Kebron Moges

Introduction Letter
ENGL-2010

As a black woman in America I can’t help but notice the injustices that go on against

people of color. The discussion on police brutality and misconduct is not a new one and has been

relevant since the birth of the police force. The abuse of power and excessive use of force has

been built into the role of a police officer. The idea that a cop’s responsibility is to “protect and

serve” is hypocritical when they’re the culprits mistreating and killing the ones they’re

supposedly protecting and serving. I decided to write a profile on one of the victims of police

brutality and a blog explaining why replacing the police institution with more humane programs

and methods is not as radical as it sounds. Writing a profile on Johnathan Ferrell gives my

readers a face and a story of the life that was taken by an officer. His story is a prime example of

misconduct, during a time when a civilian needed help, the officer killed him. There have been

too many incidents where someone in need of help or assistance has been murdered. Writing a

blog allows me to influence a large audience whether it is the public or even a legislator's view.

The concept of abolishing the police is relatively new, many don’t understand what is implied by

that either. Most people assume complete anarchy and high crime rates when suggesting getting

rid of police officers, but police abolitionists promote and imagine the complete opposite. The

idea of abolishing the police roots from the criminal justice reform movement and suggest more

humane, effective measures that have been proven to work. By making my audience the general

public including those legislators, I’m able to educate those on the subject and explain the true

benefits of replacing police with more first responders and social net programs. I think the

biggest issue is how the thought of abolishing police may sound, most assume it's insane but

once you start to explain to them what it would really mean, people are able to see the bigger

picture. These genres speak to the general public, which is valuable because it gives me a chance
Kebron Moges
Introduction Letter
ENGL-2010

to inform and hopefully gain support so that change is possible. If the majority of Americans see

the flaws in our police system and start to look at the origins of policing, I think we can be the

change and sculpt a better system that truly protects and serve the people.

I focused on using logical and emotional appeals because I felt those would be the most

effective when trying to persuade my audience. I want to reason with my audience by having

them recognize the history of policing and seeing the flaws in the system, making it hard for

them to disagree. The discussion of police brutality in general is an emotional one since we're

talking about lives being lost. People are being abused, wrongfully accused, and killed by the

same institution they’re paying taxes to, which is devastating. I want my audience to recognize

the victims as innocent, loving people who have families and friends that are still grieving.