when someone tried to give him $100 in cash as a token of appreciation. Deputy Fields escorted some singer across the city during heavy traffic, but he refused to accept the money because it would go against what it meant to wear the uniform. If he couldn’t accept the money because of a conflict of ethics, how could he flip a girl out of her seat while in uniform?

That’s just the thing. No one except for those students in the classroom know exactly what led up to the events of the slim six-second video. However, the media fails to focus on the external circumstances. As a former student of Spring Valley, I know how the student population is. Most students who go to a public school, no matter what side of the country or whether it’s near a city or out in the country, can attest to this: There are students who act up and believe there are no consequences to their actions. 

It’s not simply a matter of an angry white police officer taking his racist attitudes out in a burst of anger. 

But have you heard any other side of the story?

Nope.

The media continues covering the “white officer vs. black victim” because it’s easy to pit the two against each other. But no problem can be boiled down to identifying the cause in such simple terminology, like “racism.”

CNN has yet to report on the march out that Spring Valley students briefly held, begging that Deputy Fields return back to Spring Valley.

Police officers are generally good people who want the best for their communities. But as the media continues this feeding frenzy of highlighting all the bad instances without knowing the full story or even harboring conversations of how to fix the problem, it affects how the public views the police force as a whole.

Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely bad police officers out there, as with any profession. It’s unfortunate that the few bad apples have spoiled the reputation of what it means to protect the community. Police brutality has actually decreased drastically since the 1960s, but you would never guess that with how much it is broadcasted on the news. 

Before you immediately come to a conclusion, think about circumstances leading up to the event. Think about how the victim was raised, and think about the situation afterward. Don’t let the media think for you; there are so many elements to take into consideration before coming to your own conclusion.