*Please Note: This Hot Topic Assignment is linked to your Hot Topic Discussion

Hot topic discussion:

As seen in the New York Post Website, Police shootings, especially those of racial status, have increased in 2019 from 2018 by alarming figures. One can describe police shootings as false killings in the United States jurisdiction. These are because of the perception the police force has on people of color. Research shows that African-Americans are nearly three times more likely to be killed in a police shooting. The level of discrimination against the black male is even more. Reports show that racial injustices have been on the rise, at an alarming rate, since 2014, because the police force is becoming more violent due to what is termed as, ‘lethal force.’ Lethal force is simply said to be the use of force to a person that results in serious bodily harm. In this case, the police force uses lethal force while seeming to be law enforcers (McCarthy, 2020).

Since 2014, the numbers of police killings have been remaining at a rate that does not go below a thousand fatalities, excluding hundreds of serious injuries, some, which have never been reported. They are advised to use this force when only they notice they are in danger, for example, if the culprit wields a knife, or bat, the force is supposed to contain him by either shooting him, or her with fake bullets, or shooting in the air, which should be followedby the latter. We can say that the killings, mostly done by white male officers, is due to their hatred and despise for the colored communities. Most whites’ state that this is because they believe the people of color come into their country and take up all of the available jobs; therefore, no favorable working conditions (Bor, Venkataramani, Williams, Tsai, 2018).

It is with my conclusion to say that many more amendments and reforms should be undertaken to ensure the safety of our youths. This will also foster unity and love, leading to a stronger, vibrant, and peaceful nation, thus increasing productivity and efficiency. The increase of killings from 2018 to 2019 is alarming, and desperate action needs to be taken to combat this injustice.

References

Bor, J., Venkataramani, A. S., Williams, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. (2018). Police killings and their spillover effects on the mental health of black Americans: a population-based, quasi-experimental study. The Lancet, 392(10144), 302-310.

McCarthy, C. (2020). Police shootings, use of force on the rise: NYPD report. Retrieved 11 February 2020, from https://nypost.com/2019/12/04/police-shootings-use…

Directions

1. Review the types of topics that are covered in this course (i.e., professional, ethical, and legal issues).
2. Make sure you review the grading criteria in the rubric.
3. Selection of a Hot Topic:
   • Search the Internet for a current story related to one of the course topics. Topics may be ethical, legal, political, or professional in nature. The story must be no older than 1 year. Do not use wikis, Wikipedia, Facebook, or other social media. Instead, look for stories that may be found in, but not limited to, online news sites, professional organizations’ issues pages, or journal editorials.
   • Explain in excellent detail how the topic is related to the course. State the date when the story appeared (no more than 1 year old).
4. Provide the location of the story on the internet:
   • Identify the name of the site you selected
   • Provide a working URL/web address
5. Summarize the story in detail:
   • Write two to three well-developed paragraphs that summarize the main points of the story.
   • Determine what nursing issue is reflected in the story and key people involved
   • Share your viewpoint about the story as it relates to nurses and the nursing profession.
6. Mechanics and organization of good scholarly writing: See rubric for detail.

NR395: Hot Topic Assignment Rubric