Professor Corrects Student Who Labels Cops 'Heroes'

In California, a professor has corrected a misconception about the nature of cops.

As relayed by The Daily Wire, a Cypress College communications class recently listened to student Braden Ellis’s report.

At the end, says the adolescent, 10 minutes were to be allowed for classmates to respond.

The teacher took that time to school him and his peers on the reality of law enforcement.

Braden’s Zoom presentation purportedly concerned cancel culture. Per the young man, it’s “so destructive and tearing our country apart.”

Amid his speech, he mentioned last year’s controversy over the kids program Paw Patrol and its positive portrayal of police.

For those who missed it:

A backlash is mounting against depictions of “good cops,” on television and in the street. (Via @amandahess @nytimes) https://t.co/zeUbfP9TPm

— MediaSmarts (@MediaSmarts) June 15, 2020

At the time, NYT assessed the damage:

Paw Patrol seems harmless enough, and that’s the point: The (justice/anti-police) movement rests on understanding that cops do plenty of harm.

The way Braden saw it, such a thing was untoward.

Furthermore, at some point, he called the boys and girls in blue “heroes.”

Braden’s professor stepped in to set him straight.

For one thing, she made clear, the system is embedded with racism:

“So you brought up the police in your speech a few times. So, what is your…main concern? Since, I mean, honestly…the issue is systemic.”

The teacher also schooled everyone on how such a thing as police departments came to exist.

If I understand correctly, it’s a uniquely American phenomenon…and one that was completely foreign up North:

“[T]he whole reason we have police departments in the first place, where did it stem from? What’s our history? Going back to what [another classmate] was talking about, what does it stem from?”

Do you know?

“It stems from people in the South wanting to capture runaway slaves.”

A classmate joined in, “Maybe [police] shouldn’t be heroes. Maybe they don’t belong on a kid’s show.”

Braden disagreed — he asserted law enforcement officers have a difficult job.

“I think cops are heroes…”

“All of them?” the professor asked.

Braden:

“I’d say a good majority of them. You have people in every business and every–“

As someone who “has family members who are [police officers],” the teacher fixed his fluke:

“[A] lot of police officers have committed atrocious crimes and have gotten away with it and have never been convicted of any of it.”

“This is not popular to say,” he responded anyway, “but I do support our police.”

There are “bad people,” he noted, who “do bad things” and “should be brought to justice…”

But, the professor pointed out, “They haven’t.”

She put it to him:

“[W]hat is your bottom line point? You’re saying police officers should be revered? Viewed as heroes? They belong on TV shows [for] children?”

According to Braden, men and women in law enforcement are heroes “because they come to your need, and they come and help you.”

The instructor conceded they’re supposed “to protect and serve the people.”

He asserted that they do.

The Zoom exchange is just one more indication: The attitude toward law enforcement in America has undeniably been turned on its head.

Until just recently, loads of hit TV shows portrayed people with badges as societal guardians.

On television, even Ice T is a cop:

So is Ice Cube:

Kevin Hart and Ice Cube’s ‘Ride Along 2’ unseats ‘Star Wars’ at the box office https://t.co/SQMpzWHMB8 pic.twitter.com/6rqbYRLCPs

— soa_logistics (@soa_logistics) January 18, 2016