Detroit

Kathryn Bigelow's Detroit examines a horrific event from America's past that took place during the explosive Detroit riots.

As the twitterverse and the video technology built into postmodern cellphones vigilantly documents contemporary life, providing unburnished blueprints of power being abused, the prolonged illustration of police brutality found in the film seems shocking yet all too familiar.

How do you bring these two groups together, African American communities targeted by the police and the trustworthy police officers committed to treating them fairly?

If one group targets another for decades and becomes more like a bully than a protector, it's difficult for the victims to trust that group or assist them when their help is needed.

That targeted community deserves the same protection other communities enjoy and it would be terrifying to think that the very people hired to ensure public safety were in fact hostile and unwilling to assist.

The positive forces of progressive change are often overlooked within a sensationalized frame that predominantly focuses on violence.

They must be working together behind the scenes to fight both crime and police brutality, with stricter penalties for police officers who shoot first and ask questions later.

It must be difficult to trust if you see innocent members of your community killed by the police, and then the offending officer is set free with a slap on the wrist.

It must be difficult to trust if the authorities generally think you're troublemaking.

Decade after decade, no respite in sight.

Despair contending with animosity, historically nuanced to permeate strategic plans.

The African Americans I've worked with were first rate, working hard throughout the day while relaxing and having thoughtful and fun conversations during lunch and breaks, like the other people I've worked with over the years.

There's no difference unless you ignorantly approach the situation with destructive preconceived notions that turn a typical interaction into an eggshell extravaganza.

Detroit realistically and bluntly presents a racist tragedy perpetrated by those who blindly consider violence to be an effective tool.

Hemorrhaging and monstrous, it openly investigates that which remains unimagined, hopefully teaching confused individuals and communities just how horrendous miscommunication can be.

I suggest never pulling a prank on the police, rather, it's best practice to listen and do what they say.

Even if it makes no difference when they do that in Detroit.

There are thousands of police officers out there who care and are there to protect and serve.

Hopefully they can surely remove the racist motivations from the force, which encourage unrelenting tension, and replace trust and friendship with contempt and conflict.