The video of a New York City police detective verbally abusing an Uber driver has gone viral, and the public has reacted with anger and horror. After Ferguson, Staten Island, and other reports of community conflict with the police, we see the video as part of a pattern of police misconduct.
But is even more going on here? Something we all can learn from? The video shows the stereotypical law enforcement power trip. But it might also provide a moment to ponder whether you have been mistreated, or perhaps mistreated another person, because of an assumption that there will be no consequence.
We all have witnessed abuse without necessarily recognizing it. The customer who screams at a waitress because a steak is overdone. The bus driver who yells at a passenger who doesn’t have exact change. The bank teller who speaks disdainfully to a person whose account is overdrawn. We think, “What a jerk.” But it’s more profound than that. The perpetrator is stripping another human being of his or her dignity. And this happens every minute of every day.
To read more: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-murraytjan/lessons-from-nypd-v-uber_b_7000342.html