The video of the arrest of Sandra Bland makes Liberals scream police brutality. Conservatives see a woman who got what she deserved. Conservatives and Liberals view the arrest so differently because they view the world so differently. These contrasting views pose a serious problem for our society because they spring from deeply held beliefs about how the world works.
Conservatives view the world from a hierarchical perspective: societal order can only be maintained by respecting the established traditional hierarchies. The Police sit above most regular Citizens in this hierarchy, and especially above women of color in Texas. From the Conservative perspective, Sandra Bland should have been deferential to the police officer: "Yes, Sir, how can I help you Sir?...." Ms. Bland clearly did not display the "proper" amount of respect that an "Officer of the Peace" deserves. In the eyes of the Conservative, the moment she stopped showing respect for her "superior," she lost all credibility. At that point, nothing else mattered. Her violation of the law was minor, but her refusal to recognize and respect the hierarchy was unacceptable. Hierarchy provides order. Without order, chaos ensues and society collapses. So when you hear Conservatives say, "had she just been more polite...," they are saying her crime was not respecting the proper social order. Even when Conservatives concede that the officer could have easily handled the situation entirely differently and avoided any problems--even when they concede he violated Police protocol and probably the law--they still side with the officer: "What would happen if no one respected authority?" Society would descend into anarchy. Order keeps us all safe and is the essential foundation for prosperity. From the Conservative perspective, Sandra Bland was unquestionably wrong.
By contrast, Liberals generally believe in an egalitarian worldview, or at least one in which all citizens, police included, are seen as equal before the law, especially in the United States with our long tradition of anti-authoritarianism. Liberals believe that police officers are public servants who serve with our permission, for our benefit: "to serve & protect." The police officer should have approached Sandra Bland with deference and an appreciation of his role as a public servant. As soon the officer was within hearing range of Ms. Bland, he should have uttered something to the effect: "So sorry Ma'am to have pulled you over. I'll be quick. I noticed that you didn't signal a while back. I know it's not a major infraction so I just wanted to give you a warning. [slides warning notice through window] Have a great day!"... Police should always approach all citizens with respect, a presumption of innocence and they should take the least intrusive route to serving and protecting us. From the Liberal perspective, the police officer was unquestionably wrong.
This great divide between how Conservatives and Liberals view the role of government is at the heart of the American story. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the "Declaration of Independence:"
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
Liberals see the line, "Governments... deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed," as the fundamental message. And "Men" (conceding that it wasn't believed to be so at the time by the author) refers to all of us: black, white; male, female; property owner or renter....
Conservatives argue these famous lines affirm their belief that the "Creator" authorized "Men" (meaning "men") to establish a "Government" which has authority to maintain "Safety and Happiness," which generally means enforcing an order based on the traditional hierarchy. (Both sides claim their "Right" to "alter or to abolish... and to institute new Government... whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive....")
The American Citzen Sandra Bland did not consent to be subjugated to the whims and moods of poorly trained government "Law Enforcement Agents" who see their role as defenders of the traditional hierarchy more than they see themselves as public servants in a society where no one is above the law and everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. She consented, like we all do, to allow police broad powers to effect our "Safety and Happiness." But we only give these broad powers to police so that we may enjoy our "Right" to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," not so they can take it away.
