What impact do you want to make in the world? Select a problem or social issue and explain why it is important to you. What do you need to learn to contribute toward its solution? Anonymous

Regardless of where you come from, police brutality is currently the hot topic in media. With countless accusations of police using excessive force making the headlines, it has generated unfavorable views against those in law enforcement. Race is viewed as a driving factor for inciting police to lash out, but it is much more than that.

You may recall the death of Tamir Rice, which didn’t only affect the Cleveland community, but generated a national outcry. Though undoubtedly a tragedy, it was clearly preventable. Racism was cited as the instigator for the incident. While supporters of the officer responsible for the death will deny this, there is one thing for certain; excessive force was used. Officer Timothy Loehmann opened fire within seconds of arriving on the scene. I would attribute this to Loehmann’s lack of training and screening. Not only did he make an incredibly sporadic decision that resulted in the loss of the life of a child, he caused an uproar across the nation, sparking mass criticism of public law enforcement.

As a Clevelander, this topic has struck close to home to the point where I was even a witness to a particular incident. This past Tuesday, I came to the corner of Crocker and Detroit Road to find...