The right-wing pundits, like Bill O’Reilly, like to say that American law enforcement is in danger and are under constant threat of attack from civilians. However, statistics of the last 100 years show that 2015 could be one of the safest years for cops in 25 years, reported the Guardian.
The Officer Down Memorial Page found that 24 officers have been shot by suspects so far in 2015. At the current rate, the United States is on pace for 36 non-accidental shootings of police officers. Besides 2013, which had 31 such tragedies, 2015 is on pace to be the safest year for police officers in the last 25 years.
Anytime someone is killed, whether it be an officer or civilian, it’s always a tragedy and should never be downplayed. On the other hand, it’s the responsibility of media outlets to objectively and honestly report these statistics within context. Fox News and the like don’t do that. O’Reilly recently said there is an “epidemic” of police officers being shot and that Black Lives Matter is to blame. This is wrong.
The conservative narrative aims to manipulate the narrative, giving the illusion that civil rights activists are out of control. Creating such hysteria is irresponsible and only seeks to increase ratings and manipulate the conservative constituency. It’s important to look past the lies of the right-wing media and focus on the facts.
