Writing: What I Took Away, How I Improved

Throughout the course of the semester the biggest take that made an impact on me was the use of discipline when it comes to writing the facts, and just the facts. Towards the beginning of the semester, we wrote a documentary summary which required us to use no opinion, instead giving an account the facts that we saw while viewing. I am a compassionate person, so when I begin to get emotional about something, I may tend to put emphasis on my opinion. An important aspect of placing an emphasis on opinion is to maintain balance and control. To be an effective speaker and writer, I've come to realize, that you must be able to listen first. Throughout my blog entries I was able to practice focusing on the opposite side before I explained my own opinion. The reason I say this is, because, I've read many things especially with the current election process, that have discredited a source because there was an apparent bias. Its almost a shame because there could be such a valuable aspect to a piece of writing, but once the writer strays off on their own opinion there is a sense of bias that is hard to avoid. 

Value can easily be placed on what we learned about report writing. I recently tested for a local police department and this skill came in handy. There was a portion of the test that required us to write the summary of the report. With the knowledge I took away from the course, I was able to keep everything in past tense and not use any opinion. It also came in handy when I needed to list the victim/suspect because I knew only the last name was necessary. 

This course was valuable in many respects. You can never know enough about communication so I would recommend writing to anyone studying law enforcement. 

Shots Fired! Officer Down!

A scene from Cops shows a seemingly average traffic stop until things took a turn for the worst. During the finalization of the police report, my emotions ran high as this is one of the most difficult situations to be, even moderately, comfortable with. As an aspiring police officer, I understand the dangers that go along with the job, but it is hard to understand peoples motives for causing such destruction over a seemingly routine stop. Maybe it was due to an outstanding warrant or some kind of felony possession. The responding officers in the situation handled it as I would, keeping collect so they could execute an effective search. It heartbreaking that X (criminal) had enough accuracy to hit the officer but to see that many responding officers embracing their swiftness and finding X made up for it. See Video of COPS, Shots Fired

How I've Grown As A Writer

In The Begging, I tended to lean on the judgmental side of things and my opinions were displayed as such. Sometimes looking back on my work I would be able to immediately identify where I could have or even should have made a change. Other times, everything seemed so clear and not in need of refining. However, as my practice of proper writing has increased I am able to see the flaws in my work with regards to how I display my opinion. As a passionate person, I would sometimes ignore the readers feelings to further drive my own opinion. I learned through the course of this semester that sometimes doing that is an ineffective way to get your point understood. I now know that the reader must first understand the opinion I bring to the table before I can begin to try to get them to agree with me. If anything it is even more important to display your understandings of the readers opinion, or the contradictory opinion to my idea. As my work develops, it is easier to navigate to my final point. I must remember that the process it takes to get there is just as important.

The Uninformed Public Reacting to Trump

Since the election of Donald Trump, many research groups have found there to be a devastating increase in hate crimes associated to Trump's suggestive language. There have been recorded incidents from city streets to college campuses.

There is something to be said about these acts. First of all, Trump has suggested facts that point to the popularity of crime among certain groups but unlike Hillary Clinton, he never referred to blacks as "super predators". Some members of the black community hate Trump, and as such, make attacks against Trump supporters. Same with some members of the White Supremacist groups that see Trump as their KKK leader.

Here is the deal, these groups have lost their connection with the roots of this country. On both accounts we see a highly misinformed people. It is not pleasant to see nor is it wanted by the general public. Many members of the community believe the "white man" came out to vote this election to prove a point to the black community. These individuals may not be familiar with a group called the Electoral College, who make the ultimate decision on which way the state leans, either Democrat or Republican. The amount of Electorals that decided R suggests something about the D candidate. It is not the fault of the white man or the black community.

These individuals who involve themselves in these hate acts may not have knowledge about how our government really works...which is understandable, its confusing. But to blame one race or another is a home grown mockery of this country. I am ashamed of these citizens.

Trump is our next president. And as such we should support whoever is leader of this country, or at least give him a chance. There is nothing to be said that Trump will not make America great again. People participating in hate crimes will just make the process harder.

Com'on Kaepernick

San Fransisco 49ers quarter back Colin Kaepernick has been taking a knee during the national anthem to protest unequal rights in recent events taking place in the US. Looking at the fundamentals of this country, based around freedom and equality, Kaepernick suggest that the United States isn't keeping up with their end of the bargain. Recent violence with the way law enforcement engages with some members of the community is what the focus is on.

In the past there have been several speakers that highlighted this aspect of the country and suggest racial inequality is a relevant factor. Though this may be true, there is a more proper way to protest and get the point across. Kaepernick and young football players around the country are not doing it right.

The way they protest suggest they do not want to be a part of what everyone else is a part of. And instead of highlighting the issue, it offers a sense of anger for those who see it. A common thought that many NFL fans have is that Kaepernick should be fined or suspended from the NFL. Now, how can such a simple protest spark so much anger or hate....its because you need to protest in a more widely accepted fashion where people will want to relate to you. His protest drives most people away from that main ideal of racial inequality. Is it just coincidence that young ball players in the US are also doing it too? Probably not...they may not even understand the fundamentals of the protest but see Kaepernck as an idol and do as he does.

Maybe a better way of approaching inequality is getting involved with local government, pleading to officials to push for a change in Law enforcement strategies. Kaepernick has infinite resources to get involved, so why not?

He isn't helping the country, but instead, further dividing it. Get involved the right way.

Thoughts on the Female Chicago Police Officer Incident

On October 5th, a Female Chicago cop was brutally attacked by a man who was later identified to be high on PCP. The officer attempted to detain the individual as he was walking down the street seemingly to evade being caught after he participated in illegal activity. The female officer remained calm and attempted to gain control of the situation by displaying a good temperament and respect for the individual, who was identified as Parta Huff. Huff resisted, and things quickly went south for the female officer and her male partner. The female officer shouted to taze Huff however it had no affect. He then stumbled with her and they went to the ground where he began to bash her head off the pavement by way of grabbing her hair. Fellow officers quickly arrived on the scene and managed to break up the quarrel. 

The Shocking thing about this incident is that no lethal use of force was used. In my opinion, the defense strategies taught in the academy should have been amplified slightly to get Huff off of this female officer. Huff refused to let go of her hair. If I was the back up officer I would have used necessary force to get him to let go...if that meant used a choke hold (which is frowned upon) or break his wrist to get him to let go, thats what I would have considered. The situation wasn't handled poorly, however with that many back up officers standing around her, they should have been able to get Huff to let go much sooner. 

The female officer can be seen as a hero because she put her family and the entire Chicago Police Department before her own life. That, is a ballsy move.

Best Notebook for Officer Alberico

The most useful notebook is one that notes could be taken in on the fly and is easy to handle. With this being said, I would prefer a smaller size book that is able to fit in a large shirt pocket. I need enough room to make detailed accounts of what happened as well as use symbols that could later guide my thought. I would rank them as the following:

First, I would consider a standard 5x7 book that would afford me with adequate space to jot down my observations, without being over-sized or clumsy to handle. 

Second, I would consider a full sized notebook. In the 9x11 range

that would give me more than ample room to work with however may be difficult to carry around.

Third, and my final consideration would be a mini (3x5) notebook that would

allow me the ease of handling, however would cut me short on the amount

of detail I was able to include while remaining practical.